18 Pace University Grads Take the Stage in the Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes
When graduates of Pace University’s commercial dance BFA walk across the stage at graduation, they have a cap, gown, and amazing eye-high kicks. That’s because of their curriculum’s focus on multiple styles of jazz, including the precision jazz made famous by the Radio City Rockettes. There is no formal relationship between Pace University and the Rockettes—in fact, the only thing all of this year’s new Rockettes have in common is having attended the Rockettes Conservatory, a weeklong intensive held at Radio City Music Hall. Still, the success of the Pace graduates speaks for itself. This year, 18 Pace graduates and one current student will take the stage in the Christmas Spectacular as Rockettes and members of the ensemble.
Professor Lauren Gaul, who helped found Pace’s BFA program, is herself a former Rockette. She studied at Oklahoma City University, another college known for elevating jazz as a core part of its curriculum. “I grew up as a hoofer,” Gaul says. “This was when there were fewer college dance programs that had diverse offerings, like tap and jazz. It was mostly ballet and modern programs back then.” Her first job postgraduation was with the Rockettes, and she stayed for 10 years, eventually becoming a swing.
Gaul received an MFA in dance performance and teaching from Purchase College, State University of New York, while teaching at Pace as an adjunct professor. Her final thesis project was her plan for what became Pace’s commercial dance BFA. “The whole concept was to change the landscape of the offered disciplines in higher education,” says Gaul. “Most conservatory programs are still ballet-, modern-, or contemporary-based, and we felt there was a need for a commercial program rooted in ballet and jazz.”
Gaul teaches jazz history and ensures her students are aware of that history and the different styles within the genre. “The students see eight different faculty members in jazz a semester, and they bring different perspectives,” she says. “They might have someone teaching technical jazz, theater jazz, contemporary jazz, or street jazz.”
Valeria Yamin auditioned for the Rockettes in 2021, during her senior year at Pace. She had also attended the first Rockettes Conservatory, held virtually in 2020. “Pace taught me to focus on one thing and then be able to switch gears, while being present in the moment,” Yamin says. “That really translates to what we do here at Radio City, because it’s a pretty fast-paced rehearsal process.”
Yamin was able to finish her degree while rehearsing and performing with the Rockettes by taking classes in the morning and online. She also earned internship credit by writing reflective essays on the rehearsal process. “I was well-supported by the Rockette veterans and by my Pace family, by the directors and my professors,” Yamin says. “They were all really cheering me on, and they wanted to see me grow. You go to school to hopefully book a job like this, so it was a pretty big dream come true.”
In 2022, Yamin finished her degree and graduated alongside her classmates, with her first season at Radio City under her belt. And though she’s no longer a student, her professors are still in her corner—they’ve watched her dance at Radio City every year, often with current Pace students in attendance. “I love meeting Pace students who want to be Rockettes. It’s a full-circle moment. I tell them to work hard, be humble, and, if they can, attend the Rockettes Conservatory and just be sponges, so they have a better chance in the audition room.”
Julia Dickey, a senior studying commercial dance at Pace, knew from a young age that she wanted a career in dance, but didn’t find her focus until starting college. “I always obviously admired the Rockettes, but I never thought for whatever reason that that could be something for me,” Dickey says. It wasn’t until Gaul cast Dickey in a precision jazz piece her freshman year that Dickey considered becoming a Rockette herself. “Now I’m trying to push myself to be the best that I can be, and the most prepared. I want to make a good first impression.”
Once Dickey graduates, she will have the Pace family in her corner, just like Yamin. “We stay in close contact with our alumni,” Gaul says. “We bring them in to talk to current students when we can. Just recently we had a bunch of alumni visit who are in rehearsals for Radio City.”
“I actually stand next to a Pace alum this year,” says Yamin. “She graduated last year, so she’s a few years younger than me, and when we stand next to each other, I remind her that she’s exactly where she needs to be. It’s really cool to see her growth and to be able to kick together knowing that we both came from Pace.”
