Printed Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2008

There seems to be a certain destiny associated with being a Radio City Rockette.

The cosmic energies align and a little girl is born.

She studies all forms of dance, ballet, tap and jazz, and she magically grows to between 5 feet, 6 inches and 5 feet, 10 inches tall.

Not only are the Rockettes physically beautiful, contributing to the visually wondrous shows they perform with their signature eye-high kicks, but they are beautiful on the inside as well, giving back to their communities across the nation.

Radio City Rockettes Merrill West and Jaime Windrow were in Huntsville Sunday to help promote the Bridge Street Town Centre “Be a Santa to a Senior” program.

The program, developed by Home Instead Senior Care, will provide more than 1,200 seniors in the Tennessee Valley with basic items during the holiday season, such as sheets, towels, socks, house shoes, pajamas, jogging suits, sweat suits, toiletries, robes, blankets, a box of non-perishable food, and large-print Bibles. Containers to collect items are set up at Bridge Street Town Centre around the holiday tree in the middle of the complex. All items for the “Be a Santa to a Senior” program must be turned in by Saturday, Dec. 13. To learn more about drop-off places, visit www.bridgestreethuntsville.com/events.html.

This year, the Rockettes will take the Radio City Christmas Spectacular on a national arena tour, stopping in Birmingham at the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center from Dec. 12-14, West said.

This is the first time people can experience the show close to their hometown just as if they were at Radio City Music Hall in New York, West said.

The show will arrive in 34 tractor-trailer trucks with 175 people, including cast and crew, Windrow said.

The Radio City Christmas Spectacular will forever have the march of the toy soldiers. West said. The show will also include a live nativity, real snow in the audience, fireworks and a flying Santa.

The show gives a glimpse at Christmas in New York with a double-decker bus upon which the Rockettes dance, and an ice rink that thrusts into the audience.

“It’s just really incredible family entertainment,” West said. “Nobody does it like Radio City Music Hall.”

The dancers do more than 300 of their signature kicks in the show, Windrow said.

“It really is for everyone not just for children,” she said. “There is something so special about being part of the family traditions… People can just come and smile for 90 minutes.”

For more information about the Rockettes and Radio City Music Hall visit www.radiocitychristmas.com.