‘Pocahontas’ Alive On Ice Disney’s Ice Show Has Something For Everyone

“The Spirit of Pocahontas” Thursday, Dec. 25, the Arena

The wonder of ice is that it allows an apparent defiance of gravity. Those who are skilled and practiced on the rink can attain incredible speeds and translate that energy into lofty leaps and twirls above the frozen surface.

This is one reason that Disney’s animated feature films work as ice shows. Talented skaters can re-create the characters in a bigger-than-life way, using velocity to make grand gestures to a large audience.

“The Spirit of Pocahontas,” which opened Thursday night and continues at the Arena through Monday, certainly comes to life on the ice. More than just retelling the story or reliving the movie, the ice version offered its own glimpse of the tale.

While there are the love interest, comedy and furry animals to capture attention, the ice production maintained its focus on the respect for nature and the stupidity of fearing that which is different.

There seemed to be very little in the way of scenery, props and special effects for this production in comparison to other Disney World on Ice shows. The waterfall, Grandmother Willow, the ship and a few trees made up most of the scenery.

Lighting, however, was spectacular, especially in the forest scenes. Mottled greens and yellows created the illusion of a canopy of trees with rustling leaves. The impression of a forest was unmistakable, even though the ice was practically bare.

The waterfall was the central piece, symbolizing the heart of the forest and the most peaceful place on Earth. It was reasonably convincing. The canoes, too, really added to the sense of magic motion. I know they are just motorized carts with wheels, but the mechanization could not be seen or heard, and they appeared to drift quietly across the set like the real thing.

The Pocahontas story allowed plenty of time for skating. There was some action that needed depicting, such as the storm at sea and the battle scene, but there was abundant opportunity to express a mood and just be while the dialogue was going on. This permitted the skaters to freely interpret the feeling of the moment without having to position themselves and act line for line with the script.

The first view of Pocahontas’ people was a great example of what is possible on ice. The choreography expressed a quiet power that matched the mood and the music well.

All of the lead skaters were strong. Martin Forrest as Thomas and especially Armen Saakian as Kocoum, “the bravest of warriors,” were powerful, executing leaps and backflips with utter confidence. Pocahontas, skated by Joanna Ng, was athletic and delicate. Ng can spin effortlessly in any number of graceful poses. Sergei Petrovski moved fast on the ice, with lots of hair and double axels, to make a good John Smith.

The most impressive feats came from the pair team, Elena Leonova and Andrei Khvalko, who portrayed the spirit of the wind, wearing colorful ribbons. A plethora of lifts made for a three-dimensional dance that seemed to rarely touch down to Earth. A couple of throws, one of which appeared to be at least a triple axel, were heart-stopping.

The sound, a sore point in years past, was much better in this production. Levels were reasonable and clarity exceeded expectations. Dialogue and words to the songs were easily understandable, although I would be surprised if anyone did not already know the story.

Although I tend to think of the skating as being entertainment for the adults and the story for the children, observation after the event belied that theory. Kids were not pretending to be John Smith or Pocahontas as much as they were trying to slide on the concrete, spin in midair, dance with their parents and, in general, defy gravity and move larger than life.

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