Wish Upon a Star: Disney on Ice, '100 Years of Magic'

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» RELATED: "Ice Work, If You Can Get It: 'Disney on Ice: 100 Years of Magic'" [Express, Feb. 2010]

WHEN AUSTEN BLAKE switched from hockey to figure skating at the age of 7 to fulfill his father's wish that he master the technical skills associated with the sport, he never thought he'd be wary of going back to the puck-and-stick world.

But after only a few months of nailing jumps and bettering his technique, Blake was hooked.

"I just never ended up going back," Blake said. "I love jumping and spinning; it's one of those sports where you feel like you can actually fly."

And years later, the 19-year-old Blake is putting those skills to work as a skater with Disney on Ice's "100 Years of Magic" production, which comes to the Verizon Center on Wednesday, Feb. 10. Though Blake, who grew up in Knoxville, Tenn., was accepted into a couple of different universities in Washington, D.C., he's putting college on hold to keep touring with the production, which also includes his older brother, Adam — one of his biggest inspirations when it comes to skating, Blake said.

"Adam actually came to Disney first, and when I saw my brother in the company, I was like, 'Wow, I really want to join,'" Blake said. "And now my brother is ... on the same tour that I'm on."

Together, the two have progressed from auditions in their home town — which consisted of mastering various choreography and showing off technical prowess — to touring together around the country, and in Europe next year. And although Blake was familiar with Disney on Ice because of his brother's involvement, his first show back in August — which Blake jumped into with only one rehearsal beforehand — still made the teen a bundle of nerves.

"I was 8 years old when I first saw this show. ... I still even remember that one of the performers that's still here today, who I now work opposite of, was in that show I saw," Blake said. And the first day I came here, I was so scared, I couldn't talk to him — I was completely star-struck. And now he's Pinocchio and I portray Gepetto, his father, and it's just, 'Oh my gosh,' you know?"

And Blake often finds that his own sense of wonder is mirrored in the audiences he performs for on a nightly basis. Since 1981, Disney on Ice has been putting on events all over the world, incorporating various Disney characters and their storylines into an intricately choreographed show that's aimed primarily at children and their parents. And "100 Years of Magic," which started in 1999, is one of the company's longest-running shows, with classic characters Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy presenting the show and others from various Disney films, like "Aladdin," "Toy Story," "The Lion King," "Finding Nemo" and "The Incredibles" also making an appearance. In total, more than 65 Disney characters are featured.

Part of the show's appeal is that it combines both the classic, instantly recognizable plots of various Disney films with the interactive appeal of Walt Disney World and Disneyland, Blake said. That kind of dichotomy not only appeals to kids and parents who can recite the twists and turns of flicks like "Mulan" and "Toy Story 2," but also appreciate the face-to-face interaction of watching skaters perform, he added.

"We show the movies in a different perspective — it's on ice, so it's also different from the live shows because of the speed, the types of movements that we can create," Blake said. "But we also bring something from the theme parks because we have our 'It's a Small World' segment [based on the popular Disney ride], and I'm actually Hawaii in that one. So we bring Disney World to people that can't come to Florida, Paris, California or Tokyo, but we also show the Disney movies in a way people haven't seen before."

Although Blake isn't sure when he'll go back to school, that doesn't mean he's put higher education completely on the back burner — he still finds time to study for medical school, his eventual goal, every day — and he'll get a taste of college life when the show stops in Washington, D.C., where many of his friends are enrolled in different universities, he said. Just don't expect him to leave the world of Disney quite yet.

"It's one of my favorite cities in the world," Blake said of Washington. "I'm always so excited about going to D.C.; I love D.C. But for me, I thought the tour was also a chance to experience life for me, rather than just go to college and get a job and start a family. In this time period, I had time for me to do what I really love, and that I literally have been training my entire life for. So I'm really happy here — and anyone who comes to the show will understand why."

» Verizon Center, 601 F St. NW; Wed., Feb. 10 through Mon., Feb. 15; various times, $7.50-$75; (202) 661-5000‎. (Gallery Place-Chinatown)

Written by Express contributor Roxana Hadadi
Photos courtesy the Walt Disney Co.