Disney on Ice skater back on home ice as Aladdin

Brendyn Hatfield, who learned to skate on local rinks, portrays Aladdin for the Disney on Ice show.

Brendyn and Jessica Hatfield are members of the Disney on Ice cast performing this week in Everett. Brendyn Hatfield learned how to ice skate in Snohomish County. (Submitted photo)

Brendyn and Jessica Hatfield are members of the Disney on Ice cast performing this week in Everett. Brendyn Hatfield learned how to ice skate in Snohomish County. (Submitted photo)

EVERETT — He’s Aladdin on the ice.

And though he’s a professional now, Brendyn Hatfield fondly remembers his early training in Snohomish County.

Hatfield is back this week to perform in the Disney on Ice show “Follow Your Heart” through Sunday at Xfinity Arena. His wife, Jessica Hatfield, also is his partner on the ice. She portrays Jasmine in the Aladdin segment of “Follow Your Heart.”

Hatfield, 32, grew up in Renton, but learned to skate at OlympicView Arena in Mountlake Terrace and the Lynnwood Ice Center.

“At the time there were few ice rinks around,” Hatfield said. “My grandparents were living in Marysville then. They’re the ones who got me into skating.”

The late Ed Johnson and Marylou Davis-Johnson, now of Auburn, put Brendyn in a learn-to-skate program at the early age of 6. He skated locally and then in regional competitions.

“At age 12, I got serious,” Hatfield said. “I did homeschooling and then Running Start in order to have the time to compete.”

At the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Hatfield studied media management and he began skating in pairs competitions. After college, he participated in several European tours and then got a job touring with Disney on Ice. That’s where he met his wife.

Each Disney tour has a new story line, but this is the second time Jessica and Brendyn have skated the roles of Jasmine and Aladdin.

“We enjoy performing with Disney,” Hatfield said. “The kids idolize the Disney characters. You look out into the audience and you see these kids who are just glowing. To them we are those characters. It’s fun to act as well as do all the technical skating tricks.”

The show is a good one for parents and grandparents as well, Hatfield said.

“Lots of the characters are the beloved ones from Disney’s beginnings. So you have Mickey Mouse and then some of the Disney-Pixar characters,” he said. “And then, of course, there’s ‘Frozen,’ which is the perfect meld of character, theme and ice.”

With back-to-back performances, the cast sometimes gets fatigued.

“We talk about this off stage. We can be exhausted from the schedule, but even if just one kid recognizes you, it’s much easier to perform. It may sound cliche, but so true.”

The Hatfields said they would like to be included on a Disney on Ice tour that makes the rounds internationally.

“No matter what, we’ll be doing this as long as we can,” Hatfield said. “We are very happy.”

Disney on Ice: Follow Your Heart

Xfinity Arena, Hewitt and Broadway, Everett.

7 p.m. Nov. 9 and 10; 11:30 a.m., 3:30 and 7 p.m. Nov. 11; 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Nov. 12.

For tickets, which range in price, call 866-332-8499 or go to xfinityarenaeverett.com.

Talk to us

More in Life

Keith Stocker poses for a portrait at Stocker Farms in Snohomish, Washington on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Snohomish tree farm brings Christmas spirit, one seedling at a time

At Stocker Farms, it can take a decade to grow the perfect tree. All you have to do is pick the right one.

Collius_boys.jpg: Carolea’s father Collius (Jay Jenkins, center) has selected Ambrosius (Ian Wight, right) as his choice for his daughter, but she is in love with Nectarean (Josias Allestad) in Red Curtain’s production of “A MidWinter Night’s Dream,” Dec. 1-23.
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

”A Midwinter Night’s Dream” opens Friday at Red Curtain Arts Center in Marysville.

Siblings Qingyun, left, and Ruoyun Li, 12 and 13, respectively, are together on campus at Everett Community College on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, in Everett, Washington. The two are taking a full course load at the community college this semester. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Siblings, age 12 and 13, are youngest students at EvCC campus

Qingyun Li was 11 when he scored a perfect 36 on the ACT test. His sister, Ruoyun, was one point away.

A family walks through the Wintertide lights Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022, at Legion Park in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Wintertide Lights returns for the month of December in Everett

The free family event is open nightly at Evergreen Arboretum and Gardens in Legion Park.

Boomerang-shaped daytime running lights are a standout feature of the 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid compact SUV. (Kia)
2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid just might have it all

The compact SUV delivers the goods on desirable qualities.

Viking promised him a flight, but now it’s asking for another $600

Brent Richter books a Viking cruise from Barcelona to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but now the cruise line wants another $600 from him. Can he get a refund, or does he have to pay?

Rick Steves’ Europe: Oslo’s seafaring sights evoke the Viking spirit

Anyone with Viking ancestry can enjoy a shiver of adrenaline sailing across the Oslofjord to Bygdøy.

Early 20th century Puffy lamps don’t need to be on to brighten up a room

With three-dimensional designs painted on the shade, lamps like this don’t need darkness to provide decorative value.

Great Plant Pick: Heritage birch

also called white bark river birch, or betula… Continue reading

2024 Hyundai Kona Limited FWD (Hyundai)
2024 Hyundai Kona Limited FWD

The Hyundai Kona Limited has been updated for the 2024 model year, but thankfully, retains its quirkiness.

The 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness comes with raised ladder-type roof rails and Yokohama Geolandar all-terrain tires. (Subaru)
2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness gives the compact more capability

Upgraded suspension, 9.3 inches of ground clearance and a reengineered drivetrain are among the changes.

The Vienna State Opera hosts performances in the evening and tours during the day. (Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli)
Rick Steves’ Europe: Exploring the musical soul of Austria

In Vienna, there are always plenty of ways to enjoy great music … on any budget.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.