Interview: Bryan Santiago's Passionate To Make Everyone Smile

Now at the beginnings of the DISNEY ON ICE PRESENTS WORLDS OF ENCHANTMENT national tour, Performance Director Bryan Santiago took some time from his polishing rehearsals to answer a few ICE-y questions for BroadwayWorld and myself.

Thank you for taking the time for this interview, Bryan!

Would you describe your path with DISNEY ON ICE to becoming the current performance director?

I was a professional figure skater for eight years, with three years of line captain experience prior to becoming a performance director. I was always drawn to this "side" of the ice show world. I have always loved performing in front of an audience, but I also loved having my hand in helping other performers grow. That's a big part of what I get to do in this position.

What does the functions of a performance director entail?

As a performance director, my job is to maintain the look and performance aspect of the show throughout the tour year as it was set by the director and choreographer. I deliver notes or corrections to both the cast and crew after each performance to ensure every aspect of the show is kept in top shape.

What is your usual show routine now; before, during and after a DISNEY ON ICE performance?

Before each show, I meet with the line captain team to help deliver notes to the performers. Also, if there are any performers that are unable to skate that day, I make sure that every role or spot in the production numbers is covered. During the show, I sit in the audience and take notes on both the performance and technical aspects of the show. After each show, I meet with the crew and deliver any technical notes that need to be addressed before the next performance.

Do you cover some of the skaters?

I do still skate when I have some free time before or after the shows. I don't necessarily go into the show to cover for anyone, the cast is always ready and prepared to fill in when needed.

Do you prefer being offstage overseeing the performance to actually being onstage performing? Or vice versa?

That's a tough question! This position is new to me this season. There are times when I watch the show and miss the feeling of performing in front of a huge audience. But I really do enjoy sitting back and getting to be a part of the audience and seeing the joy and happiness that the performers bring to everyone on a daily basis. Both sides are very rewarding, so it's hard to say which I prefer.

When did you start getting into choreographing your routines? In the beginning out of necessity? Or out of artistic expression preference?

I started choreographing my own routines toward the end of my competitive career. It was never out of necessity. It was definitely more out of artistic expression. I have always liked putting on my favorite music when I skate and making up different moves and just being in the moment.

How young were you when you knew you wanted to skate?

I remember watching ice skating on TV when I was very young. I remember thinking how cool it was that these people could jump and spin so gracefully. There wasn't an ice rink in my area until I turned 12. Until then, I didn't think I would ever have a chance to ice skate. As soon as that rink opened in my hometown, my grandmother started taking me after school, purely just for fun. I fell in love immediately, and everything kind of escalated from there.

Did you find your ballet training helped your competition skating? Or did you have to unlearn a few balletic techniques to skate?

I think that my prior ballet training definitely helped with getting me started with skating. Ballet taught me the importance of body awareness, balance, and creating good lines with your body. There were a few techniques that I had to "unlearn" from ballet. In dance, you learn to spin and jump in both directions. With skating, you need to be more dominate with One Direction.

Which involves more hours of sweat and dedication: ballet or skating?

Also, a tough question. They both, like with most sports, require a lot of hard work. They both took up a lot of hours in my day. In the end, skating became my love. I would skate every morning before school and every afternoon after school because it was my passion. It's hard to say which involves more hours of dedication because if you love something enough, you'll put more work into becoming better at it.

How old were you when you actually competed?

I started competing when I was 13, so just a year after I began skating.

Tell our BroadwayWorld readers what you remember about your audition with DISNEY ON ICE?

