A Conversation with Lillian Colón: The First Latina Rockette and a True Latina Inspiration
No one thought that a human being could run a 4-minute mile. It was a physical impossibility. Scientists had spent years studying body kinetics, human physiology, max force, directional velocity, you name it, and by the 1950’s they all agreed. It would never be done.
While most runners heeded the prognostications of the so-called experts, there was one runner who had a dream. This person, in his mind, could visualize himself running a 4-minute mile. By 1954, Roger Bannister had done what no-one, except himself, thought was possible, he ran a mile in 3 minutes and 59.4 seconds.
Since then, some 1,663 runners have run a mile in under 4 minutes. While it may seem commonplace now, it took someone of incredible character, determination, and fortitude to break that barrier, a rare human being.
Very seldom do you get the chance to meet someone who has truly broken a barrier that most had, at one time or another, thought of as impossible. We were fortunate enough to meet one of those people, Lillian Colón, the first Latina Rockette.
The Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular is the international gold standard of Christmas celebrations and of dance perfection.
Sure, we could use other words like synchronicity, high kicks, bright smiles, degree of difficulty, endurance, consistency, and so on and so forth but perfection felt the most appropriate. That’s what the Rockettes are. They are perfection, the highest level of their artform.
Before Lillian Colón (or Lilly as she is affectionately known), Latina girls didn’t see themselves in that position. It took someone with incredible bravery, tenacity, intelligence, work ethic, and dance talent to not only get there but to see herself in a position where no one else like her had ever gone before.
Upon learning of Lilly’s story, we were compelled to share it. This is a woman who is a true Latina icon and who should be celebrated as such.
What’s even more incredible about her journey, is that she has so many more chapters to write. She wasn’t named to Forbes’ 50 over 50 for nothing!!! Somebody should probably make a movie out of her life story (we’re looking at you Hollywood).
While most people feel that to make it in life you have to come from the right family and have access to power and influence, Lilly takes conventional wisdom and throws it out the window.
She is an inspirational figure as well as an aspirational figure.
Below is a conversation that we had with Lilly that we hope you will enjoy:
TheaterEars: You've got such an amazing story. The first Latina Rockette. While the first anything may seem somewhat commonplace now, back then there weren't a lot of firsts happening for Latinas. How did your first happen for you? Was it your goal to be the first Latina Rockette and were you even aware that no one had done it before you?
Lilly: Thank you, very nice of you. Yes, I am the first Latina Rockette! It is an amazing honor. I am so proud of breaking the barrier and to have taken that momentous step, or was it a kick, in 1987.
From my bio, you know that I spent 15-years in an orphanage run by nuns. When I was in 4th or 5th grade the nuns took me to Radio City Music Hall to see the Christmas Spectacular starring the Rockettes. The whole experience was amazing. From the moment I entered the building I was immediately mesmerized and transported to a magical place. Radio City Music Hall is Art Deco at its best. From the shiny brass doors and unique carpet design to the crystal chandeliers, lavish murals and 50 foot gold leaf ceilings, as a little girl originally from the Bronx projects, I had never seen anything like this before. In the theater, the seats are lush red velvet.
A gigantic golden proscenium arch over the great stage and the air was filled with Christmas songs from two Wurlitzer organs on both sides of the orchestra played by musicians dressed in tuxedos. Wow, I’m getting goose bumps just thinking about it. All this, and the show hasn’t even started. Then the Rockettes take the stage and dance their famous kick line followed by the Parade of the Wooden Soldiers. The show was grand as grand can be and I was hooked.
From that day forward I dreamed of becoming a Rockette! I wanted to be part of the legendary troupe and dance on the great stage of Radio City Music Hall. So, I was not aware that I was making history and becoming the First Latina Rockette. It just wasn’t on my radar. I was very focused on working hard and fitting in with the troupe.
It is a wonderful sisterhood and I made fast friends with some amazing women. They called me Chica, and I loved it! When I found out that I became the first, I was surprised and thrilled. Although I never planned or pursued it, I am happy and deeply, deeply honored to be the First Latina Rockette.
