Skater Stories: Kelsey Blake
COVID brought an unexpected end to her time with Disney on Ice, but Kelsey looks back fondly on her four-year stint on tour.
Kelsey Blake spent four seasons touring the world with Disney on Ice, after joining the show fresh out of high school. The COVID-19 shutdown brought an untimely end to her touring career, but she was able to resume show skating at Busch Gardens and now coaches the next generation of skaters at Tidewater Figure Skating Club in Virginia. She took some time out of her busy schedule to sit down and talk to me about her career journey.
Q: You started skating when you were just four years old. Did you know then that you wanted to make a career of it?
A: PROBABLY not quite at four, but I definitely remember being very hooked. That's all I wanted to do. I wanted to skate. I danced and did some other things growing up too, but skating was always like my main thing. I knew probably around seven that I wanted to try to skate for Disney on Ice. I went to Finding Nemo on Ice. Whe had won tickets in like a contest or something. And I remember going to that and then going back to the rink, as cool as it was, we're all like, that's what we used to do.
I had several coaches at the time who were Disney on Ice skaters. And that was the first time that I remember really thinking, ‘oh wait, they're really cool. And I want to do that too.’ So I think I was definitely pretty young when I had my sights on that. It was more the association that like these people that I'm learning from were able to have a career with Disney on Ice. So that's what I could do.
Q: You joined Disney on Ice right out of high school. What was that jump like for you?
A: IT was crazy. I graduated in 2016, and then I was in rehearsals for the first tour in August. But I didn't get a contract until July, like mid to late July. And two weeks later, I was in rehearsals.
I had just finished high school. I had very much put all of my eggs in this basket, like done all of the testing and the competing and put my audition reel together, did a live audition. I auditioned in person in April, and I didn't find out that I had a spot until July. And of course, of all that time, my friends were doing normal high school things, like, 'oh, I was committed to this college.' 'I picked my roommate, and I'm shopping for my dorm.' And I remember being like, 'oh, my God, what have I done? Like, have I put all of my eggs in the wrong basket?' Luckily, I didn't. Luckily, it panned out. But no, the jump from high school to tour was definitely crazy.
The year that I joined, and I was on D32, my entire time. It was the old version of D32, like the original Dare to Dream, my first year. I was lucky to be able to close that version of the show. And then my second, third and fourth year were with the new version that's current now [Into the Magic]. It was fun, because that was the version of the show that we got to build pretty much from scratch. They kept the silk act and they kept the name and that was really about it. That was the first show to have Moana. So everything was new and everybody was there and it had to be perfect. It had to be just right. That was a really special experience.
But that jump [from high school] was crazy. My first year there happened to be I think it was like eight of us were fresh out of high school and 18. So we had the unique experience of getting to figure it out together. And I know a lot of people don't have that kind of support fresh out of high school and switching to tour. But it was crazy. It was a whirlwind.
I got a contract and two weeks later, I was like, 'I made it like I have a spot. I'm in rehearsals.' But it was crazy. Um, just everything from like the adulting side of bank accounts and paychecks. And I remember getting called down to the show office to fill out some paperwork. And I got asked, you know, what's your social? What's your this? I had no idea. I was like, ‘Oh, these are the things that nobody prepared you to have to be ready to know off the top of your head.’ But yeah, it was a blast. I think it was absolutely the right order for me.
A lot of people do college first and then back to skating. I think it's the right order where I was skating, then school. It was the right time to go have this experience and be independent. I'm in school now. I think for me it was nice to have some time to grow up and figure out what I might want.
Q: That first year on tour, where did you travel mostly?
A: MY first year on tour was the United States, Canada, but we were not the new show. So it was kind of a mix of cities. I would say we were mostly half of the country, but most people associate the true East Coast tour with the being the new show, when you're playing all big cities, the big venues.
We were not the new show my first year. So we were just kind of in random cities, a lot of Texas, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, we played Boston, we played Newark, I think. So we played some bigger cities, but it was also some smaller markets. I mean, I saw more stuff I would have than any other from visiting the random cities like Fort Wayne, Indiana, Peoria, Illinois, like all these places that I would have never gone.
