Becoming Spectacular Audiolibro Por Jennifer Jones arte de portada

Becoming Spectacular

The Rhythm of Resilience from the First African American Rockette

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Becoming Spectacular

De: Jennifer Jones
Narrado por: Chanté McCormick
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The first African American Rockette charts her journey to one of the world's most celebrated dance troupes in this gripping memoir that, for the first time, goes behind the velvet curtains at Radio City's legendary holiday show.

“Smashing through glass windows and paving the way for others requires a special blend of bravery and perseverance. Being a pioneer involves breaking down stubborn barriers, challenging closed-minded people and navigating through instances of racism and prejudice. This journey often included facing ongoing resistance from individuals who were unwilling to embrace change. It’s believing in your dream—that you can be and do whatever it is that you love.”—Jennifer Jones

The Radio City Rockettes are as American as baseball, hot dogs, and the Fourth of July. Their legendary synchronized leg kicks, precise lines, and megawatt smiles have charmed audiences for a century. But there is a hidden side to this illustrious national institution. When the Rockettes began in 1925, Black people were not allowed to dance on stage with white people. However, during the Civil Rights Movement, dance history changed significantly when Black and white dancers were permitted to perform together, marking a moment of progress and inclusivity in the world of dance and entertainment. Even so, as late as the early 1980s, Rockette director Violet Holmes said having “one or two Black girls in the line would definitely distract.”

In 1987 the 63-year color barrier at Radio City was finally broken by one brave and tenacious woman. When she arrived, Jennifer Jones was met with pushback—a fierce resistance she details in this intimate and inspiring memoir. After overcoming seemingly impossible odds to join the line of The Rockettes, a PR director summoned the Black dancer to her hotel room and announced, “You’re old news, nobody cares about you, your story or anything about you. You're just lucky to be here.”

Those words would haunt this shy, insecure biracial woman, who had always felt like an outsider.

Like Gelsey Kirkland’s iconic Dancing on My Grave, Becoming Spectacular allows us to walk in Jones’ tap shoes—beautiful and glittering, yet painful and binding. Bringing into focus the wounded life of a trailblazer, this searing memoir is also a triumphant celebration of a spirit who refused to be counted out.

©2024 Jennifer Jones (P)2025 HarperCollins Publishers Entretenimiento y Celebridades Mujeres Selección de editores
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Editorial Review

The first in line
Jennifer Jones danced her way into her dream job in 1987. Never before in the history of the Rockettes, which began in 1925, had there been an African American dancer in the line. It was felt that a different skin colour would upset the continuity of the line, which was always all-white. In fact, there was a rule that Rockettes were never to suntan. Even though Jones is biracial, she still wouldn’t have been fair-skinned enough. She made her Rockette debut at the halftime show of the 1988 Superbowl, a day she can recall with every exciting detail. You root for her with every kick of her 15 years as a Rockette. During that time, she married, had two children, and after each birth went back to the line. But life didn’t always play out with perfect timing. She divorced and had her struggles through the years maintaining her family’s stability and financial security, and then came a cancer diagnosis that gave her up to five years to live. Like all of her challenges, she’s aced that and is doing very well and living a fully happy life. Jones’s story will no doubt inspire all who have dreams to keep their eyes on the prize. —Yvonne D., Audible Editor

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