27 Hopefuls Pass Muster as Rockettes

Day in and day out, Loretta Stuart labors diligently as an X-ray technician at Scripps Clinic in La Jolla. It’s a good job, but Stuart, 29, admits her passion lies elsewhere--in dance.

So, when she heard that auditions were being held Sunday for the all-new San Diego Rockettes, the blonde, fair-skinned Arkansas native pulled on black tights and a sky-blue midriff top and drove on down.

“I love to dance, and it would be so exciting to be part of a big troupe and actually perform for people,” Stuart said as she wiped her brow during a break in the try-outs at the San Diego Ballroom Academy. “When I woke up today, I started doing some self-motivation, telling myself I’ve got what it takes to be a San Diego Rockette. I think I do, but the competition is tough.”

Indeed. Stuart was one of almost 200 women who showed up Sunday to prance, pivot, leap, kick and exude unharnessed enthusiasm in hopes of landing a spot on the Rockette squad. By day’s end, 27 lucky members--including an ecstatic Stuart--had been selected. The remaining contenders shuffled off--weary, sweaty, crestfallen--and wondering why they had failed to measure up.

The San Diego Rockettes, named after the renowned New York City Rockettes of Radio City Music Hall fame, are the brainchild of Kelly Miller, 28, an amateur dancer who says she has always dreamed of coaching her own dance company.

If Miller has her way, the Rockettes will soon be donning their resplendent sequined costumes--complete with fishnet stockings and flashy feathered headdresses--to perform at San Diego Chargers’ games and charity events, on television specials and at other public and private affairs throughout the region.

The 20 members of the “primary cast,” or their alternates, will be paid depending on the length and scale of each performance. Dancers must be over 18.

No contracts have yet been signed, but Miller says she has “tons” of potential appearances in the pipeline. In particular, Miller believes the Chargers will see fit to sponsor the Rockettes for half-time and pregame entertainment.

Although the “Chargerette” cheerleaders were phased out a decade or so ago after members appeared in a magazine in various stages of undress, Miller says she is confident that the hometown team is ripe for a dancing pep squad once again.

“We’re talking,” she said, “and they’re interested.”

Most of the women auditioning Sunday said they learned of the event through an advertisement that appeared in the Reader and in campus newspapers. The ad invited “attractive females with dance ability, good showmanship and a great smile” to give it a go, and promised that the activity “will not interfere with full-time job or school.”

Like Stuart, Lisa Terrell, a nursing student at San Diego State University, was prompted to seek a spot on the Rockette squad because she loves to dance. An aerobics instructor, Terrell said she went to church before the audition to “say a prayer for myself.”

“It’s so scary,” Terrell said after her moment in the spotlight. “You’ve only got a few minutes to show them what you can do. Then, it’s all over.”

Mary Prantil, a theater student at San Diego City College who performs as a mime at Horton Plaza, said she decided to audition for a somewhat different reason: Money.

“This is really Las Vegasy and weird and it’s exploitation, but at least it’s performing, and I’m really, really tired of waitressing,” said Prantil, a San Diego native.

“The thing that bugs me is that a lot of these girls can’t even dance and they’re not getting cut. So it’s obvious what they’re looking for--sex appeal. I mean, look at that one with all the hair!”

Miller conceded that organizers had “a certain look in mind” in reviewing the prospective performers.

“They’ve got to be attractive with lots of pizazz, lots of energy, and very showy,” Miller explained as she examined the 27 who passed muster Sunday. “Dance ability is important, but if a girl has that look, then she can be taught the moves.”

After arriving in a dazzling variety of tights, bodysuits, skirts and footgear, the group of hopefuls was immediately thinned of anyone determined to be too short, too heavy or too clumsy for the job. A tap on the shoulder served as Miller’s message to a given woman to try another line of work.

The remaining candidates were divided into groups and given numbers they pinned to their clothing. Miller and an assistant then demonstrated a few basic jazz dance steps and a high-kick routine--a move that was vintage Rockette.

The women were given five minutes to practice each move before being told to really “show your stuff” as the judging began. Those waiting in the wings practiced smiles in the mirror, hiked up their leotards, pirouetted and stretched.

Finally, it came time to announce the winners. One by one, in a manner reminiscent of a beauty pageant host, Miller revealed the lucky 27. Screams rang out, hugs abounded and applause filled the room.

The unfortunates commiserated.

“Jeez,” muttered one unsuccessful contender to another as they surveyed the new Rockettes. “What do they have that we don’t?”

They failed to find an answer, but Miller urged them to remain optimistic.

“Thank you all for coming,” the bubbly dance director said as she bid her flock adieu. “And remember, if you didn’t make it today, the San Diego Rockettes will hold auditions every nine months. So come on back!”