Q: It's funny you mentioned that because I live in Hartford, I'm obviously on the East Coast and every year I get to go see the new show because it hits New York and New Jersey and Boston and, you know, so it's incredible, but I love seeing all the old shows too.
A: YEAH, the bigger cities, you know, you're a dedicated fan, I'm sure you've kind of realized that, yeah, you get the new show somewhere in the year and then you get older shows, a big market, gets two shows a year.
Q: When you started out one of your main roles was Lady Tremaine. And one of the things that people always say to me when I post a video of Lady Tremaine, is 'how does she skate in that dress and in that mask?' So I'll ask you, how challenging was that?
A: THAT I remember at the beginning being so daunting because you come out of competing and you're used to wearing these, you know, leotards, short little skirts, your whole entire legs are free. You're used to skating or performing in stuff that's very, very non-restrictive.
I remember just thinking for the first time and being like, 'how am I supposed to skate in this?' I remember asking our wardrobe person, who I really loved, I was like, 'what am I supposed to do?' Like, I'm going to fall on my face. And I did, a couple of times. I remember a couple of times in rehearsals, like toe pick to the front of the skirt, face plant, bam. Humbling experience.
It is different because in a role like that, the bulk of the role is the acting and the characterization and the interactions with the stepsisters and Cinderella. It's not much of a skate out and do a jump or a spin or, you know, that kind of a role.
So it's kind of fun and it did get easier to skate in the skirt and to have kind of the movement of the big headpiece the flowy long skirt. It's lighter than you think the headpiece and everything. The stepsisters and myself all kind of had the same prosthetic and big skirt and everything. It was definitely a learning curve, but once I got there, then I would test the boundaries. I could, you know, jump off the pod. I was comfortable. I knew where my feet would be into the skirt, but there were definitely challenges for sure.
Q: After a few years, you got to portray Elsa, which I consider to be THE Disney on Ice role. Do you remember what your reaction was the first time you got told, 'hey, next show you're Elsa.'
A: I do. I completely agree that I think Elsa is definitely their iconic role. Her character and her story are obviously so inclined for the ice and an ice show. As a single skater and as a taller skater, you know, pairs and things of that nature, I dabbled a little bit. I was lucky to get to learn some things, but it was not going to be my life. It was not going to be my wheelhouse. I knew that. That was fine. But so being a singles skater and taller skater, Elsa really is the role.
I was an understudy, and I think that was an amazing opportunity. I never want to take away from the skaters who were the principle performer. But I remember the process of, I would, we call it presenting when you're auditioning for another piece. So I presented it, got feedback, reworked it, presented it again, got feedback, reworked it. And there were a handful of us that were all kind of in the same boat of trying to get approved and trying to be show ready. It was surreal. It was so exciting. In Philadelphia, when they told me to go in for the first time and it was the holidays, so I had just had some people watching and they had all left early the next day. Believe our principle was out so we needed to get the rotation to cover for her and my TD was like, 'All right. This is it. You're in." And I was like what? Like my parents just filmed. Like this would've been so cool.
But it was crazy. It was surreal. I mean, you've seen all of the shows and when she first comes out and the snow is coming down. Everybody's looking at you. 'Oh my God. Oh my God. Like I really, I'm really doing this.' I mean, if I'm being honest, the first time that I did it was -- we're our own worst critics -- like in my opinion, wasn't great. But you learn, you get better.
But certainly it was surreal. The kids sing "Let it Go." Like, it's loud. It's exciting because it is that moment, right? Just you on the ice. Like you grow up being the only one [on the ice] when you compete, but in the show there are group numbers and as an ensemble skater, you're always with other people.
It's definitely one of the things I'm most proud of, becoming an understudy. You kind of get knocked down, built back better, get the feedback and I can correct. And we're always our own worst critic, but I look at videos from a couple of times I did it and I'm like, I wish I could do it again.
Q: That's incredible. And I know how I feel every time I see it. So I can only imagine how it feels for you.
A: I think back for myself. I got off the road because of COVID. We were sent home for 'just a couple of weeks' at the time. And I've now been home for five years. I've now been home for longer than I was on tour, which is crazy. But I think back and I'm like, I wish I could do it one more time. I wish I could do "Let it Go" one more time.
