Lily Santisi kicked her leg into the air as high as she could. The 12-year-old, who recently battled cancer, then did the same with her other leg. She repeated the process, from one leg to the other, again. And again. And again. All while spending a day in the life of the Radio City Rockettes. “It was hard,” Santisi told NBC New York of the Rockettes’ trademark high kicks. “There’s so many, and it was so quick.” Santisi, a competitive dancer from Phoenix, always dreamt of becoming a Rockette. But her dancing days came to a sudden stop after she was diagnosed with a form of bone cancer. She made her return to the dance floor earlier this month when she received a private dance lesson from two Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, courtesy of the Garden of Dreams and Make-A-Wish foundations.   “It feels like really special because it’s like once in a lifetime,” Santisi said, “and I’m so glad I had the opportunity to do this.” Members of the Rockettes teach 12-year-old Lily Santisi their iconic high kick. (MSG Entertainment) Santisi learned choreography from the “Christmas Spectacular” while dancing between Bailey Harding, a 14-year Rockette, and Paige McRae, who is in her fourth year as a member of the famed precision dancers.   “The moment she walked into that dance studio, she lit up the room,” Harding said of Santisi. “Just seeing her persevere through something so difficult and challenging and to see her move through dance to feel that inspiration and that joy, just to be in the room with her was such a privilege. We’re just honored to be able to offer this experience to her. It was a true gift.” The lesson was held at a rehearsal hall at Radio City Music Hall, where Santisi learned the Rockettes’ choreography from the Spectacular’s number “New York at Christmas.” “She learned it so quickly,” Harding said. “So we were able to give her more details and add on to her level of dance training. So we really customized and tailored the class specifically for her.” Santisi’s parents and younger brother got a front-row seat in the studio for the dance lesson.   “It’s been a long time since we watched her dance on stage, and even just practicing,” said her father, Dean Santisi. “So to see her back in the studio, it definitely is emotional.” Members of the Rockettes give 12-year-old Lily Santisi a private dance lesson at Radio City Music Hall. (MSG Entertainment) After the lesson, Santisi was among 500 children from the Garden of Dream Foundation to attend a matinee performance of the “Christmas Spectacular” as part of Garden of Dreams Day. “Obviously she went through something horrible and you would never want that, but the organizations…they just give these kids some joy when they are at their lowest and it really just helps them,” said Lily’s mother, Deanne Santisi. For Santisi, it was her first time seeing the show in person. “To know that they’re as excited as we once were as audience members too when we were younger and came to see the show is absolutely spectacular,” McRae said. Holidays Nov 20 Shaquille O'Neal photobombs family Christmas portraits for holiday surprise Christmas Dec 10 Should parents really give their kids coal for Christmas? A parenting expert weighs in The Radio City Rockettes, celebrating their 100th anniversary, begin rehearsals for the “Christmas Spectacular” in late September, dancing six hours a day for six days a week to perfect their timing, Harding said. “It’s truly repetition,” she said. “Lots of efficiency in rehearsals.” Santisi got to experience that firsthand. She stood between two Rockettes as if she was on stage at Radio City Music Hall and completed sets of a dozen synchronized high kicks. “We told Lily that we do over 200 of these in the ‘Christmas Spectacular,’ so it takes a lot of work and a lot of practice to get there,” Harding said. “But she’s such a trooper, she’s so bright, she’s so intelligent, and such a great young dancer. So she picked it up so quickly.” Santisi continued to kick her legs high into the air again and again. “She was a little out of breath, but we told her, ‘Don’t worry, practice makes progress,'” Harding said. “And we were also out of breath as Rockettes on stage. So, she’s in good company.” ...read more read less