Disney on Ice to bring adventure, entertainment to the Prudential Center

NEWARK — Mixing together the classics with the modern tales, Disney on Ice Presents Treasure Trove offers a bit of adventure and entertainment for everyone.

"I think this show is fantastic because it's not just about princesses — little boys will like it just as much, because we have sword fights in Peter Pan," said Tara Patterson who portrays Cinderella in the ice show. "We have all the stories from Snow White and Tangled and the Princess and the Frog. There is something for every generation."

A third generation ice show performer with an ice rink in the backyard of her childhood home, Patterson says she has been skating practically her entire life.

"I think started skating before I could walk," said Patterson in a phone interview.

Her grandparents met in the Ice Capades and then her parents followed suit. Patterson grew up watching her parents skate and was coached by her grandmother. She began officially skating at the age of 2 and joined Disney on Ice in 2000, making this her 13th season.

Along with playing Cinderella, Patterson is an ensemble skate. In total she changes her costumes six times throughout the performance and plays a card in Alice in Wonderland, is a female pirate and is one of the Wildebeest in Lion King.

"Sometimes you have about a minute or minute and half to get in and out of your costumes," Patterson said. "The Cinderella dress weighs about 20 pounds and for the Wildebeest we wear back packs."

Midori Sano — who portrays the role of Young Nala and Jasmine — is a second generation skater who says she is excited for the upcoming performance.

"Treasure Trove is about Mickey and Minnie looking for treasure from different stories," Sano said in a phone interview. "It starts with Alice in Wonderland looking for time then Peter Pan, Lion King, Aladdin, Snow White, Princess and the Frog, and Tangled. It has a little bit of everything, from the very first animation movie, Snow White to the new princess in Tangled."

Following in her parents footsteps, Sano began competitive skating at the age of six with her father as her coach. Both of her parents were on the Japanese Olympic team. Her father medaled in skating and her mother was on the Japanese Gymnastics Team.

She was discouraged from skating because life on the road can be tough, but Sano pushed toward her dream. At 19 her life changed.

"When I was 19 I quit competing because I didn’t see the point to compete with someone with something I really love, but I couldn’t leave figure skating, it was my life, so I kept skating once a month or so," Sano said.

Sano then heard about an audition for "Boo" in Disney on Ice's Monsters Inc. performance.

"I thought this was it, I rolled the dice and wanted to be show skater like my dad. I passed the audition and got the job. At first I thought this was a gift and after one year I was going to quit. But after two months I realized this is destiny to keep doing this. I finally have it in my hand, why throw it away? Something I really love and really enjoy. I am so grateful to get to do it everyday as my job."

This is Sano's 8th year performing with Disney. Each year lasts about nine months and takes the skaters all over the world.

"I have been to over 35 countries in the last seven years," Sano said. "I got to see the Pyramid and Sphinx in Egypt and the Red square in Russia and Ireland and Spain."

Sano has been to 48 states, she hopes to visit Alaska and Hawaii one day.