Q: When I was looking through your history, one of the things that came up was your 2018 in-show performance. And before I get into the actual performance, can you just explain for my audience what in-shows are? Because I don't think most people know.
A: SURE. So like I said, presentations are what we usually call like auditioning is kind of the best way to explain it for an understudy position, or it's just kind of put yourself out there for maybe future opportunities once you're already hired. And that's typically in the beginning of the season. And then you can present via video or whatever, like as the season goes on.
At the end of the season, we would do what's called in-shows, which is kind of just like an exhibition within the cast and the crew as well, because they would do a lot of creative things with lighting and sound and get to explore things that are outside of their regular day-to-day show as well. Some skaters will focus more on the choreography side and choreographing group numbers. Sometimes it would be to Disney music. Like if there was a new movie coming out or something, they would try their hand at something new. Sometimes they'd be kind of parody. Sometimes they would be funny, kind of spoofs, almost, of things that are in the show.
And sometimes it would be music that's completely non-show related. From the crew perspective, it was just a chance to kind of have fun, do something different. And just, it was a very supportive environment always. I think that's one of my favorite things about tour. Whether it was an open-ice practice session after a long show day, or it was presentations at the beginning of the year or in-shows at the end of the year, everybody cheers for everybody. Everybody gets so excited and everybody's a hype girl. Which I think is one of the most fun things that I remember thinking back.
Q: In 2018, you did your in-show as a duet with Tay Steele set to "For Good" from Wicked. I'm just curious how you came up with that and what it meant to share the ice with another woman in really such an emotional song.
A: TAYLOR, who I know you know, is definitely a very special friend that I made on tour. And it was kind of funny because she tells the story, honestly, probably better than I do. My first year I was 18 and new and terrified and excited and all of the things. And I remember, you know, she's principle, she's spectacular. She's gorgeous. She's all these things. And I remember being like, I didn't want to get in her way. I didn't want to step on her toes. Like I'd move my stuff over. 'Oh, I'm so sorry. Have more room. You have it.' And I remember her finally being like, 'what's the matter with you? We can just be friends. You don't have to be like so cautious.' So that was kind of a funny journey to friendship for us over the course of my first year. I had an injury my first year. I broke my hand and was home for six weeks and came back. And I remember really connecting with her more, I think after that. Like she would help me tie my skates because my poor little hand was still kind of like not at full capacity.
So much happened in that tour that we really grew closer. The in-show you're referring to was my second year of tour. And I want to say Taylor had the idea. I don't think I should take credit for the idea. It's definitely her idea. We wanted to skate together. We wanted to do something together that'd be fun and different. Cause like I said, she's a principle pair skater. I was an ensemble single skater. It's an opportunity to skate with somebody that you wouldn't necessarily always be in the same number with. She really wanted to do that song. I remember being super into it, super excited because at that point we were much closer and very good friends. And it was just really a nod to our friendship, and I think to things that had brought us closer together over the course of, it was my first two years of tour, it was longer in tour for her. But it was so fun and so special the way we did the program. We each kind of had a step out, like a solo moment and then we would come back together. And it's been kind of a joke over the course of our friendship that she really hates hugs. So the end pose was a hug. It was my doing and I thought it was hilarious. So every time I see her -- it's been longer than I wish it's been, but we do keep up -- and every time I do see her, I'm like, Oh, gotta get a hug in.
Q: That's incredible. As you mentioned COVID brought an unexpected end to your career with Disney on Ice. I know a lot of skaters ended up going back when the tours resumed. What was your thought process behind deciding, 'you know what I'm done with that part of my life.'
A: FOR me, 32 was in Asia in 2020 when COVID started, which is my favorite thing to tell people. They go 'Oh my God, that's crazy.'
It was coming up on the end of my fourth year. I had kind of been on the fence about whether I would pursue a fifth year or not. It was really down to where the show was going. I felt ready to maybe go home and pursue school. I felt like I knew from the beginning that it's always what I wanted to do, but I was probably not going to be the person who was on tour for the rest of my life. People do it for 10, 12, 15, 18 years. And I think that's beautiful and amazing, but I knew that after my first year, I was like, 'yes, I definitely want to do this, it's huge chapter of my life, but it's not my entire life for 15-plus years. So I was already on the fence.