TheaterEars: So let's dive a little bit deeper into how you were able to visualize yourself achieving these goals and becoming who you are. Was that something you developed at a young age?
Lililan: I think there are many girls who dream of twirling around in beautiful sequence costumes. As a little girl, that’s what I saw when I closed my eyes and day dreamed. I am a visual person especially when it comes to executing dance steps and choreography.
It started at an early age but really took shape as a freshman at the High School of Performing Arts. The dancers in 11th and 12th graders were bold, energetic and incredibly talented and had a defiant flair. I watched the seniors dance in class and tear it up at the impromptu dance parties in the cafeteria during lunch.
I’d stand off to the side and watch closely and picture myself doing those moves. I wanted to dance like them. I learn by taking time to observe and consider what my version of the step is, and then spice it up with subtle embellishments to make it my own.
TheaterEars: Unbelievable. What you've had to overcome in life is tremendous. As you mentioned before, you lived in an orphanage since the age of 3. At such a young age you had such a heavy burden to deal with, a burden that is too great for most people. How did you manage to cope? Do you ever think about your parents or did you ever try to get in touch with them once you were an adult? What would you want them to know about how your life turned out?
Lilly: It was tough, not easy to go through. Occasionally when I think back, it strikes me how sad it is that they missed out raising a child they created.
Anyway, handling the twists and turns of life is an ever-evolving journey. In my early 20s I travelled to Puerto Rico to see them once more. I had made a promise to my late brother Abraham, who died in 1968 serving in the Vietnam War, that I would visit them. He was my rock and I had to keep that promise.
I would want my parents to know that I’m at peace with the past and made it out of the projects and left the orphanage finding strength through Abraham.
TheaterEars: They say that everything happens for a reason. Do you think that you achieved so much in spite of your hardships or because of them?
Lilly: Everything does happen for a reason. My childhood circumstances were beyond my control. I struggled and couldn’t understand but I had to accept the cards I was dealt while I prepared
and planned on how to get out. I watched my brother go off to war when he knew deep down that he would not come home. How does one go to war knowing their life is on the line?
It takes a lot of strength and courage. He was my role model and the motivation I relied on to find the power to fight and succeed. I dug deep and found strength and courage to keep growing and moving forward.
TheaterEars: The hardships and the journey are so important. Tell us more about the journey, breaking into Broadway, dancing for Menudo? What was that like?
Lilly: The journey was hard but I didn’t have anything else to go on. I spent a lot of time alone in my own thoughts, healing and trying each day to pull myself up from my boot straps and forge ahead. Many days with lots of tears but I couldn’t let it stop me. Yes, the journey to Broadway is a hard one. Yet, when you want something so much, the desire to achieve gets you through.
In 1983, I was cast as Cassie in the 10th Anniversary Gala of A Chorus Line on Broadway. It was exhilarating! I was finally considered one of the top dancers in NYC. The gala was cast by inviting every dancer who ever performed in A Chorus Line—on Broadway or with a touring
company (my connection was Mexico)—to play their role.
Over a couple weeks of rehearsals I watched the legendary Michael Bennett work his magic with a troupe of 330 dancers. I finally made it to Broadway: a matinee and an evening performance; 1-day, 2-performances. It was over in a flash, but my dream to dance on a Broadway stage came true.
With Menudo? OMG So much fun! I worked every position from dancer to choreographer. It was a fantastic experience. Menudo was the only Puerto Rican boy band out there and they were loved by mobs and mobs of fans—mostly teenage girls—around the world.
The tour started at Radio City Music Hall and we traveled all of North and South America. We played in stadiums to enormous crowds of 120,000 screaming fans. I was thrilled to have a small part in
shaping the career of those boys.
Ricky was as precocious then as he is today. He was always Livin’ La Vida Loca. It was a great experience and one of the best tours of my career. It was an amazing time in my life.
TheaterEars: So you go through all of this you become a Rockette, first tell us what it was like. What was it like to put on the costumes, the makeup, night after night, kick after kick, did it ever become monotonous or did you love every minute of it?
