I had a wonderful opportunity to interview competitive figure skater and actress, Taylor Firth, who is traveling with the Disney On Ice Toy Story 3 show that is in San Jose February 23, 2012 through February 26, 2012 and Oakland February 29, 2012 through March 4, 2012. I hope you enjoy reading about our chat as much as I enjoyed speaking with her. She is a very accomplished performer and it sounds like she has been perfectly cast in her current role as Jessie from Toy Story.
Taylor Firth: A twenty year old from Buffalo, New York who always dreamed of becoming a professional figure skater has made her way to Disney On Ice Toy Story 3.
Where do you call home and what do you miss most about it?
I’m from Buffalo New York and I miss my family a lot. I miss being in one place because I move from city to city every week. So I miss being in a home, that’s the hardest part.
When did you first start skating?
I started skating when I was six years old. I started performing with Disney a year and a half ago.
What was your first show with Disney?
Toy Story was my first show with them and I am on the same one. So this is the only show I’ve done with Disney.
How often do you see your family?
Well, I haven't seen my whole family since August, but I saw my dad at the end of October. So it’s been a couple of months.
What do you do in the show?
I play Jessie, the Yodeling Cowgirl. She is a full show character. So I get to play her the entire time.
How did you get the role of Jessie?
I was just hoping to get a role in the show and when I saw that they were doing Toy Story, I thought that I would be able to do Jessie. You send in your information and then they put you on whatever show they need you for. I was crossing my fingers and they thought I could play Jessie too, so it worked out perfectly for me. I got to do the role I was really hoping for.
What is a typical work week like?
We do about ten shows a week and we usually have rehearsals in that week. I get to practice on my own, which is nice. I really like doing that because it gives me time to do my own thing. I love doing shows, but its a set thing and there is the choreography and you have to keep to a set routine that they tell you to do.
Is there any downtime?
On our days off we do. Usually only Monday, Tuesday and sometimes Wednesday. So then it gives us time to walk around the city and see what there is to do there. On our days off they are our own days, we get to do what ever we want on those days. We could go to a different city, we could go home if we wanted, but that usually takes a lot of energy.
Does the show feel like a part of Disneyland?
It kind of does. I get to work with a bunch of characters. We have Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, Rex the big dinosaur, Slinky Dog and all of those guys. And when your back stage walking from the ice to the back stage area and you see these big characters walking around, it’s really fun. It definitely feels like I am in Disneyland
What has been your favorite place to visit on the tour?
Last year my favorite place was Puerto Rico. It was gorgeous there. It was tropical and the land was beautiful, there were mountains everywhere and we did some really fun things. We got to go snorkeling and we got to walk through rain forests. This year though I’m not quite sure. I really like the West Coast because I’m from the East Coast. I really liked a lot of the cities.
What are your plans for life after Disney On Ice?
I’m not sure. I have a couple of ideas of what I want to do. I would like to be a figure skating coach. But I’m not ready to settle down and do that quite yet. I think that would be really fun. One of my dreams - I would love to do voices for animated characters. I think that would be really, really fun, but I don’t even know how you would get into that. If I cant’ figure that out then I’ll just stick to being a figure skating coach.
Did you always want to be a figure skater?
Yeah, when I was little my sister skated. She started before me and I always wanted to do it also when I saw her on the ice. So I started when I was six years old and my coaches really encouraged me to go onto show skating once I finished competing. Disney is such a great company to work for. They take care of the skaters and help you step-by-step to get into the groove of being a show skater and being in the company. We really do get to play around a lot. I mean its work, but its something I love to do. I can’t complain. I have a fantastic job and the show we do is amazing.
Favorite Disney movie and character?
I love Toy Story and I would have to say Jessie would be my favorite character because she is a lot like me. We both have a lot of energy and she’s just a lot of fun. She’s funky and a little bit of a tomboy and rough around the edges. I’m definitely a lot like her. And Toy Story is a great story that every one can relate too. From watching a child play with their toys to growing up and going off to college. Its a great series of films.
You were in the movie Ice Castles. Do you see yourself in more movies?
I would love to do another film. I love movies it was just a lot of fun and completely different from what I have done before. I was used to competing and having to be perfect the one time you compete, but with film you can do another take and switch things around. I loved the whole thing. I would love to do something like that again. It would be so much fun.
How old were you when you were in Ice Castles?
I was seventeen years old so my mom had to stay with me the whole time because I wasn’t old enough to work on my own.
Advice for young people looking to be a part of Disney On Ice?
Whether it’s Disney or anything really, just follow your dreams and really just go for what you really want to do. Don’t let any tell you you can’t be what you want to be. If it’s what you want, it’s something you should have. Always go for your dreams and don’t let anyone tell you differently. Just go for it. It may seem impossible, but you would be surprised of what you can do if you really put your mind to it.
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Tickets and show info can be found HERE!
