DisneyLand Paris Performing Arts onStage Programme
In August 2017, I was given the opportunity to dance at Disneyland Paris as part of the Performing Arts OnStage Programme, thanks to Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras is a company that organises performances and events all across the world.
As part of my dance school, I was invited to be part of the audition, which we chaired out a year prior. There was around 40 of us who were part of the audition, ranging from age 7-16. For the audition, we had to do a 20-minute performance, with certain songs that met the guidelines set out by Disney and Mardi Gras themselves. The way that this was arranged was that there were 6 different songs as part of the set, two in the beginning featuring all the performers, one with the youngest performers, one for the juniors and one for the seniors, and then a finale at the end again featuring all performers. We worked on these performances for a year, before taking them to the Sunderland Empire to film, and also do a performance.
After this, we waited only a couple of months before we got the go ahead for Disney. We were told that they were very picky, and we all need to be part of the “Disney Look”. We are all judged individually, so there was certain performers who they thought would look the part, but out of the performers that were chosen, a 10% allowance was given, so this allowed us to take all the people who auditioned. After this point, and doing the dances for over a year, we decided to change the entire set, and give it more of a theme, plus some songs weren’t appropriate, so it was best to change. We did still stick to the 6 song list, allowing all performers their chance to shine on stage.
The August quickly rolled around and before we knew it, we were jetting off to DisneyLand Paris. The trip was offered as a package holiday, including hotel and park tickets, the only thing we had to arrange were flights, and there were a number of us who get the same flights. We flew from Newcastle at 6am on August 1st (trust me, the 3:45am start was hard!), so we arrived in Charles de Gaulle Airport just after 9am. From travelling to Disney from Charles de Gaulle before, we found that it is easiest to get the Magic Shuttle, dropping you off right outside your hotel, and it’s only €47 return, making it much cheaper than a taxi. Plus it is much more of a magical experience, because everyone is so excited to be there.
As part of the package, we were staying at Hotel Cheyenne, a hotel I had never stayed in before. The theming was amazing, as is with all the Disney hotels, and Toy Story is one of my favourite films, so I was very happy to be staying in this hotel. Unlike other hotels like Newport Bay and Sequoia Lodge where all the rooms are part of one building, Hotel Cheyenne is split in 24 smaller blocks, with the majority of the performers staying in block 24, Calamity Jane.
*insert image of use outside Calamity Jane*
Baggage drop is a wonderful thing, because as we arrived early, we couldn’t get into the room, but we wanted to make the most of the parks. I’d last gone to DLP when I was 9, so after 8 years, a lot had changed, and there were many rides (especially Ratatouille) that I wanted to experience. Being one of the biggest Disney fans were, I obviously ran into the packs, dressed head to toe in Disney gear, obviously not forgetting the ears. We were performing the next day, so the fireworks were a no go.
Breakfast was served in the Chuck Wagon Café (I don’t know whether it is still served in here it there were renovations taking place at the time, so it might have been moved here, or they were giving out breakfast vouchers for another hotel). The group was meeting outside Marne le Valle train station at 8am, so it was an early start to get costumes stored, hair and makeup done and getting the shuttle to the meeting point (walking is just too slow when you have an 8am start!) The backstage Disney people took us and the other group who was performing with us (they were from Spain), to the theatre we were performing in. This was the Videopolis theatre in Tommorowland, it hides just next to Buzz Lightyear’s Lazer Blast and behind Space Mountain. We were taken to the stage, and given a health and safety tour, and given an idea of how big the stage will be, so staging could be changed if necessary. Then we were left to get into our costumes, until we were called to the stage. It’s a nervous wait, but we were all so excited. Even though our changing room was small, we were able to fit in one last practice before the show itself. For the juniors and seniors, there was a quick change of only a couple of minutes, where we had to change out of tutus, leotards and take out bows, to change these to unitards, tutus and head bands, all in heels may I add! The morning went so quick, and in a blink of an eye, the show was over. I don’t even remember specific details, because it all happens so quickly, and after two years of work, its done. But I will always be proud of the fact I can say that I have performed at DisneyLand Paris, and it’s a memory I will never forget. I have always been a fan of Disney, but this really consolidated the fact that this is a company I aim to work with for as long as I can. This also prompted visiting Disney every year during the summer, as I visited last year (more details to follow in another post), and I’m also planning on visiting again this year. I am lucky that I am in a fortunate position to be able to visit Disney this much, and I will always give credit to this experience. For that, I am eternally grateful.
DisneyGirlRebecca 