Lilly: My Rockette audition was an open call. Rockette hopefuls lined up and down the block and wrapped around the corner. There were 400 dancers vying for 4 spots. It was an exciting and exhaustive day with lots of kicks, turns and pirouettes. It was a grueling process but as they say no pain, no gain. You have to love it because while passing the audition is the first hurdle, keeping the job is even harder. Skill and talent gets you there, but back then, 40 Rockettes danced between 4 to 6-shows a day, 300 kicks a show.
But, who doesn’t love putting on sparkling, sequenced, bedazzled and rhinestone Bob Mackie costumes and Rockette red lipstick!
It can become repetitious but it is never dull. I loved every
minute of it and that love for dance is what kept me motivated and kicking on the great stage of Radio City Music Hall.
TheaterEars: Once you are a Rockette, you star started to rise. You appeared on the cover of TV Guide, did that change things for you? What are you thinking career-wise? Was it moving to music videos, movies? Was there a new mountain that you wanted to climb?
Lilly: Once I became a Rockette, I constantly worked on being the best Rockette I could be. To do the best job I could. Precision is not easy and it’s a different way of dancing. Rockettes must be flawless and learn to work together as one team. It’s at the highest level and it’s an exclusive club to be in. I loved it and I wanted to share how I climbed the mountain. So, I set a goal of writing a memoir to inspire dancers who struggle every day hoping for a job that only a few are selected for.
TheaterEars: At what some may consider to be a career high point, you're a Rockette for 16 years, which is incredible, you make the hard decision and step back. Why?
Lilly: It’s a stark fact that most dance careers are short lived. I always wanted a family of my own, I wanted to be a wife and a mother. So I took a break, however, I never stopped dancing and training. I planned for the days when my daughter would be in college so I’d be ready to get back in the game. I retired from Rockettes but not from a dancer’s life.
TheaterEars: Pregnant at 45, birth to a beautiful baby girl at 46. That rarely even happens today. But then again everything you do seems to be despite the odds. Is that just your way of life?
Lilly: Funny you say that, because it does seem that way for me. I take life as it comes. I never stopped dreaming of starting a family, no matter what age I was. Strong dreams have always given me the power and the courage to help me bear down and somehow overcome the greatest odds and find a silver lining.
TheaterEars: As your daughter grew up, when did you start to get the showbiz bug again?
Lilly: The show biz bug never left me. I’d take her to dance class with me in the stroller, in between combinations I’d give her a toy or bottle, smile and a kiss, and back to 5,6,7,8. I had to be extremely patient with myself because being a good parent and mother and doing it right
was important to me. I also worked backstage in the wardrobe department to keep me close and stay involved with theater.
TheaterEars: They say that dance is a young person's game. Did you get discouraged when there are people half your age that you are dancing with and competing with for spots?
Lilly: As a Rockette it never bothered me. I was always excited to make new friends and help the new girls learn the ropes. In fact, these days when I’m in dance class with a current Rockette, it challenges me to be even better, to self-motivate and up my game.
When I auditioned for In the Heights the movie, shall we say, I was the only seasoned dancer in the room—every dancer was half my age. I chose to ignore it and be a fierce dancer. I took a few deep breaths and went for it.
I knew they were looking at me like as if I was crazy. I wanted to run out of the room, but I stayed to give myself an opportunity—to give myself a chance, regardless of age.
TheaterEars: Let’s talk about In The Heights, a much which we admittedly love. But why that movie to make a comeback. Why that movie? What was the appeal for you?
Lilly: The culture, the music, the language—it is all me. It’s special because it takes me back to my roots. I auditioned for the original Broadway show but didn’t get in. I tried-out for tours and regional theater versions—again, never landed a part. When I heard about the open call for the movie. I said to myself, “Get to that audition and give it your all.”
The chance to sing and dance Latino style is very up lifting for me. Aside from West Side Story there aren’t many musicals about life in el barrio. Even though I’d been turned down many times before, I had to show up and dance at that audition. I’m glad I did. It worked out well, yay!