I remember being very relaxed, actually. I had auditioned shortly after my last competition, so I was very confident in my abilities. It was such a cool experience. When I arrived at the venue, I didn't know what to expect. I got to go backstage with the current performance director and see what it was like right after a performance had finished. It was fascinating getting to see all of the props and costume pieces up close. When we got onto the ice, they showed us all of these different edge exercises and they taught me what "guiding" was. Guiding is skating as a group in formation and maintaining that formation throughout all of the set choreography. It was challenging for me at first because I wasn't used to skating that close to people. I was more used to skating on my own and doing my own thing. It was a great thing to learn right off the bat. They also put on music that they wanted us to interpret. At that time, some of the performers joined us on the ice. I thought it was a blast getting to skate along with these professional skaters!

You skated with HOLIDAY ON ICE before. What did you learn from HOLIDAY that you took with you to DISNEY ON ICE?

Skating with HOLIDAY ON ICE taught me a lot about show skating in general. I opened a brand new production with them and it was an eye-opening experience. There is so much work that goes into starting a tour that the general public has no clue about. Getting to experience that my first year as a professional was very humbling. It taught me how hard you have to work to make the show look effortless. That's definitely something that I try to instill in the performers I work with now, in my position as their performance director.

When did you start touring DISNEY ON ICE PRESENTS WORLDS OF ENCHANTMENT?

I was a principal performer on this show for four years (2011-2015). This is my first year as performance director.

Where will you be touring after Southern California?

This particular tour will take us mainly throughout the West Coast of the USA and parts of Canada.

In the years touring with Disney shows, would you share your favorite audience reaction?

My favorite audience reaction was definitely after the first time I performed my solo with DISNEY ON ICE. As soon as the music ended, the audience just went wild. Being alone on the ice at that time, I knew they were all just cheering for me. It was such an amazing feeling.

Your funniest, unexpected, 'don't show them you messed up' incident?

There was one performance where I tripped and fell face first while performing a solo. Needless to say, it was embarrassing. As a professional, you learn to stand up and keep that smile on your face and act like nothing happened. I remember the audience cheered extra loud after I completed my next element, it was nice to have their support after such a silly mistake.

The 'Ah-Ha!' moment that made you say to yourself, "And this is why I'm skating!"?

I have experienced a lot of those moments. Taking the ice and having the crowd cheer for you and making you feel like a superstar is one of the most rewarding feelings. It makes all of the years of long hours on the ice worth it. I wouldn't trade those years for anything.

Who's your favorite Disney character that you have/want to perform?

I was fortunate enough to get to portray the role of Andy, from Toy Story 3, for four years with DISNEY ON ICE. It's definitely my favorite. In Toy Story 3, Andy is getting ready for to leave home for college and he has to say goodbye to his childhood. It's a character that I can relate to and I could bring real emotion to, having experienced the same type of thing when I left for my first tour as a professional skater. That role will always hold a special place in my heart.

What are your immediate goals for this production?

My goals for this tour are to help further develop the skaters in my cast and to push them to always want to be better. The cast I work with is so talented, but I think it is important to strive to try new things and further your repertoire as a performer.

What are your personal goals for Bryan Santiago?

My goal is to become a great leader and role model with DISNEY ON ICE. I want each tour that I complete as a performance director to be successful, and for my cast to finish the tour having learned something new and feel accomplished from my guidance for them throughout the tour season. Skating is and will always be my passion. I would like to be a part of this world for as long as I can.

What would you like your DISNEY ON ICE PRESENTS WORLDS OF ENCHANTMENT audiences to leave with after your skaters' final bow?

I hope that each audience member leaves with a smile on their face after every performance from DISNEY ON ICE PRESENTS WORLDS OF ENCHANTMENT. Our job is all about bringing joy to each person in the crowd. If they leave with a smile on their face; we know we did our job!

Thank you, Bryan! I look forward to seeing your work on ICE.

DISNEY ON ICE PRESENTS WORLDS OF ENCHANTMENT is performing from December 15 through January 8, 2017 in Los Angeles (STAPLES Center), Anaheim (Honda Center), Long Beach (Long Beach Arena) and Ontario (Citizens Business Bank Arena). For more info and tickets, log onto www.DisneyOnIce.com.

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