HUNTSVILLE, Ala — Disney on Ice is performing at the Von Braun Center, and WZDX's Jonah Karp got a sneak peek behind the curtain to see how the magic of Disney is made.
Jonah spoke with the show's host, Alex Allen:
JK: How long have you been working for Disney on Ice?
AA: Well, I've been a pro skater for the last 13 years. I've been working for Disney on Ice for about 10 years.
JK: Obviously a lot of industries got hit hard with the pandemic, when you're an industry that's dependent on performing in front of a live audience, just how hard did these skaters get affected by the pandemic?
AA: The good thing about us is that we were able to maintain our craft. There's other avenues to be able to maintain your skills whether you're doing off-ice skating, whether you're doing off-ice stretching and jumping, whether you're creating your own videos of just doing things. There's different stimuli of being able to stay engaged in your craft without losing it.
JK: What's the training process like for these guys?
AA: Well, everyone here is an athlete. So, a lot of our lifters and our pair skaters, of course they do a lot of weightlifting. Why? Because they're lifting someone over their head. A lot of the ladies do a lot of strength training and core strength training because, in order to skate you have to have a strong core. So, we do a lot of pilates, we do a lot of weightlifting and agility training.
Disney on Ice skates in Huntsville from May 20-23. Tickets and more information can be found here.
WATCH: A Disney on Ice cast member practices on a "sway pole".
