Magic – you have to see it to believe it, and you have to believe it to see it.
Unless you’re a child, and then you see it constantly. At the bottom of the garden, in the twinkle of the stars, and ESPECIALLY at Disney On Ice.
I still remember my first Disney On Ice experience as a six-year-old, and I get tingles of delight as I remember Belle twirling through the air, looking so perfectly magical that I can still picture her two decades on, clear as a Bell. And now, the magic is here again, as Disney On Ice presents Treasure Trove throughout Australia and New Zealand.
Of course, it takes magic to make magic, and the Disney On Ice cast have it radiating from their skates.
Elegantly spinning and flying across the ice, the cast bring favourite characters spanning five decades to life in Treasure Trove – Rapunzel and Flynn, Woody and Buzz Lightyear, Timon and Pumba, and of course, the Disney princesses.
My childhood hero Belle is there, along with Ariel, Cinderella, Snow White, and the beautiful, sassy, soaring Princess Jasmine, portrayed by principle skater Midori Sano. Skating as her own favourite childhood character, Midori says that when she is out on the ice, she feels as though her, “dreams come true. Aladdin was always one of my favourite movies growing up, and strong and independent Jasmine was my princess!”
For the cast, nothing feels more magical than seeing the reactions of the audience, full of joy and happiness, with the kids’ calling out to their favourite characters and getting caught up in the magic.
Ensemble skater Yolande Lombaard even watched an excited child tossing some popcorn from the audience to ‘feed the animals’ during TheLion King’s ‘Circle of Life’ segment.
“To see the kids’ faces light up as the characters come on the ice… every day there are more and more magical moments”, says Yolande.
“I could not ask for a better life right now.”
And for Yolande, the fairytale isn’t only on the ice – just ask her fellow cast member and fiancée, principle skater Konrad Giering.
“This is a dream job, but when you do it with the one you love, it just puts the cherry on top… it’s magic,” says Yolande.
Of course, the cast all have to be believers in magic themselves to be enchanting the audience every show.
I asked Konrad which magical power he would choose for himself (other than his breathtaking skating skills, of course).
“To go back in time so I can do it all over again,” was the humble answer. When you are lighting up kids’ faces for a living, what other power could you possibly desire?
The magnificent wardrobe is one of the many spell-binding elements, bewitching the audience with hundreds of spectacular costumes. Head of Wardrobe Katrina Cahalan can even feel the magic off the ice.
“I was on the concourse lever after a show, when I felt a tug on my work pants. I looked down and there was a little girl in a princess costume. I squatted down to hear her question, and she said “do you know Cinderella?” I said I did.
She asked me to relay a message if I could. “Can you tell Cinderella, thank you for visiting on my birthday and I thought the show was really good?” I said of course, and she ran to her mum grinning ear to ear. That made me love my job so much.”
With their enchanted skates and their hearts full of happiness, the Disney On Ice: Treasure Trove team are a trove of treasures themselves, bringing magic to life for children and adults alike.
But don’t just take my word that Disney On Ice is magic. See it and believe.
Here’s a sneak peak at some of the magic:
What are your best childhood memories?
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