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Two Scranton natives are Radio City Music Hall Rockettes

By Josh McAuliffe (STAFF WRITER) The Scranton Times-Tribune
Published: December 29, 2009

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West Scranton native Jessica Osborne, far right, is a member of the world-famous Radio City Rockettes.

For many, the ever-popular Christmas Spectacular at New York City's Radio City Music Hall, featuring the world-famous Rockettes, is a holiday must.

For Karen Keeler and Jessica Osborne, it's just another day at the office.

The area natives, both former students at Ballet Theatre of Scranton, are current members of the legendary dance ensemble. Ms. Keeler, 34, has been a Rockette for the past decade, while Ms. Osborne, 25, just joined the New York production after spending last year with the show's touring company, Christmas Across America.

Over the past two months, the two have been dancing at a breakneck pace. Each day, the Rockettes perform four 90-minute shows, and by the time they finish their run on Sunday, they'll have done more than 200.

Super show

With its exuberant, high-kicking dance moves, lavish costume changes and feel-good holiday tunes, the Christmas Spectacular is as light and frothy as live entertainment comes. To the average audience member, it probably "looks effortless, but it's really very hard," said Ms. Keeler, formerly of South Scranton.

"When people think of the Rockettes, they think of long legs, beautiful women, beautiful costumes. But it's a lot of work," said Ms. Osborne, a West Scranton native. "You not only have to be an extraordinary dancer, but you have to be tough."

Ms. Keeler joined the Rockettes shortly after getting her master's degree in dance from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. A few seasons in, she was promoted to assistant choreographer and dance captain. She's also a "swing," a dancer who can take the place of another Rockette at a moment's notice.

"There's 36 women in the group, all in different formations. Each one has a number and colored line to remember - that's what keeps all of our formations perfect," Ms. Keeler said. "As a swing, you have to memorize all of those numbers. It's just a lot of fast memorization, and trusting the other dancers.

"I love the hard work and the sense of accomplishment you get when it's done."

A 2006 graduate of Philadelphia's University of the Arts, Ms. Osborne briefly danced on a cruise ship before successfully trying out for the Rockettes. As a youngster, she watched Ms. Keeler dance principal roles in many Ballet Theatre productions. Now, she's tickled to find herself being taught by Ms. Keeler.

Always smiling

"Karen has the poise to handle the 80 women in the room, and walk out with a smile on her face and still be friends with everybody," said Ms. Osborne, whose dressing room is directly across the hall from her fellow Scrantonian.

"She's doing great. I'm very proud of her," Ms. Keeler said of Ms. Osborne. "It's nice to share something I love so much with someone else from the area."

Both are quick to credit Ballet Theatre and its longtime artistic director, Joanne Arduino, with giving them the training - they were not only schooled in ballet, but tap and jazz, too - poise and confidence necessary to make it as a Rockette.

"It made me think I could do anything I wanted to do," Ms. Osborne said. "You were kind of groomed to make decisions for yourself. You were learning everything you needed to learn in the correct way."

"There's a great sense of pride in dance at Ballet Theatre of Scranton," added Ms. Keeler, noting the same holds true in being a Rockette, an elite distinction she has no plans of relinquishing anytime soon.

"It's just great to be around such a group of talented women," she said.

"It's definitely something I'm honored to have as an opportunity for myself," Ms. Osborne said. "It is magic to the audience. You forget how you touch these people. People leave with this memory of the show, and they have it forever.

"We've done our job if we see everyone smile and walk away and know it was part of their Christmas."

 

Contact the writer: jmcauliffe@timesshamrock.com         If you go....

What: Radio City Christmas Spectacular, featuring Scranton-born Rockettes Karen Keeler and Jessica Osborne

Where: Radio City Music Hall, 1260 6th Ave., New York, N.Y.

When: The show runs through Sunday, with shows at 11 a.m., 2, 5 and 8 p.m. today, Wednesday and Saturday; at 2 and 5 p.m. on Friday; and 11:30 a.m., 2 and 5 p.m. on Sunday. There are no shows scheduled for Thursday and Friday.

 

It is a new season, our 53rd, at Ballet Theatre of Scranton, opening Monday, September 13, 2010 ! 

Please see the Calendar

for dates and times of upcoming events!

Take a look at the variety of new fall classes, workshops, seminars, as well as next summer's classes, Dance Camps

and other classes listed in the Calendar !

E-mail or give us a call to register, or for more information !!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

'Tis The Season

No one at BTOS needs to be reminded what season that is... It's Nutcracker Season!  In case you lost count, this will be the 34th year that BTOS will be bringing the Christmas classic ballet to the people of Northeastern Pennsylvania as a gift to the community, free of charge! Please see our calendar for dates and other details !  Click the small poster below to get a larger version suitable for printing and hanging up wherever the urge strikes you.  (Warning: this file is almost 3MB large and will take a long time to download if you don't have highspeed Internet)

DEC. 26, 27, 28              Performances of

The Nutcracker at Marywood University, Sette-LaVerghetta Center for the Performing Arts

at 2300 Adams Avenue, Scranton, PA

  Daily at 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM   

Nutcracker 2009 click to see photos !

Directions to Marywood University  

Map to the Sette-LaVerghetta Center for the Performing Arts on the Marywood Campus!