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Sagaponack Rockette Reflects on Radio City & 100 Years of the Rockettes
A former Rockette and Sagaponack resident, Patty DeCarlo Grantham shares memories of dancing at Radio City Music Hall for 11 years as the Rockettes mark their 100th anniversary.
There is nothing more magical during the holidays in New York City than watching the Radio City Rockettes take the stage at the grand music hall for the annual Christmas Spectacular. The show is a family tradition for audiences of all ages.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Radio City Rockettes, and everyone seated inside the majestic, 6,000-seat hall has a favorite moment — whether it’s the Rockettes’ famous kick line, the prancing reindeer routine, or the precise movements of the Parade of the Wooden Soldiers. With every routine and costume change, the beaming faces in the audience say it all.
For 85-year-old former Rockette Patty DeCarlo Grantham, seeing this year’s show brought on a flood of memories and emotion.
“I am mesmerized,” Grantham said. “I thought it was the best show I’ve ever seen. They work so hard, and they make it look so easy.”
She would know. Grantham auditioned while still in high school at age 17, became a Rockette at 18, and spent 11 consecutive years performing with the famed dance troupe.
Life as a Rockette in Radio City’s Golden Era
What was it like to be a Rockette during the golden era of Radio City Music Hall?
We caught up with Grantham, who now spends much of her time at her oceanfront home in Sagaponack, to learn how a “little girl from a small coal-mining town 43 miles from Pittsburgh” made the leap into the legendary Rockettes sisterhood.
How did you get your start?
“I started dancing when I was 10 years old in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. My teacher wanted me to take private lessons, but my mother couldn’t afford them, so the teacher made me a teacher of the other students. I did that six days a week.
“I got on TV when I was 13 with a group of dancers. A Uniontown mother sent photos of me winning prizes, and Russell Markert — the founder and original choreographer of the Rockettes — called and asked me to come for an interview when I was 17. I auditioned, and at 18, I began my career as a Rockette.”
What was the audition process like?
“They asked us to do 36 fan kicks on the right leg and 36 fan kicks on the left leg — so many kicks. We also did a ballet routine, a jazz routine and a tap routine. It was very different from what they do today.”
What is it like to stand on that stage and look out at the audience?
“It’s a fantastic feeling like no other. The next time you come to New York City, I’ll beg them to let me take you on stage so you can see for yourself.”
What was the Rockettes’ performing schedule like back then?
“We danced four shows a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year — noon, 3, 6 and 9 p.m. We were part of the Rockettes, as well as the ballet and chorus companies. It was totally different then — we practically lived there.
“I had an apartment in Brooklyn and traveled by subway, as many of us did. There was also a dormitory at Radio City with 20 beds, so when we had 6 a.m. calls, we stayed there.”
She recalls how close the dancers were. “We were together all the time — dated together, came of age together. I was only 18 when three men in uniform came into the green room, saluted me, and asked to take me to dinner on Armed Forces Day, Nov. 11. The Rockettes always dated West Point cadets.
“West Point even had a marching class; that was all Russell Markert’s choreography — the marching uniforms, the Wooden Soldiers march.”
How is it different for Rockettes today?
“We only did one or two routines per show. Now they’re doing five or six. My mind marvels every time I see them.”
Originally, Grantham notes, there were 16 dancers, not the 36 Rockettes who appear onstage today in the Spectacular. “We started out as the Missouri Rockets. When we performed on Broadway at the Roxy we were the Roxyettes. When Radio City opened, we became the Radio City Rockettes.”
She’s also impressed by the show’s technical advances. “The sound this year is incredible. They’re using the same music system as The Sphere in Las Vegas, so wherever you’re sitting, it’s full and rich.”
Life in the Hamptons
What is life like for you Out East?
“I try to be there as much as I can. I also have a home in Englewood, New Jersey. I’ve been coming to the Hamptons since 1984. My husband was a doctor at Columbia Presbyterian.”
She often hosts a writing group at her Sagaponack oceanfront home. “The writing salons are mostly in the summertime.”
You served as president of the Rockette Alumnae Association. How often are you in touch with other Rockettes?
“All the time. They’re my sisters. I have them out to Sagaponack quite often.”
In 2022, she underwent a serious operation. “I live alone with two dogs, and my sister Rockette Fern moved into my house to help. That’s what Rockettes do for each other.”
What do you love most about being Out East?
“The libraries. The East End has the best libraries.”
How else do you spend your time?
“I teach chair tap to the elderly. I have a bad left foot, so I can’t jump on it. As a child, I was ill a lot, but I practiced tapping with my first and second fingers of my right hand — and I did that throughout my career. That’s how I learned to tap dance.”
“When you’re a Rockette, you learn your routine, and it becomes muscle memory.”
She smiles. “I have great memories.”
She certainly does.
The Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes runs through Jan. 5, 2026, at Radio City Music Hall. Tickets are available at the Radio City box office and online at rockettes.com/christmas.
