Kicking up a storm in 3D: rooted in tradition, the Radio City "Christmas Spectacular" has impressed audiences for almost 80 years, and this year's transformation is sure to surpass all expectations.

• Author: Sides, Hannah
• Position: Entertainment

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FOR THOSE who never have seen the Radio City "Christmas Spectacular," this just may be the year to start, as a treasured tradition has been enhanced with the addition of 3D. Of course, audiences still will enjoy seeing Santa Claus and his elves, giant teddy bears, and numbers such as "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers," "12 Days of Christmas," and "Let Christmas Shine, "as well as those incredible eye-high kicks from the world-famous Rockettes, but this holiday season patrons also will experience the world of 3D Live, groundbreaking technology that never has been used in a theatrical production before. Let two of the Rockettes explain about this year's show and what it means to be part of the world-famous dance ensemble.

Hannah Sides

"Mama, when I grow up, I'm going to be one of those!" While watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, these are the words I said to my mother after seeing the Radio City Rockettes perform for the first time. I was three years old and, though I always had dreamed of being a dancer, that one memory always has stood out. It was the first time my dream took on a tangible form and, I think in a lot of ways, acted as a catalyst to start formal training. Though my interests and dreams in the world of dance certainly varied here and there, as I grew older and was exposed to more, that little girl's dream of someday becoming a Rockette never left me. At the very end of the summer of 2005, I received the call that made that dream a reality.

As I look back on that day now, it definitely lacks any sense of reality. I believe I stayed in a state of euphoric disbelief until I was halfway through rehearsals on my first day at the famed Radio City Music Hail. I was 18 when I auditioned--doing so on a whim to get some experience with that process. I never actually expected to get the job; I was just thrilled to make it all the way through the two-day audition. After being offered the position a couple of months later, I was completely overwhelmed. I remember shaking with excitement.

Though I utterly was thrilled with the opportunity, it did not come without its fair share of challenges. Through the rigorous rehearsal period of dancing six days a week and choreography being taught at a lightning pace, it became imperative to pick up the material fast with every last bit of concentration focused on each minute detail. It is that extreme attention to detail and the synchronicity in its execution that sets the...