A veteran Rockette:

Joanna Richardson saw troupe in Atlanta as a teen and wanted to join.

A Georgian recalls her teenage dream of belonging to the dance group,

For 90 years, the Radio City Rockettes have thrilled audiences with their precision dance routines.

About 15 years ago, during a touring show at the Fox Theatre, the Rockettes left a big impression on a teenage girl.

Joanna Richardson was in high school, visiting the show with her dance studio. “Before the first number was over, I had tears running down my face. I said, ‘That is what I want to do, mom,’” Richardson said by phone from New York, where the Rockettes are prepping for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular.

It would take four tries before Richardson, who was raised in Stone Mountain, became a Rockette. She remembers calling her mom to celebrate. “I was so excited to share that moment with her,” she said.

This year, Richardson is celebrating 10 years with the group. She has toured through Atlanta twice with the Rockettes and has enjoyed performing in her hometown.

“It is a tradition for my family to see me wherever I am performing. (My mom) has seen the production so many times there are probably numbers she could perform herself,” Richardson said. Her family is already planning their trip to New York City for this year’s production, which begins Nov. 13 and runs through Jan. 3 at Radio City Music Hall.

“It is such an exciting production,” Richardson said. “Each year, we reimagine it and try to create a new experience for our audience.”

The show still features traditional routines that have been part of the Christmas Spectacular show since 1933, such as the Parade of the

Wooden Soldiers and the Living Nativity. There are also new performances including the Snow, which features GPS-enabled snowflakes, and Rag Doll, a revamping of the routine first performed in the 1940s.

After 10 years with the team, Richardson says what she values most is the sisterhood. “We do four shows a day and more than 300 kicks per show. You have a connection with these other women on stage,” she said.

And while each of them had a different path to the Rockettes, dancing with the troupe is a dream come true for them all. “It is one of those jobs where there aren’t many positions and it is such a coveted job,” she said. “We all love doing it.”

‘It is a tradition for my family to see me wherever I am performing. (My mom) has seen the production so many times there are probably numbers she could perform herself.’ Joanna Richardson Radio City Rockette from Stone Mountain

MSG ENTERTAINMENT Joanna Richardson, who hails from Stone Mountain, is a performer with the famous Radio City Rockettes.

MSG ENTERTAINMENT 2011 The Radio City Rockettes’ dance routines have been entertaining audiences for 90 years. The troupe’s Christmas show runs Nov. 13 through Jan. 3 in New York.