NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – Lillian Colón broke a 55-year streak without Latina representation when she joined the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes in 1987 at the age of 32.
“It’s a dream come true is what it is,” Colón told 1010 WINS' Mario Bosquez. “Being a Rockette wasn't something in our community that was familiar. I want to make sure that the legacy is passed down to that little girl that is in dance class today waiting to live the American dream."
From a young age, Colón dreamt of becoming a dancer. At the age of three she was placed in an orphanage in the Bronx. The nuns took her to see the Radio City Music Hall Christmas show where she witnessed the Rockettes’ performance for the first time.
“I only saw them once and I kept that dream in my mind for years,” Colón told Bosquez.
After years of taking dance lessons on a tight budget, an opportunity opened up. Auditions for the Rockettes were taking place and Colón’s wanted in.
"One day it opened up and I ran,” Colón explained. “Four hundred dancers showed up and they only picked four. I was lucky enough to be one of the four."
Colón became a Rockette and achieved her lifelong dream. She recalled the intensity and thrill of her role. "That meant six shows a day, 300 kicks a show so that discipline really is extremely hard in order to stay there and stay on top.”
For Colón, it was more than just her personal dream. It was about representation and opening doors for the next generation.
“For any disenfranchised child that doesn't see that dream, I hope they can see that dream through me," Colón said. "It gives us that chance to scream it out into the world. To let them know, we are here too and we too belong."
In 2019, Colón took another significant step in her career, auditioning and being cast for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical "In The Heights" -- becoming the oldest dancer in the 2021 movie adaptation of the Broadway musical.