Rockettes show spectacular performances on stage in dance, off stage as mothers

MIDTOWN, Manhattan -- Every winter, the Rockettes dazzle audiences with their iconic high kicks and fun dance numbers on the stage, but off the stage, several are pulling double duty as mothers.

"I have three girls," Rockette Tara Tubridy said. "My oldest will be 3 in January, and I have twins."

Tubridy's twins are just 5 months old, and she is one of seven Rockettes this year who are mothers, and they are about as level-headed as they come. Motherhood helps them connect to their audience.

"We are in the audience, running down the aisles, and in their faces sometimes," Rockette Sarah Staker said. "And I think it's a connection that people can tell."

Being at home was the other payoff for Rockette Brittany Newnham.

"It was nice to go to work and show my kids, mommy does this, too," she said. "And mommy can be strong and live her dreams as well."

And strong would be an understatement for Rockette Melinda, who performed while she was six months pregnant, rehearsing six days a week, six hours a day.

The three-month performance season gives them a nice balance the rest of the year with their kids.

All of them have been Rockettes for years before they became moms, having 48 years of experience between them.

"Right before I leave for work every day, he says, 'Mommy's going to be a reindeer,'" Melinda said.

Their kids are believers that mommy knows Santa, but also that mommy magic is about as spectacular as it gets.