Inside a Rockette’s Christmas: Brooklyn Bronson’s Guide to Holiday Magic in New York City
How a Rockette Spends Christmas in New York City
By Culture & Entertainment Desk
Updated: 18 December 2025
In New York, the holidays have an unofficial soundtrack: the precision tap of the Rockettes’ heels on the Radio City Music Hall stage. For 100 years, this high-kicking line has been shorthand for Christmas in the city, and now Rockette Brooklyn Bronson is inviting us behind the sequins to share how she actually spends the season—and where you should go if you want to feel a little like a local in rhinestones.
“I was fortunate enough as a little girl to see the Rockettes live,” Bronson recalls. “Now I’m literally standing where my childhood hero once crouched to take a photo with me.”
Sitting in her dressing room, glittering in ruby-like crystals that catch every bit of backstage light, Bronson keeps that childhood photograph on hand—a reminder that for audiences, this isn’t just a variety show, it’s a ritual. Her Christmas in New York is, in many ways, the city’s Christmas in miniature: big, loud, endlessly choreographed, but built on tiny, tender traditions.
A Century of Kicklines: Why the Rockettes Mean Christmas in NYC
Long before Instagram turned Rockefeller Center into a December algorithm, the Rockettes were already defining what a “New York Christmas” looked like. The troupe—founded in 1925 and brought to Radio City Music Hall in 1932—has survived the Depression, disco, and the streaming era by doing a simple thing very, very well: delivering spectacle with militarily precise charm.
The Radio City Christmas Spectacular has become a holiday ritual on par with seeing the Rockefeller Center tree or watching Home Alone 2 reruns. For countless families, the show is passed down like a recipe, which is exactly how Bronson arrived here: as a kid in the audience, dazzled by the uniformity that somehow makes each dancer feel larger than life.
Cultural critics like to talk about “high-low” art, but the Rockettes quietly sidestep that debate. Their show is unabashedly populist: part Broadway revue, part old-school variety show, part Christmas pageant. Yet the athleticism is elite-level—Bronson trains like a pro athlete, with intense rehearsal blocks leading up to as many as four shows a day in peak season.
Brooklyn Bronson’s Christmas Day in New York City
So how does a Rockette actually spend Christmas in New York—beyond the eight-counts and costume changes? Bronson’s version of the day blends classic Manhattan sights with the kind of small, grounding rituals you only learn after spending months on a famously demanding stage.
- Slow morning, strong coffee. With evening performances often on the schedule, mornings are sacred. Bronson leans into a quiet start—think a neighborhood coffee shop over a tourist-packed brunch spot, especially in Midtown where foot traffic becomes its own type of chorus line.
- A walk through Rockefeller Center. Yes, it’s touristy. That’s also the point. For Bronson, the tree across from Radio City is less a photo-op and more a reset button—a brief moment of shared awe before ducking backstage.
- Midtown lights, but with detours. The Fifth Avenue holiday windows (Saks, Bergdorf Goodman, Tiffany & Co.) still make the cut, but she recommends wandering a block or two off the main drag to watch the crowd from a distance and reclaim some breathing room.
- Backstage rituals at Radio City. Hydration, stretching, and precision makeup become a kind of moving meditation. That childhood photo—Bronson and the Rockette who first inspired her—stays nearby as a quiet grounding tool before the house lights dim.
- Post-show decompression. After the curtain call, it’s about warmth and familiarity: a favorite diner, a slice of pizza, or just a bundled-up walk home through streets that still hum with Christmas energy long after the tree lights shut off.
“Christmas in New York can feel like a performance, even offstage,” Bronson says. “My trick is to find the quiet beats between the big numbers—those little walks, the people-watching, the five minutes of stillness with a cup of tea.”
How to Experience New York’s Holiday Magic Like a Rockette
Bronson’s advice for visitors is refreshingly grounded. Instead of chasing every Christmas-in-NYC cliché, she recommends curating your own “set list” of moments—just like the carefully sequenced numbers in the Christmas Spectacular.
- Time your traditions. Hit Rockefeller Center early in the morning or after 10pm to avoid peak crowds. The magic is the same; the elbow room is not.
