Brendyn and Jessica Hatfield’s marriage isn’t typical. But it sure is a fairy tale.
Call them Aladdin and Jasmine, if you will, because that’s exactly who they are playing in the upcoming Disney on Ice’s “Follow Your Heart.”
The ice skating show, includes characters from Finding Dory, Inside Out and other fan favorites, is making a stop in Kent from in November.
Brendyn, who grew up in Fairwood, said working with his wife on the show has been “really fun.” Jessica agreed, and added that skating with her significant other is “a really special experience.”
“We’re playing a prince and princess in love. We’d like to think we can convince the audience with out skating that we’re actually in love, because we really love,” Jessica said. “But it takes a lot of trust. The tricks we do are a little bit dangerous, so we have to fully trust each other. It helps that we’re married and we already trust each other to the fullest. It’s really fun to share the experience with each other.”
The couple met in Holland when they were hired to work in the same company in 2009. Jessica recounts the story of one day noticing Brendyn’s haircut and commenting on it.
“I say that’s the first day I noticed him. We’ve been talking ever since, and we’ve been together ever since then,” she said.
Deciding to be life partners also meant they were going to be skate partners. Since both of them came from solo skating backgrounds, learning to pair skate did come as a challenge at first.
“We wanted to get hired together, since we were getting married and in a serious relationship. It’s easier to get hired together if you train as a pair team,” said Jessica.
Their hard work to perfect their pair skating paid off when they were hired to be part of Disney on Ice three years ago. Brendyn and Jessica are the original cast members of “Follow Your Heart,” and have seen the show take its form and shape.
“We got to be part of the current show right from the start, from the ground up. We got to see the idea become an ice show, which is pretty cool,” said Brendyn.
An ice skating show of this nature requires performers to not only perfect their technical work, but also embody the popular characters completely. Brendyn, who comes from a competitive skating background, said he found characterization to be difficult at first.
“Even in the past shows, I didn’t really have a character. For Disney on Ice, we have to research the characters — what ware their mannerisms, what are their personalities, etc. as much as we can. While we’re performing these tricks, we have to portray the personality of that character,” he said.
He described Aladdin’s mannerisms to be that of a “street rat.”
“(His movements) are bold and brave. Where as Prince Charming from Cinderella is more regal. Just the way you stand is different,” Brendyn explained.
Jessica described Jasmine as a strong princess.
“In our number, we do a lot of acrobatic tricks in it. That’s my favorite part — to be a character and be recognized by the audience as the character, and do the acrobatic tricks in the middle of it,” she said.
While their on-screen — or rather on-ice — chemistry is strong, the couple said working together has made their relationship even stronger.
“We’ve done lots of shows together, we’ve worked on a cruise ship together, and we get along so well…. You feel like you can make it through anything,” said Jessica. “It’s made our relationship stronger. It’s also all we’ve ever known. I don’t know what to expect when we’ll get off the road in the future. Being in a typical marriage is an exciting thought, just like how for other people traveling together is exciting.”
You can see Brendyn and Jessica in Disney on Ice’s “Follow Your Heart” at the ShoWare Center, 625 W James St, Kent. Shows on Nov. 1, 2, 3 and 6 is 7 p.m. Shows on Nov. 4 and 5 are at 11:30 a.m., 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased at http://showare.centerkent.com or by calling 866-973-9613.
