The Spectacular

The extreme precision used to create the Rockettes’ kick line signifies the importance of making sacrifices for a larger group. This is demonstrated when Marion struggles to conform to the demands necessary to dance in the Rockettes’ style. For example, she accidentally “kicks out” during the final performance, and notes that when she did so, “[t]he girls nearby had gasped, as had some members of the audience. She’d wanted to curl into a ball […] but she’d plastered a smile on her face and joined the others in the correct pose as the curtain dropped” (230). In reality, Marion thrives when she has the liberty to dance freestyle and interpret the music as she desires. The Rockettes’ strict choreography forces her to hide this part of herself, and she feels ashamed for making mistakes, desperately wanting to blend in with the other Rockettes.

Marion works hard to assimilate to the Rockettes’ uniform style, wishing to work as a professional dancer and to remain connected to such a supportive and encouraging sisterhood. Thus, the Rockettes’ kick line also symbolizes The Supportive Role of Sisterhood, and this dynamic is illustrated when two Rockettes assist the elderly Marion in climbing onto Radio City’s stage staircase at the end of the novel.