Answering the call of the great stage.

• Position: Entertainment - Rockettes dancers Brooke Averi, Elizabeth Bork, and Alyssa Lemons - Interview

Brooke Averi

I guess you could say I came out of the womb dancing. I am the first-born child of a dance studio owner, and always was destined to be mommy's little ballerina. By the age of two, I already was on stage performing in my first recital. While other children were playing with dolls, I was making up my own musical production numbers. From a young age, there was no question that one day I wanted to dance in New York. I am lucky enough to have two loving and supportive grandparents who are from New York and who would bring me to the city each year. I spent my summers hand-in-hand with the ones I love seeing Broadway shows, walking around museums, and frequenting our favorite restaurants.

My family and I always had enjoyed the holiday season at home in Southern California but, when I was 12, we spent Thanksgiving in New York. The agenda for that evening was to have Thanksgiving dinner in Rockefeller Center and end the night seeing the "Radio City Christmas Spectacular." At that point in my life, I had been to many Broadway shows, but I had never seen anything like what I saw on the Radio City Music Hall stage that night. At that moment, I knew I wanted to be a part of the "Christmas Spectacular." I could see myself on stage--one moment a reindeer, the next a rag doll or a wooden soldier. Now that 1 am living my dream, I can only hope that, when I am onstage, I can glance over at a young girl and inspire the same dream inside of her that captivated me not so long ago.

When it came time to apply to colleges, I found the perfect match for me: a small arts school, Marymount Manhattan College, which allowed me to get a strong academic and dance education and be in the place I most wanted to be, New York, where I could attend Rockettes auditions at Radio City Music Hall.

Picture it: more than 500 girls lined up on the sidewalk wrapped around Radio City bright and early, waiting for the opportunity of a lifetime. Inside, it is serious business. The audition is a long day of dancing and waiting. It takes a quite a while to get through 500 girls. Throughout the process, various cuts are made as Rockettes hopefuls learn a jazz combination, tap combination, and eye-high kicks. Finally, a select number are asked to come back the next day for another go. It is a drawn-out process that takes incredible stamina, focus, dedication, and, of course, a lot of love for dance.

I have auditioned four times. In the first couple, I made it past the second round, but it was not until my last two attempts that I made it to the end. Along the way I have collected different Rockettes trinkets that I use as good luck charms for auditions, including my Radio City wristbands, red cheeks from performing "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers," and every name or number tag I ever have gotten at Radio City.

Then there is the Rockettes Summer Intensive, a program for dancers ages 14 and up to experience six days of Rockette training. The week ends with a showcase, which family and friends are welcome to watch. This year, I attended the Intensive just a few weeks after finding out I had made it to the final round of the 2014 auditions. Even though I was not yet a Rockette, I was performing the famed dance troupe's choreography. It went by so quickly. I had worked so hard for so long, and yet it seemed to come and go in an instant.

After our final bow, I saw a woman approach the stage. She talked about the hard work it takes to be a Rockette, how, for many, it is a dream and, for some, that dream would come true today. She announced on stage, in front of everyone, with my mom and grandma sitting in the audience, that my good friend Alyssa Lemons and I were welcomed into the "Radio City Christmas Spectacular" as Rockettes for the 2014 season. This was one of those surreal moments that...