Q & A with Erin Harold

Erin Harold
Age: 22
Hometown: Stoneboro, PA
Currently Residing: Pittsburgh, PA

When it is not the holiday season, Erin Harold is a typical student at Point Park University. However, for the second year now, Harold has taken a leave of absence from school to pursue her dream as a Radio City Rockette. Harold, a senior dance major, hopes to graduate from Point Park in the spring. This holiday season, Harold is performing in Pittsburgh and Seattle, Wa.

Q: Describe your typical day as a Radio City Rockette.

A: We dance six days a week. How many shows we have in a day determines how long we are at the theater. During the week, we can have two or three shows a day. The weekends are the busiest and we can have up to four shows in a day. I typically get up and eat breakfast and begin to get ready. I put my hair up and head to the theater to finish my makeup. I will go to the athletic training location to tape my feet for blister prevention. And then I warm up for a half hour. Our dance captain will come in and give us notes and corrections from previous shows. After that we get into our first costume, which is reindeer, and then we are out on stage for places. The show is about two hours with an intermission. They usually have catering for us so we will go and eat, freshen up a little bit and do it all over again!

Q: What is your favorite number in the show?

A: My favorite number is Dreams. Dreams is the last number in the show before Nativity. It is the last number the Rockettes dance in, along with the ensemble as a group. It’s just beautiful. We are in these mesh costumes with big crowns and rhinestones. Dreams is really sentimental because it’s the end of the show and its very family orientated. The message is the happiest Christmas is the one you spend with your family and loved ones. It’s a very pretty number to end the show with.

Q: What is the hardest part about being a Rockette?

A: The schedule is very hard when we have up to 17 shows a week. Just finding the stamina and muscling through it all. Giving each show 100 percent and finding the energy to get through it all. And of course, the Rockettes are known for their precision, so there’s always something to work on. No matter how good you think the show went, there’s always something more to work on.

Q: Do you know how many kicks you do per show?

A: I do not know specifically, but there is a couple hundred each show. And when we do that four times a day, we kick a lot!

Q: What is your most memorable Rockette experience?

A: This is my second year, and last year was a great experience overall. The rehearsal process and being able to perform for the first time. This year has been really great because I am able to perform here in Pittsburgh. I have already had so many people I know come and see the show. Family, friends, friends of the family, a ton of people and that has meant so much to me. It means so much to have that support and so many people who care and who want to come see the show. I’ve been so appreciative of that this year.

Q: Do you have any mentors or something you can always count on for guidance and support?

A: Definitely! At Point Park, my freshman jazz dance teacher Maria Slutiak. She has been amazing. She has always had faith in me and was always supportive with everything that I did. The fact that she was there for me before I became a Rockette and it’s just amazing to have someone like her in my life. And of course my family too. My mom and dad have been there all the time and I couldn’t do it without them.

Q: What advice do you have for aspiring Rockettes?

A: If there’s a will, there’s a way. I definitely had to audition quite a few times before I made it through. It can be intimidating and scary. But if it’s what you love to do and you really want to do it, keep trying. If there’s a will, there’s a way!