DanceFIT Studio Instructor Spotlight: Holiday Edition with Kari!

Today we are bringing back our "Spotlight" with a very special edition coming to you from Radio City Music Hall! Kari, one of our amazing Virtual Fitness Instructors give you a little glimpse into the world of being a Rockette during the holiday season!  This was such a fun interview! 


1.  You have been SO busy this fall and winter so far with your move to NYC and re-joining the Rockettes! What is a typical day like for you now that you're in the thick of the holiday season with rehearsals and everything else! 

Re-joining with the Rockettes AND being in NYC for the first time has been an absolute dream!!  Last year I had fractured my foot prior to rehearsals so that was a huge disappointment for any dancer.  But, I think having that Thanksgiving and Christmas off from dancing for the first time in 6 years was a blessing because I got to stay home with family and friends:)  This year, I really am in the thick of things with many shows at The Radio City Music Hall.  I perform up to 4 shows in one day and up to 17 shows a week!  But I've had many family and friends come visit and watch me perform so it has been wonderful.

Kari inside Radio City Music Hall in her "Snow" costume! 

2.  How did you get started with The Rockettes?

I've always dreamed of being a Rockette from a little girl born and raised in Indiana.  It was a dream of my dance teacher as well so I remember her going to NYC every year to watch the show.  After college I started auditioning.  It was hard picking up the very foreign choreography in such a short amount of time and getting it perfectly!  It took me 4 years of going to the audition to finally get the phone call that I was going to be a Rockette!  I always say if you have a dream, stick with it and never give up!  This is now my 5th year performing as a Rockette.
My dance teacher finally saw me perform this year at Radio City.  It was great re-connecting with her.

 3.  We ALL saw you performing with The Rockettes at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and it was very exciting! What was your favorite part of that performance? You did so great! 

The Macy's parade was the most exciting and most nerve racking experience of my life.  It really was a blur and I don't quite remember much of the actual performance!  I do remember the crowd behind us.  We were the last show to perform before the start of the parade went by Macy's so the crowd was very loud and excited when we came out.  I felt like a rockstar.

Kari after the Macy's Parade! 

4.  We are so happy that you still teach Virtual Mat Pilates every Friday morning.  Our clients love waking up with you!  What is your favorite thing about the Virtual Studio and teaching your class?

I love being able to still be a part of DanceFIT.  Gina and you all were the first who welcomed me and took me in when I first moved to Boston.  I love telling all the Rockettes that I teach a Virtual Pilates class.  They think it is the coolest thing and it really is.  I love seeing everyone in their homes- the fact that we can all be so far away and yet come together for 45 minutes of our days to work together is amazing to me.  Being in a new city again, its so comforting for me to have this class at the end of every week to ground me.

Kari & Ted the camel - he is part of the live nativity at the end of the show! 

5.  Do you have a favorite costume?  We love them all! 

As far as costumes go, I've always loved the Reindeer costume.  I mean you can't go wrong in a nice fitting tuxedo jacket and leggings right?! :P  Also, the boots we wear from La Duca are the most comfortable heels we wear during the show.
The snow costume we wear for the finale is also very beautiful.  There are 3 different colors that everyone wears and each one is slightly different in style.  I wear the teal one.


Thank you so much for letting us feature you, Kari!  We miss you in the studio but are so happy to see you Friday mornings and all over our TV screens :)