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Skater is living her dream with the Disney On Ice tour
By John Benson
Some people spend their entire lives searching for their true calling. Then there’s Jonna Malinowski, who at age 4 saw her first Disney On Ice production and, well, knew exactly what she wanted to do.
“It’s always been my dream,” said Malinowski, calling from Molline, Ill. “Actually, after seeing Disney On Ice, my parents took me to a public skate session where they were holding my hand. I guess I let go of their hand and just darted around the ice. They were like, ‘Oh, I think we may need to put her in lessons.’ That’s how I got started.”
The passion that started for Malinowski as a preschooler never stopped. In fact, after graduating high school, while her classmates were in college orientation classes, the precocious 18-year-old skater joined Disney On Ice and never looked back.
“I just felt like so cool, like when everybody was going off to school and I was going off to Disney On Ice and getting to do what I’ve always dreamed of doing,” Malinowski said. “I wasn’t nervous; I just was excited.”
Over the past decade, Malinowski has appeared in five Disney On Ice productions that have taken her around the globe a couple of times. This includes her current show, Disney On Ice presents “Treasure Trove,” which comes to Covelli Centre in Youngstown from Thursday through Dec. 13.
What makes this show so unique is how different it is from most Disney On Ice productions, which are usually tailored around a certain animated feature-film story line. This production features a veritable who’s who of Disney characters coming to life. Audiences will see Peter Pan, Tinker Bell and Captain Hook in Neverland, followed by Simba, Nala, Pumbaa and Timon in the wilds of Africa.
“Disney On Ice ‘Treasure Trove’ brings together the legacy of Disney animated films all the way from the first film, ‘Snow White,’ to the 50th film, ‘Tangled,’” Malinowski said. “There’s something from every show and for every generation.’”
Malinowski is portraying the role of Tinker Bell, which it turns out is apropos considering not only her size but also her moxie.
“I love portraying that role because it’s almost like I’m being me,” Malinowski said. “She’s just a cute little sassy fairy. And I’m little myself. She’s so fun and energetic. And I’m like beyond energetic. All of the little kids just love her because she’s such an icon.”