We all know and love the classic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and even more so, the stunning Rockettes of Manhattan’s Radio City. The Daily Campus’ Abby Baden sat down with Solé Mitchell, a recent graduate of Southern Methodist University’s dance program and a fresh face on the Rockette line, to ask about her transition from the Hilltop to the city that never sleeps.
Abby Baden: Can you start by telling me a little about where you’re from and your dance journey leading up to SMU?
Solé Mitchell: So I’m from Dallas, Texas, specifically Allen. I grew up at Academy of Dance Arts and went to Allen High School. Throughout my journey of getting to SMU, I spent most of my time at Academy of Dance Arts really honing my skills in ballet, jazz, tap, and modern dance. Getting to SMU was a journey. There were challenges and bumps in the road to get to where I felt really comfortable in the dance scene, especially when it came to ballet but those challenges really put me where I needed to be in order to succeed at SMU like I did.
Baden: What led you from SMU to becoming a Rockette in New York City?
Mitchell: They were honing in on becoming more diverse within their line. I felt like coming from a school like SMU that’s more of a PWI [Predominately White Institution], I really wanted to be a part of a dance troupe that was really trying their best to create more diversity within their line and within their dancers. Whether that is with the different ways people are dancing or where they come from, I just really love that about the Rockettes.
Baden: Do you think that’s something that inspired you to audition for the Rockettes in the first place, or was it always a goal of yours?
Mitchell: It was always a goal of mine. I would watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade with my family when I was younger and I was so entranced by the women that were dancing on my screen. Everybody just looked so strong and graceful and I was really inspired by them, so I’ve always dreamed of being a Rockette ever since I was little watching them on T.V.
Baden: I know you have a fellow SMU grad, Karmen Moore up there with you. How has it been for you guys and has having a fellow alumni that helped you on your journey?
Mitchell: It’s definitely helped me on my journey. While I was going through the audition process and going through conservatory, she [Karmen Moore] was always there for me. She always helped me through the times where I was nervous about auditioning and she always gave me the best advice to make sure that I stayed true to myself and true to my dance abilities. It was just nice to have a familiar face on the line when I entered the space, so I would say it was the best thing that could have ever happened to me.
Baden: How has living and dancing in New York City influenced you as a dancer and a person?
Mitchell: I would say it’s very different from living in Texas since I was raised in Texas and went to school in Texas, so it’s very different. What you hear in music when people sing about New York and how inspiring it is, it truly is. Everyday you wake up and you see all the lights and all these people that are pursuing their dreams. I feel like it’s changed me to be more grateful about where I am in my life and to truly stay in the moment and stay in the present instead of thinking about what’s going to happen years in advance.
Baden: Did your time at SMU prepare you for the rigorous demands of the Rockettes and were there specific classes or professors that made a lasting impact on you?
Mitchell: Absolutely. I feel like SMU prepared me greatly for the Rockettes. One of the main professors that really helped me would be Silas Farley. He really made sure that I was well prepared for this job. During his ballet classes, he would tell us to embody the movement and to hone the technique. Not even just him but all the professors from Anne Westwick, Christopher Dolder, Carter Alexander, Michelle Gibson, Leslie Peck, Brandi Coleman andMyra Woodruff, they’ve all really made sure that I was the best version of myself, so I could be prepared for jobs like the Radio City Rockettes.
Baden: What was the audition process like for the Rockettes? Was there anything about it that surprised you?
Mitchell: It was amazing. The one thing that surprised me was how nice everyone was. You wouldn’t expect during an audition process that everybody would be so inviting and warm. There’s 17 new Rockettes, I’m one of them, and we all came through the conservatory process and I feel like it really helped me to hone the skills needed to audition and get the job. I just feel like everybody has genuinely made sure that I was put in the right places to succeed in this job. I’m truly grateful for everything.
Baden: The Rockettes are known for their precision and stamina. What does your typical training day look like and what do you do to stay performance ready?
Mitchell: It’s six-hour days, six days a week and we usually start off with whatever number we’re practicing that day. It’s usually just learning the choreography then making sure it’s clean, precise and we’re showcasing every single detail that is asked of us. I feel like the way I stay performance ready is just making sure that I’m completely warm at all times, whether that’s like sitting on my heating pad in the morning or just making sure that I’m doing all the basic necessities that I need to do to make sure that I’m warm because we are doing those eye high kicks. Making sure that my hamstrings are warm and that I’m completely ready for the day to come, I feel like that’s how I stay performance ready.
Baden: Are there any unique traditions or routines within the Rockettes that make the experience special for you?
Mitchell: Yes, there’s little things that we do, like decorating our stations in our dressing rooms. I’m so excited to fully decorate mine. There’s also little sayings that we will say before we start a routine or just just being together in certain situations, it’s truly like a family there so I just love that.
Baden: What performance are you looking forward to most?
Mitchell: I would say the day after opening because that’s when my parents are coming. I’m really excited for them to see the show because they haven’t seen it before and I’m excited to show them all the different little details that go on during the show like the fairy drones in Dance of the Frost Fairies which is a production in the newest number that was introduced in 2022. We literally dance alongside fairy drones.
Baden: Looking back, is there anything you would tell your younger self while still studying dance at SMU?
Mitchell: I would tell her to calm down and to stay in the present moment because everything is going to be just fine. I feel like when I was younger, especially at SMU, I was always so worried about, ‘What am I going to do in the future? What dance jobs am I going to have? Am I going to make it?’ lI wish I would have taken a moment to really grasp on to the present moments that move so fast and I just wish I would have slowed down a little bit.
Baden: What’s next on your journey, any long term goals or aspirations you’re excited about?
Mitchell: Right now I really want to just continue improving with the Rockettes. I want to be with the Rockettes as long as I possibly can and just make sure that I touch every single person in the audience. I feel like that would be one of my long term goals alongside other things. I feel like staying here for a good period of time is one thing that I really would love.
Baden: Do you think you would consider this your dream dance job?
Mitchell: Absolutely, I was beyond grateful when I got the call to become a Radio City Rockette. I remember when I got the call, I called my mom and my sisters and we were all crying. So, I would definitely consider this a dream of mine since I was little.
Baden: We’ve been missing you at SMU and I hope that you’re enjoying it and I’ve been seeing all of you guys up in New York. Thank you so much.
Mitchell: Yeah, just make sure that everybody just comes up to New York and make sure they order their tickets on www.rockettes.com. We will be going from Nov.8 through Jan. 5 at Radio City Music Hall, and tickets are definitely going fast.
