Rockettes 100 - No. 3 - The Tiller Girls

Though it was Russell Markert who formed the original Rockettes (The Missouri Rockets) in 1925, the man who formed the first precision dance troupe was an English man named John Tiller.

Tiller Girls 1891

In the 1880s, Tiller formed a dance school in Manchester, UK. In 1890 John was asked to present a quartet of children for the pantomime Robinson Crusoe at the Prince of Wales Theatre, Liverpool.

He chose four of his best Manchester pupils, all aged about 10 years; Dolly Grey, Tessie Lomax, and twins Cissy and Lilly Smith. They were chosen as they were all the same height and had the same very slender shape with dark hair. He worked with them relentlessly repeating every movement time and time again and drilling them until they were perfect.

Photos from July 1897

In 1899, Tiller conceived of the Pony Trot which was what became the modern kick-line, where all the girls would link arms and kick in unison.

In early 1900s, Tiller’s style of precision dancing became world renowned and the dancers were in great demand. Florenz Ziegfeld took 48 girls under contract for 3 years for the Ziegfeld Follies in America.

In 1922, Russell Markert, first saw the Tiller Girls in the Ziegfeld Follies and was inspired to create his own precision dance troupe. In 1925, Markert formed the Missouri Rockets.

Information from: Tiller Girls

Footage: The Tiller Girls appear in the film, “Half Shot at Sunrise” (1930)