Behind the scenes at a Disney On Ice show, Annee Magee can be found on her yoga mat. The troupe skater who trained with the Lilac City Skate Club from 2010 to 2015 tries to get in a quick yoga flow before the show starts.
"Even getting a little 20-minute flow in between shows can really reset your mind and your body and just kinda loosen up your body if it's a little bit tight, and stepping on my mat for a few minutes always brings me a bit of clarity," says Magee (pictured).
After competing as a figure skater for over 10 years, Magee decided she had accomplished everything she had wanted in her competitive career. But her skating days were not over. Upon the suggestion of her coach and mom, she tried out for some ice shows and was accepted to the Disney on Ice: Dare to Dream show.
"Honestly the whole energy of being on an ice show is a lot less intense than it was when you're competing," Magee says. "I definitely thrive off of the positive energy between all of my castmates and the staff and ... the crew because now that we are all finished with competing, we all have the same goal in just making the best ice show possible and bringing a bit of the Disney magic to every city and audience we happen to perform for."
For nine months, Magee lives on the road, stopping in a new city each week. With this tour she returns to her home away from home in the Inland Northwest. She plans to visit her old stomping grounds at Eagles Ice Arena and catch up with little skaters who have grown up in her absence.
Another spot Magee looks forward to visiting in Spokane is Riverfront Park.
"I remember when I was training, there was not a whole lot of down time that I spent that did not involve sleeping, just because we were at the rink for hours on end," Magee says. "Just being able to walk around the waterfall and go around the park there where the mall is and stuff, that was always just nice and it gets you away from and rink and makes you appreciate things other than what goes on in the ice rink."
Now the most important question, of course, is does she like Disney?
"Who doesn't like Disney?" Magee says. "It's really surreal actually. For example, we have Cinderella on our show and Cinderella was one of my favorite princesses growing up."
This version of Disney on Ice features modern princesses such as Moana, Rapunzel and Elsa as well as old favorites Belle and Cinderella. Magee says the crowd always goes wild for Moana, surprise, surprise. She also notes that the size of the city does not determine the quality of the crowd. Some of the smallest cities she's been to so far have had the best crowds.
"It's a long commitment, but it makes it worth it being able to perform for all the different families," Magee says. "And we make a family of our own here with all of the cast and crew." ♦
Disney on Ice: Dare to Dream • Fri-Sun, Oct. 18-21 at various times • $19-$91 • Spokane Arena • 720 W. Mallon Ave. • spokanearena.com • 279-7000
