This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
For Natalie Reid, the path to achieving a childhood dream — to be a Rockette — passed through Utah.
In an interview with The Seattle Times' Moira MacDonald, Reid (who grew up in Sammamish, Wash.) described how she would watch the Rockettes on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV.
"I'd see these gorgeous women that were doing a job that they loved, and thought it must be so great to be a part of something like that," she told the Times.
She trained in tap, jazz and ballet as a teen. After college, Reid landed a position with Odyssey Dance Theatre in Salt Lake City, where she danced for three years.
This May, she flew to New York for an open audition for the Rockettes. She was one of five (out of a pool of more than 500) to earn a slot in the 80-member kickline.
Now she's dancing 17 shows a week in the Radio City Music Hall's annual Christmas show, which runs through Jan. 2.