gifts they might actually want

What 10 Radio City Rockettes Want for the Holidays

Photo: 2019 Steven Ferdman

For about eight weeks each year, New York City is gifted with an omnipresent sign of the holidays: the Radio City Rockettes. This year, you may have already spotted them — we’re just over a week into December and they’ve already performed on Kacey Musgraves’s holiday special and alongside Jennifer Lopez on Saturday Night Live. We reached out to ten of these high-kicking dancing queens to ask what they’d most like for the holidays. Below, their picks, including noise-canceling headphones, a handheld massager, and Chanel lipstick in (naturally) a festive red.

“During the Christmas Spectacular, we each perform in up to 16 shows per week, and do about 300 kicks per show. That’s a lot of strain on our bodies, so to help with the rest and recovery process, we need frequent massages and are constantly using foam rollers. The Hypervolt combines massage and foam-rolling into one device.” —Aly Mckenzie

“All dancers need a good set of headphones because music is such a big part of our life. These work especially well for me because they’re Bluetooth-enabled, which means I can be hands-free while dancing or choreographing. And what makes them especially cool is that you can adjust how noise-canceling they are — you have the option to hear a little of the outside world or completely block out everything around you.” —Christine Sienicki

“Because I love waking up to a good cup of coffee in the morning, especially before heading to Radio City for a full day of shows. My favorite type of Nespresso is the Intenso coffee pod, which I’d love to receive in bulk. I take my coffee with me in a thermos every morning, and enjoy it while I am doing my hair and makeup at my dressing-room station backstage.” —Katie Milani

“I love reading on the subway on my commute, and Elizabeth Gilbert’s City of Girls, set in New York City during the 1940s, is next up on my list because it’s based in New York City’s theater world, and is a coming-of-age novel — my favorite.” —Katie Forss

“For the Christmas Spectacular, we wear red lipstick. I’m a huge fan of this Chanel color, 99 Pirate. It’s a beautiful cool-toned blue-red color with great pigment. Very classy and chic — perfect for the holiday season. It’d be so fun to have nails to match too.” —Sophie Silnicki

“My family and I are very outdoorsy, and I’d love a backpack that works for activities like hiking, biking, snowboarding, and fishing, and that could also be used as a dance bag. Lots of pockets and compartments help me stay organized. For dance, I like to be able to separate my shoes, clothes, hair accessories, makeup, and water bottle. This Patagonia 20-liter backpack has multiple mesh pockets on the outside for water bottles, a daisy chain on the outside so I can clip on my mesh bag that my ballet slippers live in, a large zipper pocket inside, and a removable zipper pouch to store anything I may need for a day of rehearsals or outdoor activities.” —Audrey Thelemann

“My boyfriend and I are moving in together once the show closes in January, and I would love to get some cute home décor for our new apartment. We love nature and being outside, so we plan on bringing some greenery inside. West Elm has some lovely indoor planters that I’ve had my eye on.” —Megan Levinson

“As a busy mom and Rockette, I don’t have much free time to shop. And I’d really love to play with some more prints and patterns this year. I’ve been very interested in getting, for one, a leopard-print sweater.” —Melinda Farrell

“I just cut the cable cord, so I’m in need of an alternative. And, as an avid Apple user, getting a device that will pair easily with my other Apple products would be ideal. After a long day of performances, all I want is to come home, put my feet up, and watch TV.” —Jessie Crouch

“I’m obsessed with my dog, Luke, and he loves treats and toys (especially freeze-dried duck hearts, beef chewing sticks, and ice cream), so I’d love a BarkBox subscription.” —Elizabeth DuPont

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What 10 Radio City Rockettes Want for the Holidays