Marika Steward (MS): I’ve been skating my whole life. I’m Canadian, so skating is in my blood. I competed at a fairly high level, and then I took a break from skating. But I saw my sister perform with Disney and I realised that’s what I wanted to do. She’s actually with the unit here in Singapore, so I get to perform alongside her (she’s an ensemble skater). This is my third season with the company.

Josh Kohlmeier (JK): I have been skating since I was about five years old. I played hockey for a couple of years, and then I saw the figure skaters practising on the rink next door and decided that that is what I wanted to do. Shortly after that, I went to my very first Disney On Ice show, and I fell in love with every aspect of it, the costumes, the characters, the magic. Ever since, I knew that, that’s what I wanted to do. So I graduated high school and I’ve been here since.

JK: I feel like the biggest difference is that we get to truly bring something unique and magical to life, every day to so many different audiences. And it’s just a really special thing to be able to do

MS: It’s more of a performance, rather than competing where it’s all about the technical elements. Here you have the freedom here to really give something to your audience. We still perform at a very high level we’re all athletes and we keep in very good shape, but the focus is more on bringing those characters to life.

MS: She is such a fun character. And in this show in particular, she really goes on a journey to find her inner hero. She has such an amazing story, she yearns for more, she wants to leave the island and find out why she’s there. So it’s really fun to go through those waves – pun intended.

Do you feel like you identify with the character Moana? 

MS: Honestly, at first when I started portraying her I had a difficult time connecting with her but as the seasons have gone on, I’ve really found that connection and how she really finds herself. It’s been a growth process for me. And I think that Moana has actually helped me personally, to find myself and what I’m passionate about and what I can bring to the people around me.

As an ensemble castmember, what different characters do you get to play Josh?

JK: I’m in a lot of different stories in our show. You can see me in our opening number, which is just super high energy, getting the crowd excited for what’s to come and the journey that they’re about to go on. You can also see me in our Toy Story segment in our roundup gang with Woody, Jessie and Buzz. Then I get to spend some time with Princess Tiana down in New Orleans. I love being an ensemble skater because it is always something different and there’s so many stories you get to be a part of.

MS: It’s been a long tour for us. We actually started in the Middle East, then Josh and I have been performing in the United States before coming here. The travel is a big challenge, but we wouldn’t trade it for the world because we’re experiencing so much and you can’t create this experience anywhere else.

JK: Our tour unit and our community really does become your second family. It’s really special to share the time that you do with them because oftentimes we find ourselves spending so much time with the show unit – more than with our families. Everyone really comes together with support and love, which is so special.

MS: I lived here when I was around five. I actually saw my first Disney show ever in Singapore? I also probably took my first steps on skates in a mall. My dad played hockey here, and I remember learning to ride my bike on a tennis court outside our apartment. So lots of fun memories of being here. It’s really a full circle moment to be performing here after first seeing a show here so long ago. We’ve already had a day off to explore and I went to Gardens by the Bay. It’s so interesting to see how technology meets nature here, it’s really fascinating.

JK: This is my first time in Singapore – for me it’s actually my first time in Southeast Asia! So I’m really excited to just take in everything, experience the  culture and all the food.

MS: Moana has a scene where she’s feeling a little bit down, she’s kind of lost and she asks the ocean, “Why did you bring me here? I’m not the right person.” And in that moment when she’s so down, there was a little girl in the front row, and she says [loudly], “Moana don’t cry! You can do it!” And it’s so magical because it tells me that we’re doing a good job of bringing these kids into our world, into these characters that we’re portraying. So just moments like that, we never take them for granted. They’re so, so special. And cute..

JK: My father came to see the show for the very first time and he sat next to a family. It was on Christmas Eve, and after the show the woman leaned over to my father and passed him a note for us, saying that we’d made her family’s holiday. It’s like Marika said, it reminds us why we do what we do.

What’s in store for audiences during the performances here?

MS: Just get ready to smile, sing along, dance along. We’re so so excited to be here. And you’re going to have some really great performances from us.

JK: Just have so much fun when you come see our show. We’re ready and we’re so excited to bring the Disney magic to Singapore.

Disney On Ice is on at the Indoor Stadium from 11-19 March, tickets can be purchased here.

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