22-Year-Old Born Without Left Hand Becomes First Ever Radio City Rockette With Visible Disability

Dec 30, 2019 by apost team

Sydney Mesher, a 22-year-old from Portland, Oregon is making history as the first dancer to join the Radio City Rockettes with a visible disability. She was born without a left hand through a rare condition known as symbrachydactyly. But nothing could stop this graduate from Pace University from achieving her dream of becoming a professional dancer.

The Rockettes recently released a featured video on their official YouTube channel about the newest addition to the world-renowned dance group. In the video, Sydney explained how she had grown up watching the Rockettes during the famous Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

She used to watch the show with her entire family during the holidays and make dinner together. She said that she was "glued to the television." At that point, Syndey knew that she wanted to become a Rockette.

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She remembered one time during her early years of dance classes when the Rockettes requested her rather unknown dance studio to perform an opening number. Ironically, this isn't the first time that Sydney has performed alongside the Rockettes.

After graduating from college, this dedicated dancer moved to the city where dreams come true: New York City. Mesher's father says that Sydney had "something different" about her. She wasn't ever afraid to shine in front of a crowed and "loved to perform."

In 2018, Sydney auditioned to be a member of the Rockettes two separate times. Unfortunately, she didn't get a callback. Like any true success story, she didn't let these events dampen her spirits or her dreams. She looked on the bright side instead.

Within that time period, she was able to finish her college degree. However, the challenges weren't done quite yet. Sydney suffered a broken foot earlier in the year. Although she wasn't able to dance for a total of five months, Sydney said that this time away from her passion fueled her determination even more.

After undergoing some recovery, Sydney once again auditioned to be a member of the famed Rockettes. This time around, she passed with flying colors and earned that title that she had sought for so many years. Karen Keeler, Creative Director for the Rockettes had nothing but good things to say about one of her newest recruits.

She said that Syndey was a "versatile dancer" who had a "strong work ethic." The Rockettes took notice of Sydney's willingness to try out again and again despite being turned away. This resilience and dedication helped earn her a spot on the world stage.

If you thought this article was inspiring, please show it to someone who loves to dance.