Tuesday, November 29, 2011

How the Rockettes saved Christmas


I freakin' love almost everything about Christmas. From hanging Christmas lights to the smell of gingerbread cookies, Christmas has always been my absolute favorite holiday.

But this year, I found myself overcome with a case of the Scrooge. Shopping on Black Friday has always been a tradition my mom and two of our family friends hold dear. We've never been the type to assault other shoppers for a $2 waffle iron, but we have always enjoyed getting up in the dark, putting on Christmas shirts and hitting the stores to find the perfect gifts for those we love. We missed out on Black Friday last year because of a trip to Disney World and I found my passion for Black Friday had greatly decreased this year, along with my Christmas list. I really don't have that many people to buy for these days and I also had no desire to head to Target at midnight. I did do some midnight shopping, online, and got a few good deals. But missing that yearly tradition got me feeling a little Humbuggy. I was contemplating not putting up a tree and even considered trying my best to skip Christmas this year.

Then, I attended my December event, The Radio City Christmas Spectacular at the Durham Performing Arts Center with my mom. We met up with a friend of hers from nursing school and her family and sat back, ready to enjoy the show.

I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. All I know about the Rockettes is that there is a lot of kicking. The show turned out to be so much more than that. Accompanied by a few actors and singers, the Radio City Rockettes danced their way through a Christmas journey, which included New York City and the North Pole. The girls had gorgeous outfits for each number and dramatic lighting. A huge LED screen made you feel like you were traveling right along with the girls.

My favorite dance number was The Parade of Wooden Soldiers, where the Rockettes line up and collapse into each other like toy soldiers.

My favorite overall number was a live nativity scene. And by live, I mean there were real camels and sheep. It was absolutely beautiful. It was also a strong reminder to me of what Christmas is really about. To me, Christmas has always been a time of magical wonder, where anything can happen. Thanks to the Rockettes for reminding me that is still true.


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