About this episode

Jennifer Jones discusses her groundbreaking role as the first African American Rockette and her journey through dance and personal challenges.

"When someone came at me or was very mean to me or made it clear that I was not welcome on the line, I still had my love for dance. I leaned into my dream as a child, and I was living it wholeheartedly, and they weren't allowed to take it away." — Jennifer Jones For a century, the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes have represented the gold standard of precision dance, synchronized routines, and eye-high kicks. But for the first 63 years, that famous line failed to reflect the diversity of the audiences watching them, and the demographics of America herself. In 1987, that history changed forever when professional dancer Jennifer Jones was hired as the very first African American Rockette, making her unforgettable debut on television screens across the nation during the 1988 Super Bowl XXII halftime show! In this episode, Sharon and Susan sit down with this groundbreaking icon to talk about what it was really like to break through a decades-old institutional barrier at just 20 years old. Jennifer shares the stage with us to discuss her incredible 15-year tenure on the line, her full-circle Tony Award-winning run on Broadway in 42nd Street, and her deeply personal, triumphant battle…

People in this episode

Hosts: Susan Lambert Hatem, Sharon Johnson

Guest: Jennifer Jones

Topics covered

• dance
• diversity
• breaking barriers
• personal resilience
• cancer survival
• entertainment history

Keywords

• Rockette
• precision dance
• diversity in dance
• Super Bowl halftime
• Tony Award
• cancer survival
• Jennifer Jones

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Radio City Music Hall Rockettes

Books & works: 42nd Street

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