These days, auditioning two, three, four, or more times isn’t an anomaly—it’s often the norm. “In this industry you get told ‘no’ all the time, so auditioning is your job,” says Houston-based musical theater dancer Courtney Chilton. Depending on what corner of the dance scene you’re in, “You might spend more time auditioning than on contracts.”

A Holiday Spectacular, the Radio City Rockettes’ Hallmark Channel movie debut, follows a late-1950s Philadelphia heiress who sneaks off to New York City so she can follow her dream of—what else?—performing with the iconic line.

On a humid summer day in midtown Manhattan, construction goes on outside the Church of St. Paul the Apostle. Inside, another type of building goes on: In separate basement studios, two groups of 40 dancers focus their attention on their instructors. It’s the Rockettes’ summer intensive, a rare chance for students to work with professional […]