3 Gen Z Rockettes Share Their Performance-Proof Beauty Routine

The holidays in New York are magical for a few reasons, and The Radio City Rockettes are one of them. If you've ever watched them perform at the annual Radio City Christmas Spectacular or Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, you know exactly what I mean. For nearly a century, the dancers have brought joy to the masses with their precise moves, festive costumes, and iconic glam. 

Amid their busy performance schedule, we had the chance to chat with three of the newest (and youngest) Rockettes. Natalie Butt, Mia Wilson, and Britain Feeny (who all happen to be 20 years old) joined the team this year after auditioning in April and training in the Rockettes Conservatory. Ahead, they filled us in on their dance careers, beauty must-haves, and the importance of self-care as a dancer. Ahead, get to know the Gen Z Rockettes. 

Natalie Butt

Tell me about your journey to becoming a Rockette. 

I grew up in Miami and moved to New York two years ago. I'm a junior dance major at Fordham University. I've always wanted to be a Rockette, and I grew up watching them perform in the Macy's Parade. When I was finally old enough to audition this past April, I did and got invited to the Rockettes Conservatory. 

What does a typical day look like?

I am in the morning cast, so I usually do the morning and early afternoon shows. I'll arrive bright and early, do my hair and makeup, and then do two or three shows. After that, I'll usually go to school and do some homework. It's challenging to balance both, especially being a first-year Rockette, but I'm making it happen. I'll be grateful in the end to have been able to work and earn my degree. 

What are your haircare must-haves to achieve the classic French twist?

I use hairspray from TRESemmé, lots of water, and tons of bobby pins to slick my hair down.

What are your favorite ways to practice self-care after a performance?

I'm grateful for our athletic training department. After shows, we can hop in ice baths to rejuvenate our muscles. When I go home, I like to do Epsom salt baths with warm water and use a Theragun massager. Since I'm in the morning cast, I get a lot of time at night to myself, which is nice.

What's your favorite memory as a Rockette?

For me, it was my first performance as a Rockette this season. My cast was invited to dance at the premiere of the Hallmark movie, A Holiday Spectacular. With only two weeks of rehearsal, we went on the stage for the first time, which was exciting.

What's one thing you've learned about yourself since becoming a Rockette? 

I feel physically and mentally stronger. Doing up to four daily shows can be physically tiring and mentally draining. Showing up every day and performing made me realize how strong I am. That's really special, especially since we're only 20 years old.

Do you have any advice for aspiring Rockettes? 

We were just in that position in April. While that was months ago, it feels like everything happened quickly. I wish I had told myself: You are stronger than you think and have the power to do what you want to do. Do everything you can to prepare yourself, and always have a smile on your face because that will take you far.

Mia Wilson

Tell me about your journey to becoming a Rockette. 

I've been dancing my entire life. However, I grew up in a small town in Nebraska, and there were few dance opportunities. So, my family and I decided to move to Phoenix to be closer to Los Angeles. This allowed me to train with the best of the best, and I did that for a couple of years. Once I graduated, I moved to New York City and enrolled at Pace University. I'm currently a junior in the commercial dance program there. Last year, two students from my program were in the Rockettes show. I was blown away and knew I wanted to do it too. I attended the audition on a whim and got invited to the conservatory program. Now, I'm lucky enough to be here.

What does a typical day look like?

I'm in the night cast, so I wake up and go to school. Then, I come to Radio City Music Hall for the nighttime shows. In between shows, I'll be on my computer working on my homework. As Natalie said, I'll be grateful to have a degree and this incredible job on my resume once we graduate.

What are your performance-day makeup essentials?

I am basically a spokesperson for Haus Labs at this point. I wear the Atomic Shake Lip Lacquer every day because it's transfer-proof. I'm trying to get all the other girls to jump on the bandwagon.

What are your haircare must-haves to achieve the classic French twist?

As a curly girl, I have to use gel. I use the Got2B Glued Gel ($5) because it's the only thing strong enough to hold my hair back.

What’s your favorite memory as a Rockette?

Britain and I were lucky enough to be in the cast chosen for Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. That was one of the highlights of my life. The rehearsals were rigorous, but being on the street and seeing the floats coming down as we were kicking was such a cool experience.

What’s one thing you’ve learned about yourself since becoming a Rockette? 

I've learned how powerful my body is. Precision dance is pretty new to me and very difficult compared to many other styles. Going to the conservatory and learning some of the choreography was a culture shock. You have to have high stamina to be able to do everything. During the first week, I was like, Whoa, how do these girls do multiple shows a day? But, after starting rehearsals, you realize how quickly your body adapts. I've never felt this strong in my life.

Do you have any advice for aspiring Rockettes? 

If you have a dream, you can't be afraid to chase it and take risks. It was a risk for all three of us to move to the city at such a young age and go after this job. I'd also tell them to be confident, even if they have to fake it at first.

Britain Feeny

Tell me about your journey to becoming a Rockette. 

I'm from Ohio, and my mom teaches at a dance studio there. I started dancing under her training when I was two, and she worked with me until I was 18. She even took me to see The Rockettes when I was five years old, which I will never forget. When I graduated high school, I went to Marymount Manhattan College for a semester and decided college wasn't the route for me. I hadn't met a lot of dancers who had left school, so I was trying to navigate that experience on my own. When the spring semester rolled around, I put my school funds toward training for the Rockettes. In April, I auditioned for the team. Then, I went to the conservatory program in August, and now we're here. 

What does a typical day look like?

I'm also in the evening cast, so my schedule is similar to Mia's, minus the schoolwork. I give Mia and Natalie props for doing both because I know how hard this job is. It shows their work ethic is out of this world. 

What are your performance-day makeup essentials?

QVC is our presenting partner this year, so we are grateful we get to use many products from them. Personally, I love using lipsticks from MAC Cosmetics and Laura Mercier Translucent Powder ($40).

What are your haircare must-haves to achieve the classic French twist?

I use a gel from TRESemmé and a hairspray from Aussie. They also have TRESemmé products backstage, so we can use them in between numbers to fix our hair.

What are your favorite ways to practice self-care after a show?

I'll do a face mask here and there. If I'm lucky, I'll get a massage. Putting my body at the forefront, however, is the best form of self-care. It's important to get my body moving in the morning to prepare for the evening shows. I also like using foam rollers, BioFreeze, and Tiger Balm for recovery.

What’s your favorite memory as a Rockette?

The parade was such a magical full-circle moment. As a kid, I made my parents wake up every Thanksgiving morning to watch the Rockettes. So, being a part of the parade and hearing everyone cheer all around us was unforgettable. Another favorite memory was the first performance my mom attended. She trained and raised me, so seeing her in the audience was special.

What’s one thing you’ve learned about yourself since becoming a Rockette? 

We are all very young. At this point in many other people's lives, they're not obtaining a very professional and rigorous job. That's something I realized during this experience. Some Rockettes have been doing this as long as we've been alive. Stepping into such a legacy is stressful at first because you don't want to mess up, but you also have to recognize you've worked hard to be here. Our bodies have carried us through this entire process, and they will continue doing so.

Do you have any advice for aspiring Rockettes? 

Don't take everything so seriously. We've learned to loosen up and live a little bit. It's also important to listen to your gut. If your gut tells you to chase after something, go for it. When I decided to leave school, it wasn't an easy decision. But it made me think about how I would further my dance career and obtain this job.