Kicking Eye-High With Radio City Rockette Karmen Moore

Karmen Moore had always dreamed of joining the Radio City Rockettes. But while completing her degree in dance performance at Southern Methodist University in 2023, she mainly focused on auditioning for contemporary and modern companies. A last-minute trip to New York City landed Moore at the Rockettes open call. She ended up making it through to the Rockettes Conservatory and, after another audition specifically for Conservatory dancers, officially joined the iconic line in November 2023. “Auditioning was something I wanted to do to honor my childhood self,” Moore says.

Her bold and lyrical movement quality is infused with the passion and precision necessary to execute the Rockettes’ intense choreography. Raised in Memphis, Tennessee, Moore trained with a number of studios, including Dance Academy of Bartlett and Dance Dynamics Memphis. But it was the encouragement of her teacher Danielle Pierce that propelled Moore onto the professional track: “She pushed me to seek more—more knowledge, more technique, more progress, more everything.”

A New Vocabulary

“The Rockettes incorporate a lot of precision jazz into their choreography, and it’s like learning an entirely different language. Because things are so precise, there are certain words and phrases to describe different positions and pathways. You have to distinguish between a ‘true V’ and a ‘shallow V,’ or a ‘closed bevel’ versus an ‘open bevel.’ Immersing myself fully into this language was the best way to learn, and once I understood, the movement came more naturally.”

Beauty in Repetition

“Even though we perform the same show every night, I really find myself within the work—it’s sort of meditative knowing that I get to do it again. At the end of every show, there’s always something I want to work on for next time, and I always keep in mind that this show is about the unit as a whole, which is really special.”

The Power of Dance

“I can’t imagine life without dance. To give that feeling to other people is so important to me, because I want them to feel that same satisfaction and joy—and in that way, I think that dance is a selfless act. You’re constantly giving to the audience, and hopefully they’ll give back to you.”

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