I, of course, had been leaning toward another year because 32 was supposed to be going to Europe. So who says no to that? But when we got off and we came home, my boyfriend and I had been together for four years, primarily long distance. He was in the army at the time and also on the cusp of 'like, am I going to stay in, am I going to get out, what are we doing?' So it just kind of made sense, I think as a couple to move forward into a new chapter. He was still in the army for another year, so I could have pursued going back on the road. But I knew I wanted to come back to school, I knew I wanted to start coaching. I think by the time they started to come back with touring, so much had already happened. Life moved on.
I definitely wish that I could have experienced my last show. There's all sorts of fun things we do for people's last show. You know, we'd all sign cards and get the little tunnel for your last show and everyone cheers, kind of emotional things. I think in some sense, it made the decision easier. Life did move on. I didn't have to sit there and deliberate. The reality is that no matter when you leave, you're going to miss the chance to skate a character again. You're going to miss going to some country. You've got to jump off at some point. I think for me getting on with life made it an easier decision.
Q: You mentioned you were touring in Asia at the time. What was it like getting home at that time, when COVID was hitting and travel was starting to get difficult?
A: WE came home in February of 2020 and it hadn't quite hit here in the U.S. I think more until March. So coming home, I remember people being like, 'what do you mean?' Like they weren't aware of it, it hadn't really hit home quite yet. We had already played China in the fall. And I remember my dad being really my parents, especially my dad being like, 'you've got to have good masks. You can't breathe that in.' He ordered me an industrial size pack of N95 masks, and I was like, dad, that was too much,' but guess who had an industrial size pack of masks at the start of the pandemic!
I still have them in my suitcase and I remember talking to my parents flying home and my dad was like, you know, you should probably wear one of those on the flight. It was kind of scary in the sense of just like unknown. You know, is it just like a cold, you know, some people would say. Is it deadly? Who has it? Do you know if someone has it? I mean, we weren't in to the pandemic here in the U.S. the way that we eventually go.
We were in Indonesia and the next place we were supposed to go was Hong Kong, which in February of 2020 was having a bit of a flare where it was starting to spread. So they were like 'nope, go home, we'll bring you back in a couple weeks.' I remember I wore the mask all the way home and I don't really remember anybody wearing a mask on the plane. I looked crazy, but better safe than sorry.
It was definitely kind of sad, but not a single one of us thought that we weren't coming back. It seemed like, 'Oh, we're just going to skip [Hong Kong] and then we'll be back.' We were all talking and it was like 'oh, yeah, see you in a few weeks,' and some of those people I haven't seen in five years. Most of the people I haven't seen in five years. We keep up a little bit here and there. But nobody thought it would be the end of the tour or the end of some people's careers for sure.
Q: After things sort of got back to normal, you started school, you've taken up coaching, but you also got to skate at Busch Gardens, which is pretty close to home for you. So what was that like, still skating professionally, but not having to travel and being so close to home where people could come see you?
A: THAT was the perfect heartbreak aide, I think, for being so initially devastated that I didn't get to wrap everything. That I didn't get to do something a little bit better. Like, I wish that the last time was a bit perfect, or, you know, whatever.
I did Busch Gardens in the holiday season of 2021, 2022 and 2023. I picked up with it the first year that it came back. And I had gotten involved with that because I had met Gladys Orozco, Elvis Stojko’s wife. A phenomenal person, skater, choreographer, and all of the things. She was a Disney on ice performer for a long time, and she had done breakwork on 32 as our live host in Mexico which was where I connected with her.
I reached out, I heard it was coming back and it was the perfect fit. It was an amazing experience. It tied up all of the loose ends that I didn't get to tie up, with Disney and with touring. And as amazing as [Disney on Ice] was, I will always be grateful I was able to accomplish that, the tour can be taxing. You're away from your family, you're gone all the time. [Christmas Town] was just, it was the perfect true end to my show career.
I got to have some of [the kids that I coach] play my kids in the show. That was really special. So all the way around, those three holiday seasons, I think gave me the perfect closure that I didn't get on tour because of COVID. So I'm very, very grateful, and having it be so close to home was so cool.
