5'9", Jazz Proficient, 113 Pounds, Perfect

"What do I want? Ever since I was a little girl there's only been I thing I want. I want what I've wanted since the first day I learned how to walk. I wanna be a Rockette." -Kicks, the Musical


There's something about them-long legs, perfectly uniform, sparkly costumes-that make the Radio City Christmas Spectacular a must-see, pack-the-entire-family-in-the-car-to-drive-in-ice-sleet-snow-hail-to-see-it show. But what is it about them? From a technical dance stand point, the show lacks any incredibly complex combinations, gravity-defying leaps, feats of flexibility, and dizzying spins. And yet well-conditioned dancers flood the box office in October to reserve seats for themselves, their parents, their second cousins, and their best friend's boyfriend's sister. I'm guilty. Since I was seven I've been in awe of the Rockettes. I will be turning 18 in January and I will meet every requirement to audition for a prized Rockette position. I never wanted to be the Sugar Plum Fairy, I wanted to be a spot in the long line of precision. But why? Why do the Rockettes pave the way for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade every year? Why have they been carefully placed on the top of the holiday heirarchy of entertainment?

It's easy.

The Rockettes opitomize perfection. Humans are created to be perfectionists. Now, you may be thinking, my room is a mess, I could not care less about how neatly I write my notes, and I get dressed in the dark. We are not all perfectionists in the sense that we spend hours on a homework assignment, meticulously scruntinizing over each and every letter. But think about it. Confusion and chaos cause some to completely shut down and lapse into some form of depression. Confusion is not an emotion humans like to carry with them for long periods of time. It is in our nature to sort things out, hoping to reach some form of understanding. Humans look for perfection in order. It's the exact reason why timelines are effective when studying history. It's why time order words (next, then, finally) are crucial in story-telling vernacular. Even if one's desk appears to be a complete mess of misplaced papers, it is guaranteed that in one's mind some form of order exists in regard to those papers.

It goes back to biology (and if you're like me, the word biology makes you cringe, so I'll only touch on it briefly). Every transfer of enery increases the entropy, or disorder of the universe. While the universe moves towards disorder a particular system, or individual moves toward maximum stability, or equilibrium. And so while our lives become increasingly chaotic and seemingly uncontrollable, it is in our nature to look for some sort of order, or equilibrium. So maybe we as humans find comfort in the Rockette's perfection admidst the chaotic streets of the city?

I'm not sure what it says about humans as a whole that we strive for perfection. Perhaps it's what keeps us moving forward, while allowing us to make sense of our lives. So, during the rush of the holiday season, kicking eye-high, perfectly in sync are the Rockettes, society's tangible perfection.