High-kicking Rockettes get star on St. Louis Walk of Fame

UNIVERSITY CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The Radio City Rockettes returned to their roots Wednesday, honored with a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.

Before the Rockettes were a New York City sensation, they were the Missouri Rockets, a 16-member dance line created by Russell Markert in 1925 that performed at a St. Louis theater before movies.

They were brought to New York by S.L. "Roxy" Rothafel and known for a time as the "Roxyettes." It was their performance at the opening night of Radio City Music Hall in 1932 that led to a permanent engagement and the name change.

Current and former Rockettes were on hand for the ceremony. Dressed in red Christmas costumes trimmed in fur with sparkle accents, two current Rockettes who grew up in the St. Louis area literally stopped traffic at the induction ceremony, as drivers briefly stopped to catch a glimpse.

One of two of the early Missouri Rockets, 95-year-old Adelyn (Bube) Prinz, said she won a spot with her tap and acrobatic skills. There was always a certain glamour associated with the troupe, and she recalled being asked out on plenty of dates.

"Oh, sure. I didn't go out with a lot of them, though," she said.

Prinz, now using a walker after breaking her hip, had a picture of herself as a young brunette with a radiant smile, dressed in a tuxedo costume that showed her legs, for which she said the dancers were famous even from the beginning.

There are currently about 200 Rockettes, who perform in 36-member dance lines. They're still known for their precision choreography. But there's a lot of hard work behind the glamorous trappings, including years of dance training.

"We're truly athletes," said Rockette Karilyn Ashley Surratt of St. Louis. She said in a day with multiple performances, she can do as many as 1,200 kicks.

"I did 30,000 kicks my first year, not including rehearsals," she said.

Another current member of the dance troupe, Lara Turek of St. Louis County, said she was watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade when she was 4, turned to her mother, and announced her intention of becoming a Rockette.

"I think it's the best dance job a girl could have in the United States," she said.

Even when you're wearing fur outside in 88-degree weather?

"It's a little warm, but I think it's warmer when I'm dancing full out with stage lights. So, today's a breeze," she said.

Both the Rockets and the Rockettes said they were honored by recognition on the Walk of Fame. "It just is such an outward sign of an American legacy," Surratt said.

The Walk of Fame was founded in 1988 by businessman Joe Edwards, best known for the Blueberry Hill restaurant where Chuck Berry holds performances, to showcase cultural contributions made by St. Louisans on a national level.

Brass stars and bronze plaques with a biographical summary are set in the sidewalks of the University City Loop neighborhood.

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On the 'Net:

St. Louis Walk of Fame: www.stlouiswalkoffame.org

The Radio City Rockettes: http://www.radiocity.com/rc--rockette--index.html