Disney on Ice presents Frozen & Encanto will make its Miami appearance April 24 through 28 at Watsco Center at University of Miami. The ice skating spectacle features crazy stunts and amazing athleticism all through the prism of Disney animated wholesomeness. One of the skaters, Tiffany Beranger, has Miami roots and stepped on to the Jitney to answer our questions.
Who are you playing in Disney on Ice?
Tiffany Beranger: I’m Dolores from Encanto. She’s the sister with super hearing.
How did you get into ice skating?
My Dad was a speed skater. I found his skates in his closet at four. They’re quite different from normal ice skates with long blades and short boots. I asked him, “how could you skate and balance on knives?” He took me to the rink and showed me how to skate. I had good balance and was passionate. At six years old I started competing.
Was it hard ice skating in Miami?
I grew up in Kendall. I trained at Kendall Ice Arena and the sister rink Pines Ice Arena. People don’t realize there are eight rinks in South Florida.
How many hours a day did you train?
When I first started I also did dance and modelling. I had to choose what I wanted to do. Since figure skating had elements of dance, but I could also defy gravity I decided to do that. Plus I loved coming up with costume concepts. But to answer your question I’d train six to eight hours a day when there’s no school. My rink was right by my high school, so school days I walked to the rink after school and skate from 2-8.
How did you end up on Disney on Ice?
I moved to Orlando for college. When COVID hit I was coaching and I knew other coaches who did Disney on Ice. With my passion for choreography and rhythm they thought I’d love going on tour. They happened to be looking for a Tiana from The Princess and the Frog. I’m the originator of Dolores. Disney on Ice is diverse so there’s been multiple opportunities for me. I even played Ham from Toy Story.
How did you prepare for the role of Dolores?
In rehearsal I was given a lot of free rein. I studied the movie (Encanto) and saw details to bring her to life. In the film I noticed she covers her ears because of fireworks. It’s not because she’s scared, but it hurts her because she hears so much. So in loud moments in the show I try to show her ears hurting. We had six weeks to prepare and we’ve done 400 shows so I’ve had a lot of time to get to know her.
Are you doing any of the crazy stunts?
I understudy for Isabella who does aerial work. She flies up in the air. I think 33 feet. I continue to do aerial training. I was intrigued to fly in the air with my skates.
What should audiences expect at Disney on Ice?
This is a very unique show. Others have multiple segments of multiple characters. This one has Olaf narrating our first act. We go through the entire story of Frozen. The second act is a full storytelling of Encanto. A few extra Disney characters make an appearance.
Are you going to have a big cheering section at the Tiffany Beranger homecoming show?
My coach is bring some students. I’ll have some friends and family coming out to see the show too.
