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November 26, 2010 THISWEEK
Sports Apple Valley ice skater on a ‘Magical Journey’ with Disney Eastview alum Kathryn Meyer comes to town with Disney on Ice by Andy Rogers THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Kathryn Meyer, 21, went from skating on a pond in her back yard in Apple Valley to traveling the world with Mickey Mouse on her ice skates. For a week in December, Meyer will show Minnesota for the first time what she’s been doing with Disney on Ice at the Xcel Energy Center. Meyer began skating competitively when she was 8 years old with the Burnsville Minnesota
Va l l e y Figure Skating C l u b at the Burnsville Ice Center. In the beginning, however, her Kathryn Meyer natural ability was unexpected. Because skating parties were a popular birthday activity at the time, her
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mother encouraged her to practice to ensure she wouldn’t look foolish on the ice. Needless to say, this worry proved misplaced. When she graduated from Eastview High School in 2007, Meyer’s coach, Amanda Truax, who was with Disney on Ice for 10 years, suggested applying for a spot with Mickey and Minnie. After receiving her resume and a video of her performance, Disney was impressed enough to offer her an audition when the show was last in the Twin Cities. After a few months, she was offered a contract. “A lot of it is talent,� Meyer said. “But there’s a lot of hard work to get ready for the audition. They ask you to do some steps and learn a couple of numbers from the show. The biggest thing is working out the timing with a lot of other people.� Passing the United States Figure Skating Senior gold moves in the field and free skating test also, presumably, helped. Meyer’s most recent performances were with the “Finding Nemo� show. This year, she’s in the ensemble cast for “Mickey and Minnie’s Magical Journey.� Her character changes every day as leads and understudies switch out. The show features Mickey and Minnie Mouse as they travel the world on a “Magical Journey� with Daisy and Goofy. They travel to Africa to visit the Lion King, make a stop “Under the Sea� to see the Little Mermaid,
Photo courtesy of Xcel Energy Center
Apple Valley’s Kathryn Meyer is part of Disney on Ice presents “Mickey and Minnie’s Magical Journey,� showing at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul from Dec. 9-12. then drop by Hawaii to catch up with Lilo and Stitch. The second act features Peter Pan and Tinkerbell in London. The performance features lights, bubbles, fireworks, glitter and plenty of skating — some of Meyer’s favorite things. “When you’re a little girl everything has to be pretty, pink, and sparkly,� Meyer said. She picked the right profession. “Every costume I wear is sparkly with glitter on
it,� Meyer said. “It’s like a dress-up party every day.� She’ll be in town for about a week. The show runs from Dec. 9-12 at the Xcel Energy Center — which only adds to Meyer’s excitement. “I’ve been there to watch a Wild game,� she said. “I watched the U.S. Figure Skating Nationals in 2008 and Stars on Ice. It will be cool to say I performed at the Xcel Center.� She’s never performed
in her home state, so she expects to see many fans in the audience. “It will be a crazy-busy week,� Meyer said. “I’ll try to see as many people as I can. “I think it’s going more excited than it is nervous. A lot of my friends and family haven’t seen me yet.� She’s attempting to fit in Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s all in one week with her family. “I have a couple of days off to open the show,� Meyer said. “It’s definitely on the todo list. It’s hard to be away from home around Christmas.� When she’s not in Minnesota, Meyer’s destinations have included several foreign countries, mostly in Western Europe, such as France, Germany, Spain, and Switzerland. That alone has made the experience worthwhile “It’s a lot different over there,� Meyer said. “Different food. Different language. Different electrical sockets. That was the hardest to deal with because we have all these curlers and blow dryers.� The future at this point is a bit of an unknown. Meyer misses her friends and family in Minnesota, but she loves her time with Disney. But now, for one week in December, she gets to bring the two together for the very first time. Andy Rogers is at andy.rogers@ecm-inc.com.
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