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Date: 11/3/2022
HAMPDEN – The Hampden Senior Center is kicking off the holiday season with a unique fundraiser to benefit the Hampden Senior Center Building Fund on Nov. 10.
The event will feature former Rockette Debra Vega and will take place from 7 to 9 p.m at the Hampden Senior Center located at 104 Allen St.
Tickets will be $12 for adults and $8 for those under 12 years old. There will be holiday dessert refreshments served along with hot chocolate for kids and hot chocolate with a “kick” for adults.
Vega is originally from Indiana and started dancing at the age of 4. She earned a bachelor’s degree in dance performance/theater, traveled the world as a musical theater professional and lived in New York City for 10 years.
Vega danced in Broadway shows and was a Radio City Rockette for the 1998, 1999, 2005 and 2006 seasons.
“I really wanted to audition for the Rockettes. It was a lifelong dream and, being from the Midwest, I had never seen them in person, only on television, but I knew I wanted to give it a shot. I auditioned for the first time in 1998 and that year they accepted 15 new Rockettes and I was one of them out of 500 people who auditioned,” said Vega.
Vega performed across New York City, across the country and even around the world during her time as a professional dancer. Eventually, she got into yoga and went on a yoga retreat where she met her husband. This led her to Western Massachusetts.
Her husband, Aaron Vega, was born and raised in Holyoke.
“In our courtship, I started making my way from New York to Holyoke many times and eventually we married and settled here,” said Vega.
Vega now teaches at the Massachusetts Academy of Ballet in Holyoke and in the CLI Conservatory Pre-Professional Program in Easthampton. She is the artistic director of Broadway Brings Joy and also the co-director of Vega Yoga Mobile.
Since the end of her time as a Rockette, Vega has done many events sharing her story. She said that she usually speaks to older generations who really know and love the Rockettes.
She said that she is happy to be speaking at the Hampden Senior Center and supporting their fundraising efforts.
“I’m always so happy to be a part of anything that supports our community and a big, vibrant part of any community is its senior population who bring with them all of the wealth of knowledge of their time in the area and their time on this earth,” said Vega.
During the event, Vega will share personal stories of her time as a Rockette and uncover the history of the Rockettes through many photos and videos. There will also be time for Q&A.
She encouraged residents both young and old to come out and support a great cause, perfect for the start of the holiday season.
“I just have a real love for the senior population and I hope that they find that this event is really different and special. It’s not a normal fundraiser that you might think of, so I hope that the seniors come out, I hope that any folks who have an interest in Rockette history come out and I hope that any folks that also support community, building projects and our seniors would also come out,” said Vega.
Those interested in purchasing tickets for the event are able to call the Hampden Senior Center at 566-5588.