Behind-the-Scenes: Disney on Ice: Let's Celebrate
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Disney animated features are near and dear to all of us. And nothing beats seeing your favorite character up close and personal, whether walking around the theme parks or performing in a live stage show. Add to that the grace and fluidity of watching them glide across an ice rink and you�ll feel so high you�d swear Tinker Bell had sprinkled you with pixie dust, your heart soaring straight toward Never Land, where you never, never have to grow up.
Welcome to Disney On Ice.
Produced by Feld Entertainment, the latest production to come to the Southland is �Let�s Celebrate!� a colossal party where you get to share holidays, celebrations and festivals from around the globe with many beloved Disney characters.
Who better to deliver your invitations to the soiree than those who helped to plan it? I spoke with some of the creative team and cast to glean some insights into the mastery behind the magic.
Disney is second to none when it comes to storytelling. There are myriad tales that have tickled our funny bones, whetted our appetites for adventure, brought tears to our eyes, and songs to our hearts. With such a catalogue at your disposal when getting a new Disney On Ice production up and running the first hurdle is selecting a story and deciding how to tell it.
�What happens is, the producers, through their demographics, find the appropriate vehicle for that season,� choreographer, Cindy Stuart said. �Then we get together, the creative team, even before the writing begins and throw around ideas, how we want it to look, what we want to highlight, and that�s where it starts. It�s a very collaborative process.�
A process she enjoys so much, she has choreographed several Disney on Ice productions. Though she has worked with National and World Champions and Olympic Medalists to boot, it appears her heart has found a long term home with Feld.
�I love the people that I work with, the creative team especially.� she said. We really have each other�s backs and we compliment each other in the way we work, from the music department to lighting, direction, writing and costume design.�
It takes a village, as the saying goes, to raise a child. When that child is a production slated for a national tour it helps if some of the residents doing the rearing have proven areas of expertise.