Once a Rockette ...

Being an older dancer can be challenging. A lot of people age out by the time they’re 30. When I walked into the audition for In the Heights in 2018, I made a beeline for the choreographer, convinced I was in the wrong room. The studio was filled with young dancers. I had thought the choreographer was going to give the more seasoned dancer a break, but that was not the case. I had to do the same dance that all of the 20-year-olds did. But I went through with the audition and became the oldest dancer in the movie.

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I’ve always done things on my own schedule. I started working in show business straight out of high school, as a singer, dancer and choreographer. Then at 29, I beat out hundreds of other people for a spot in the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes. I danced with that group, with all its synchronized choreography, until my mid-40s. At 46, I had my daughter and started doing wardrobe. These days, I mainly teach dancing, but I’ll always be proud to have been the very first Latina Rockette.

Colón as a Rockette in the mid-1990s

Courtesy Lillian Colón

The Rockettes are unique in their need for precision. If one person messes up, it messes up the whole line. The experience taught me a lot about working together. It’s a lesson I try to impart to my students: On and off the stage, our lives are deeply intertwined, and we all fare better when we support and care for one another.

Lillian Colón, 70, is a New York City dance teacher and the author of the memoir Lilly: The First Latina Rockette.