From Kickline to Consciousness: A Radio City Rockette Experience by Gina Pero
Gina shares her awakening performing with the Radio City Rockettes.
“C’mon we’re going for s slight ride …
Christmas time is here again…”
Toe the red, heel the red, toe the red, and arch the red…
Are you ready for a story about being a Radio City Rockette: from the kick line to consciousness?
Lets begin with a fact, the Rockette’s kick 300 times per show!! (Some days, there are 4 shows!)
It began in the ER in Atlanta Georgia in 2009. I was in the waiting room watching a program on TV where they were honoring people who were contributing to the planet…people who chose to be who they were and do what they did without expectation or attachment to outcome. Let’s just say people following their souls calling.
While watching this show about heroes, I overheard the man who brought me to the ER talking about me like this: “this is our line captain Gina Pero and she is usually organized, on point, alert, strong minded, and sharp, and right now she is NOT any of those things. “
“Hmmmmm..What was he talking about me; I mean I thought I was just fine.
Well let me rewind for you readers, I was performing with the Radio City Rockette’s in November of 2009 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta Georgia.
300 kicks a show, 7 costume changes, 5’6-5”10 in a half beautiful ladies in a line, the best dancers and beauty your eyes to see.
C’mon…you can applaud now.
Well, I was backstage walking to my entrance for the beginning of Act 2 (Christmas in New York), with my cute red Santa baby costume on, my lipstick, my curly lashes, my tan high heel Laduca shoes, white gloves, shiny rhinestone earrings…and out of nowhere…
BOOM!!!!
I was knocked out with a fist under cutting my chin, my neck snapped back, and Santa Clause’s sweetie pie was on the floor.
…. A direct knock out when you want to win a boxing match.
All I could feel was my jaw on fire, and the tingling and turbulence upon my face felt like nothing I had ever felt before, like pins and needles going a million miles a minute.
The turbulence in my body was worse then any plane ride on windy day.
I could slightly hear people directing me and yelling at me to stop fighting….”its ok Gina, stop throwing your arms and leg, calm down, calm down, calm down.
My body was unable to follow any direction at that time.
I was unconscious and I knew it, I knew I was experiencing the inside motion of a wire outage, AKA unconscious concussion. You see, I knew plenty about the body to be able to explain this to you right now, and enough, thank God for me to kind of understand what I was experiencing during the unconscious experience. Isn’t that a tongue twister!
Well you want to know the miracle in this moment…
What changed my system from fight and/or flight to calm and centered was a simple hand that held my left hand. The simple sense of touch, one human connection to another.
In just one moment, a brilliant man decided to grab and hold my hand, and my whole entire body relaxed and laid back flat on the ground, my blue eyes opened, and my body sat up.
“I’ll go get changed and ready for Ragdolls,“ I said to my GM, and my reaction was rejected and I ended up in the ER.
On the way to the ER, I was attempting to write a text message to let my friend know what happened, and while looking and reading at the phone, I was unable to make any sense in a single sentence. I knew, there was something off here for my high achieving, strategizing, perfectionista, self.
So..Here’s what happened next.
The usual cat scan, wake me up every two hours, ask me simple yet factual questions, and try not to think.
I don’t know about you, however in 2009, Gina had no clue what do you choose to not think.
I was out of service, out of order, and out of purpose.
Something I’d like to share with you is that with the Rockette rules, it is completely up to the dancer to decide whether or not she wants to perform once the Dr clears her.
And on that 4th day audience, I GOT CLEARED and I am back in!
“C’mon we’re going for s slight ride …
Christmas time is here again…”
Toe the red, heel the red, toe the red, and arch the red…
And just moments before the curtain rose, I felt god and I heard god say, “gina now is not the time for you to go back in.”
I was like look God Dr. cleared me. I’m going in.
From my own learned behavior and perception, this is what heroes were all about right!?
You get down, you get back up, you fall, you fail, you get back up, you push, you work hard, and you make things happen. You show everyone the hero you are. Are you with me audience?
I was with you too in 2009, and now I have re-patterned my perception, and unlearned what I knew in 2009.
In 2009, I chose my own fear over my faith
I chose my fear over my dream
I chose my fear over my health
I chose my fear over healing
I chose my fear over my body and my brain
My fear was ‘forcing everything and rushing’ only to please, to prove, to push, to show others how awesome I was, to not have to deal with saying no to dancing, to not have to deal with not being paid, to have to deal with any and all fear inside of me.
When I chose fear over love, it put me in danger, my cast and crew of over 200 people in danger, and my soul calling in danger.
I mean how many times do we get the “God” signs!? How many times do we get the whisper!? The call? The feeling? The intuition? The call to love! The call to live a conscious life?
God knocked me out to show me consciousness, awareness, aliveness, abundance, and enlightenment.
After that 4th day of choosing fear over love and choosing to go back in the show, it took me on a journey of a 10-year full recovery. I have learned so many insightful and inspiring things about the brain, the body, our soul, spirit, and the choosing a lifestyle “awake.” It’s the most magnificent gift I have received in this lifetime.
And here is what I haven’t told you yet.
The night before God knocked me out, I was talking to God during the Nativity scene where the Rockette’s are gift bearers and we have about 10-12 minutes of stillness. That was my time with God each night I performed. Here is what my prayer was the night before:
“Dear God, thank you for all you have given me and showed me. I am so blessed! I know I am supposed to be grateful right now, and I know I know I am supposed to be happy, and I know there are thousands of young women who want to be exactly where I am right now in this line…however my body is not happy, I am not happy, my soul is “sould” out, and I just know deep down inside of me, my spirit and I have a bigger purpose. I know I am meant to be doing something different Help me God, understand the real feelings inside of me right now, Give me clarity, show me my purpose. “
God answered my prayer alright, and if I knew what I did today, I would have asked to show me with ease, joy, grace, and fun!!
The kick line led me to consciousness, where today I live and choose an abundant life, honoring my body, my brain, my purpose, my spirit, and my choices in love.
Today I choose love…and at times, a red lip, a lash, and always God.
Are you choosing fear or love today?
To hear Gina’s interview go to: Interview
To ask a question or connect with Gina, write her at gina@ginapero.com
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