The Crown Coliseum will play host to a beloved classic yet again. Disney On Ice makes its way back to Fayetteville, and this year, the theme is a new one.
“Let’s Dance” is the newest show from the minds behind Disney On Ice. Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy have turned into DJs, narrating and remixing Disney classics for fans to get up on their feet. Music from Frozen 2, Wish, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid and Moana will all be showcased during the event.
“Audiences will experience a nonstop party that encourages them to journey to unforgettable places, laugh, sing, dance and make magical memories together. Through the magic of music, what started as a party transforms into a fantastic adventure!” states Feld Entertainment, the company behind Disney On Ice.
Maria Starr, a seasoned performer with Disney On Ice, plays the character of Elsa, a role she says is very close to her heart.
“I skated to ‘Let it Go’ for more than seven years,” she said. “Now I get to skate to a song called ‘Show Yourself.’ I think it’s my favorite thing I’ve ever done and I’m in my 15th year on the road. I think it's a beautiful solo, it's definitely more slow, a more intimate and intense part of the show.”
Starr started skating at the age of six in her home state of Minnesota.
“I was lucky enough to grow up on a lake. It quickly turned into a lot more than that for me because I wanted to skate every single day,” she said.
Starr's love of the sport consumed her, and she skated all through high school, quitting other sports to allow more time at the rink. She passed her Senior Free Skate and Senior Moves tests, as well as her Senior Solo Free Dance test. The senior-level tests are the most difficult in the US Figure Skating Association’s curriculum and can take up to ten years to pass. Skaters who pass these tests earn the designation of “Gold Medalist.”
Starr joined Disney On Ice right out of high school in 2010. She loves to perform; to her that is the best part of being with Disney on Ice.
“I just love to perform every day. I feel like I’ve grown up here. I love performing and skating. I’ve gotten to travel, which helps shape you and you learn so much,” she said. “When all my friends were in college, I was learning a whole different set of lessons and growing in a different way.”
Starr is most known for her spiral, a move where a skater lifts their leg behind them in an arabesque. The move has been popularized by Peggy Fleming, Nancy Kerrigan, Michelle Kwan, and Starr’s skating idol, Sasha Cohen.
“I get a lot of speed into that spiral, it’s that build-up into the whole solo. It’s a very emotional one, I almost cry every time I do it,” she said.
Starr said Disney On Ice’s “Let’s Dance” is a mix of new stories and classics. The show opens with an “explosion of color and song, we are just trying to get everyone up and dance. This is definitely the ‘hippest’ Disney show I’ve been a part of.”
The show moves into music and characters from Wish, a newer Disney story. From there, the adventure continues into Frozen. Lion King rounds out the first half.
“Everyone knows it, and when you hear that music, everyone knows what is about to happen,” Starr said.
This year, Scar joins the Lion King cast.
“We have some villains in the show which I think is very special because it doesn’t happen in every Disney On Ice show,” she said.
The second half of the show features The Little Mermaid and Moana. Starr said "Under the Sea” is a number not to be missed.
“All of the daughters of Triton are in the air at the same time,” she said. “It took so much time to figure out. We were in rehearsals for three months, six days a week, trying to figure out how to be in the air with our skates on and not kicking each other. The crowd goes wild as soon as the lights come up and we are all up in the air, it feels very magical.”
Starr said the reviews of the show have all been very positive.
“I’ve been on quite a few shows at this point, and I’m very very proud of this show. The level of skating ... Those are the reviews we’ve gotten from everyone. I’m skating next to some very talented skaters,” she said.
Disney On Ice will be held at the Crown Coliseum on Dec. 12 at 7 p.m., Dec. 13 at 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m., and Dec. 14 and 15 at 10:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m., and 6:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at https://bit.ly/4fD10Vg. Attendees can also experience a “Frozen Fun” character experience ticket enhancement, which includes games, crafts, a sing-along, and photos with Elsa and Anna. Starr also encouraged attendees to come to their seats a little early, as the characters will be performing a holiday pre show.
For more information, visit the Crown’s website at https://bit.ly/492Ezqe.

(The Disney characters of Mickey, Donald, Minnie and Goofy have all turned into DJs for "Let's Dance!" Photos courtesy of Feld Entertainment)