My first year on tour, we played Richmond, which is where I broke my hand during a show. And I skated both the shows the next day because I refused to believe it was broken. I'm like, 'it's fine. I have people coming, my whole club is coming, I'm fine, I'm not sitting out.' It was very much broken. So some combination of denial and adrenaline kept me convinced that it was just a bruise. We traveled to Buffalo and on a day off I finally had to admit defeat and fly straight back home.
My second year of tour, that I was on the new show, the true East Coast tour, and it was the first and I think only time that the brand new show didn’t play Hampton. Every year before, the three years after, the show would come to Hampton, Virginia, which is like 15 minutes down the road from me, except the year that I was on it.
I was able to skate in Busch Gardens which is in Williamsburg, which is like 30 minutes from where I am. It was so much fun. And my family got to come. It was fun. And actually re-connecting with skaters from tour. A couple of years, we had skaters who I had worked with and were part of the cast. So it was just the perfect like circle, closure, just everything perfect.
Q: That is so cool. And as you mentioned at the start and you brought up again, you do coaching now. How fulfilling is it to be able to help a skater reach their personal goals like you were able to do in your own career?
A: OH, it's the best. I love it. I'd done a little coaching here and there, but when I came home from COVID is really when I started coaching more like a big girl, a big girl coach as a real job. To be able to work with so many different people, so many different ages, I love it. It's so fulfilling. And it was such a good reminder that skating is for absolutely anybody. I have some skaters who are older, I have little ones, I have some teenagers and just kind of meet everybody where they are and help them achieve whatever their goals are, whether they match what my goals were or not. Just being on that side of things and just being their cheerleader and their support, and just kind of like a mentor.
For myself, my coach is part of my family. I always joke they're my life coach as well. I think having that ability to positively impact all skaters that I work with, whether it takes a year or their whole life or anything in between, I think is really special.
And I love coaching theater on ice. I have really fabulous coaches for that. It's kind of new for me to tie in my show skating past with coaching. I'm also our Learn To Skate coordinator. So I do the schedule and the new customer outreach. So I love it, the bigger the program can be, the better. The more people who can get on the ice. I just want everybody to experience it.
Q: I just got started in my skating career at age 45. So like you said, it really is for everyone.
A: I think adult skaters are honestly where it's at. I love the adults. I was telling you when we first got on, I have a special place in my heart for the little ones. I enjoy that age group very, very much. But I think adults are phenomenal and deserve all the praise in the world. To start something as honestly terrifying as ice skating, at an age where you know it's terrifying. Cause when you're four, you don't. You're like, 'this is great. It's fine. I just fell on my face. I'm fine.' I think adult skaters are amazing and I love, love, love working with them. That is so cool.
Q: All right. If you're up for it, I want to do a little quick lightning round here.
A: Sure!
Q: Favorite move of yours to perform on the ice?
A: Spiral or Ina Bauer.
Q: Favorite city you ever visited on the road?
A: Anything in Japan. Every city in Japan was phenomenal.
Q: Favorite Disney on Ice costume to wear?
A: Lady Tremaine. Okay. Hands down. Just because it's so unique. I mean it is such a kind of animal in its own right.
Q: All time favorite Disney song?
A: "Let it Go." Definitely.
Q: All time favorite Disney movie?
A: Honestly, “Moana.”
Q: All time favorite figure skating movie?
A: “Ice Princess.”
Q: There are six types of jumps in figure skating. Loop, toe loop, flip, salchow, lutz, and axel. Which one is your most hated?
A: Loop. Okay. Easy. I hate loop. And everybody's like, 'it's the easiest. You just stay on your right side.' I've always hated it. And I think I always will. And I don't know why. Like I can do it. It's fine. But I do not like it.
Q: Fair enough. And last but not least, one piece of advice that you would give to anyone starting out in skating?
A: To be persistent. Skating's not always easy. And to make sure you're doing it because you want to do it. That you're always skating for yourself.
Q: Awesome. Well, thank you so much. This has been incredible.
A: Thank you for including me. I wasn't a principal. I'm not a pair skater. I wasn't an Olympian, but definitely skating for Disney On Ice is what I always knew I wanted to do. So even though now I'm shifting gears that I'm in grad school and everything, it's still the hugest part of my life.
I think everyone universally adores Japan 🤣🫶Great interview. I loved the part about “how am I going to skate in all these clothes” 👏