Vicky and James Black on the ice. Photograph courtesy of Disney On Ice
We’re well aware that not all of you are harboring Disney princess fantasies when it comes to your wedding day, but we still thought this was a pretty cute story. Turns out that the skaters who play Cinderella and Prince Charming in Disney On Ice’s Dare to Dream show (playing at the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore until Sunday) are married to each other. And because we’re basically eight years old at heart, we jumped at the chance to chat with a real-life princess and prince—Vicky and James Black (she’s originally from Northern Ireland; he’s from Caistor, England). Here are some snippets from our conversation:
How did you get started skating?
Vicky: I started when I was seven—I went to the rink with a friend of mine and took to it like a duck to water.
James: I first skated at a friend’s birthday party. I wasn’t very good, but I enjoyed the freedom and the fun of it, and it just progressed from there.
How did you meet?
Vicky: When we were about 15 or 16, we were both on the national skating team for Great Britain. We dated as teenagers, but then our lives went in different directions. We were apart for about four years before we got back together. We realized that what we had was special and that any other relationship just didn’t compare.
How did you get involved with Disney on Ice?
Vicky: I’ve been in a few shows with Disney on Ice: I started out in the ensemble for two years, then I played the Blue Fairy from Pinocchio, and then I started playing Cinderella.
James: When we got back together, I was kind of done with competing, so it seemed like a natural progression. We were engaged before I came on the road with her.
Did you have a Disney-themed wedding?
Vicky: No, we decided against that. We tried to stay away from anything Disney-related at our wedding, though it did come up in some of the speeches. We made it our own fairy tale.
How does it feel to perform such iconic roles?
James: You can tell by the looks on people’s faces in the crowd how iconic the roles are—all these little girls come dressed as Cinderella, but their parents and grandparents love the story, too. It’s a really special role to play.
Vicky: For me, it’s wonderful to play this role with the person I love most—I really feel we bring the fairy tale to life. We bring a sense of truth to the characters that adds another layer to it.
How are you similar to or different from your characters?
Vicky: Well, I don’t really have a rags-to-riches story, and I didn’t have a horrible stepmother—but I do like to clean! And I’m blonde.
James: I’ve been told I’m charming. I also like that Prince Charming seems to be pretty down-to-earth. I feel like I’m pretty easygoing.
What’s the weirdest, craziest, or most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to you on the ice?
Vicky: The nature of live entertainment is you’re always going to have strange things happen. People fall, lifts don’t go up, or there’s a costume malfunction, but I don’t think anything really embarrassing has ever happened.
James: Well, it is pretty slippery out there.
For more information on the Dare to Dream show (a great pre-wedding bonding outing for you and your flower girl!), visit the Disney on Ice Web site.