TheaterEars: You were recently named to the Forbes 50 over 50 list, alongside names like Geena Davis, Gail Federici, Madeline McIntosh, do you feel extra pressure to live up to being on the list.
Lilly: Oh yes, it does! It’s a great honor to be named to such a prestigious list. Every day I strive to improve and find opportunities to be a role model for up-and-coming dancers by being the best
I can be. Being on the Forbes list raises the bar and I’m striving to improve my skills in both dance and business. I am pursuing new opportunities and will do the work needed to conquer
new challenges.
TheaterEars: Let’s talk about those new challeges. You said that you wanted to write a book. How did the idea come about? How did it feel to write it and how was the process? What did you learn from it?
Lilly: After 16-years as a Rockette, I had to figure out new goals and find a new passion to pursue. I decide to share my struggle—the journey I went through as a dancer—with the world. I knew my career path was different. I never met a dancer who said, “I was raised in an orphanage too.” It’s Little Orphan Annie, except it’s a true story and there was no Daddy Warbucks.
When I started writing down my thoughts, I wasn’t prepared for the emotional roller-coaster I was about to go through. I put the pen down many times thinking it was too painful and I could never get through it. I didn’t realize how uncomfortable it would be. I rekindled feelings that I buried so long ago. I thought I was beyond the pain, but I wasn’t. The pain showed up again and again. And when those wounds are opened up, life is not going to let you get away without healing. If you want to be free of the pain and be able to tell the story, there is a lot of effort entailed.
That was something I learned—the hard way. I thought I had it all covered, big mistake. It was grueling and at times very frustrating. In my one-woman-show, tears flow every performance. I learned that if you push through the process, there can be a rainbow waiting on the other side.
I’ve learned this throughout my life and I mention it in the book: “If you walk through fear you never know what’s on the other side.”
TheaterEars: As you reflect on your legacy, what do you think that you've passed on to the next generation? Do you mentor some of the newer Latina Rockettes? Do they know how you paved the road for them?
Lilly: I think I’ve shown that with hope, perseverance and the determination to take on adversity with strength, you can walk through anything that is thrown at you. I have always been lucky to have the talent to dance and the drive to keep motivated.
I haven’t mentored yet, but I hope to. I would love to share some inside tips and tricks I’ve picked up along the way. It’s so important to make choices that will give you power. It makes all the difference. Because it’s a rough business I constantly auditioned and trained, to survive you have to push through and be ready. Whether in your dance career or with side-jobs to pay rent, staying motivated and working hard is the way to go.
TheaterEars: With as much as you've accomplished where do you see yourself in 10 years? What are your goals for now and the future?
Lilly: I am looking down the road planning, creating and preparing for more opportunities to come my way. I’ve had a great career, but there is still so much I want to do. Firstly, I want to be on Broadway for more than 1-day. The Chorus Line gala was amazing, but working a long running show would be doubly amazing! My over-the-moon dream is that my memoir Lilly, The First Latina Rockette be adapted into other formats: Broadway musical, TV series, silver screen. These are my pipedreams, to go big and reach for the stars.
TheaterEars: You've had so many reasons to be down on yourself, to quit, to reason that you could never be good enough, but you didn't. For people who are facing their own obstacles what is your message for them?
Lilly: It’s true I could’ve given up on myself and my dreams. But quitting wasn’t going to get me anywhere. If I didn’t fight I knew I’d end up with nothing. I had to survive and I did it through passion. For me dance was my protector. I cried and pushed through. And when the tears cleared, I would reflect back to my brother and his advice. When he left for the army he took me aside, gave me a kiss goodbye and lovingly told me to be strong. So that’s what I did.
Obstacles are not the same for everyone, but they hit us all. As hard as it may be, pick yourself up by your boot straps and move forward. We all have dreams. Be persistent and fight for the life you want and deserve. Know that you belong too—no matter what cards you’ve been dealt.
Follow your rainbow and work hard to make your dreams come true. Stay strong and persevere. I’ll see you in dance class!
LILLY: The First Latina Rockette is available now on Amazon. You can learn more about her at LillianColon.com . All photos in this article are courtesy of Lillian Colón.