For eleven years local skater Brendon Sword has been travelling the world with Disney on Ice, having performed in 30 different countries around the world. Most Disney on Ice (DOI) skaters are between the ages of 18-55 years old, and the constant travel, and visiting a new city almost every week is not for everyone, but it’s a lifestyle that Brendon loves. Originally from Dundas, 29 year old Brendon is back in town this week to appear in Disney on Ice’s newest show, Passport to Adventure, which is being presented at the FirstOntario Centre from March 16-19th.
Starting out skating at the Dundas Figure Skating Club when he was 5 years old, Brendon’s parents originally introduced him to figure skating lessons because he had an abundance of energy. As he explains, “I was lucky when growing up because I wasn’t bullied for my skating. People were very supportive of it. In high school [Parkside] I trained a lot in the morning, and then went to school in the afternoons.”
Competitive skating was Brendon’s life as a teenager, and at the age of 19 he joined Disney on Ice, after one of his coaches sent a video to the company. “I’ve gone to DOI shows and loved to see the characters come to life. It was nice when Disney came to us, since not everyone can travel to Disney World. It was always a tradition to go to the show during March Break.” In 2006 when Disney on Ice was in town, he had a live audition and a couple of months later got a contract, and has been with them every since.
In the current DOI show, Passport to Adventure, Brendon is an ensemble skater and also plays Mr. Snee, Captain Hook’s right hand man, in the Peter Pan segment of the show. Along with the pirate production he enjoys comedic roles and also the Under the Sea production with its vibrant costumes and colours. As a line captain in the ensemble Brendon has to keep the counts for all the routines and meet with the performance director.
He is looking forward to performing to a home town audience as his friends and family will be out to see the shows, and he also gets to stay with his parents, instead of a hotel, and unwind with friends and family.
Brendon met his wife while performing on the show and together they have had many outstanding experiences around the world, due to their careers with DOI. South America stands out as a favourite place to perform because as Brendon explains, the audiences are so amazing. “The people are so excited and so loud that sometimes you can’t hear the music, so that really inspires us.” Spending time in Australia, and South Africa also stand out for Brendon, who was able to go on safari with his wife, while in South Africa.
To those who might envision a career as a skater, Brendon has some words of advice, which apply to anyone with a specific career goal. “If you want to achieve your goal you have to keep pushing. Here I am 11 years later and still growing as a person in my career. Never give up, work hard and it does pay off. Working with DOI has taught me about leadership and I can take what I’ve learned and transfer it to a future career.”
Good luck to Brandon on his upcoming performances and keep an eye out for Mr. Snee when you see the show!
Performance Schedule:
Thursday, March 16 – 2pm & 7pm
Friday, March 17 – 2pm & 7pm
Saturday, March 18 – 11am, 3pm & 7pm
Sunday, March 19 – 11am & 3pm
Tickets for Disney On Ice presents Passport to Adventure start at $15. All seats are reserved, and tickets are available at www.disneyonice.ca, www.ticketmaster.ca, by calling 1-855-985-5000, or at the FirstOntario Centre Box Office.