- Book the Christmas Spectacular strategically. Afternoon shows are often more family-friendly (energy-wise), while evening performances have a special buzz, especially on weekends. Check the official site for current schedules and tickets.
- Balance blockbusters with side streets. Pair big-ticket attractions (Bryant Park Winter Village, the skating rinks) with neighborhood walks in places like the West Village or Brooklyn Heights, where decorations are more intimate and less choreographed.
- Layer like a local performer. The weather whiplash—from freezing sidewalks to overheated lobbies—is real. Think breathable base layers, not just the chunky sweater that looks great in photos.
Inside the Dressing Room: Discipline Behind the Sparkle
The image of a Rockette—a shimmering costume, a blinding smile, a kick that seems to defy physics—can feel almost superhuman. Bronson is quick to remind people that it’s actually the opposite: an extremely human amount of work, repeated daily.
Rehearsals for the Christmas Spectacular begin weeks before audiences take their seats, with days structured around learning choreography, refining formations, and building stamina. Precision is non-negotiable: one misaligned arm in a line of 36 reads instantly from the balcony.
“People see the glitter,” Bronson notes, “but they don’t always see the ice baths, the cross-training, the nights you spend stretching on your apartment floor because you know tomorrow’s show is going to be intense.”
This is where the job stops looking like a seasonal gig and more like elite sport. The Rockettes have trainers, physical therapists, and a carefully managed show schedule; they’re not just keeping tradition alive, they’re actively evolving what a “holiday production” can demand from its performers.
Beyond Radio City: Holiday Landmarks Through a Rockette’s Eyes
When Bronson does get time offstage, her favorite New York holiday spots tend to echo the emotional beats of the show itself: big reveals, quiet interludes, and the occasional surprise cameo from a busker who could absolutely hold their own on Broadway.
- Bryant Park Winter Village. A slightly more relaxed alternative to Rockefeller’s rink, with food stalls and local artisans that make it feel like a European Christmas market translated into Midtown.
- St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Just a short walk from Radio City, the cathedral offers a stillness that can feel almost shocking after Fifth Avenue’s sensory overload.
- Neighborhood light displays. From Dyker Heights in Brooklyn to pockets of Queens and the Bronx, the DIY decorations are a reminder that Christmas in New York isn’t just a corporate set piece—it’s deeply local.
Seen through Bronson’s eyes, the city becomes another kind of stage: less choreographed, more improvisational, but no less committed to putting on a show for anyone willing to brave the cold.
Where to Watch the Rockettes and Dive Deeper into Their Story
If you can’t make it to New York, the Rockettes’ Christmas presence has long extended beyond the stage. Televised specials, documentaries, and official clips offer a window into the company’s history and evolving identity.
For official information, schedules, and behind-the-scenes features, visit:
- The Rockettes Official Website – casting, history, and training programs.
- Radio City Christmas Spectacular on IMDb – credits, trivia, and related media.
- Radio City Music Hall – venue details, accessibility information, and upcoming events.
Streaming platforms also regularly surface Rockettes content around December—everything from archival performances to modern making-of specials that dive into choreography, costume design, and the logistics of staging a century-old institution for a modern audience.
The Future of a Christmas Icon
As the Rockettes enter their second century, they occupy a peculiar but powerful space in pop culture: they’re both comfortingly old-fashioned and quietly evolving, modernizing casting, choreography, and storytelling while keeping the core fantasy intact. Bronson embodies that tension—part tradition bearer, part modern New Yorker navigating a city that never stops refreshing its own mythology.
If you’re heading to New York for the holidays, her unofficial advice is simple: treat the city the way the Rockettes treat their show. Edit ruthlessly, commit fully, and leave room for at least one unscripted moment. The perfect kickline is thrilling; the imperfect, unexpected beat between numbers is often what you remember most.
Whether you’re in the stalls at Radio City Music Hall or watching from a sofa thousands of miles away, the real appeal of the Rockettes isn’t just the precision. It’s the idea that, for 90 minutes or so, a group of strangers can move in absolute sync—and for one sparkling season, New York City itself tries to do the same.
