Disney skater puts podiatry career on ice
LAURA MONACHINO is the only Kiwi in Disney on Ice’s Dare to Dream show, which arrives in New Zealand next week. An ensemble skater, she has been with the company just six weeks.
How do you get a job like this?
‘‘I had a friend I used to skate with in Orlando, Florida, who joined the tour. On her last tour she came to Auckland so I was asking her about what her life was like, what it’s like on the road. She’d had a live audition in Florida, but I had to put together an audition tape, send in my skating resume and I got offered a contract on this show.’’
What were you doing before?
‘‘I completed a bachelor’s degree in podiatry: it’s very different but it is lower-limb related. My mum is a physio and we have our own health clinic in Greenlane, Auckland. I haven’t offered any advice yet [to her fellow dancers], which is kinda bad.’’
What’s next?
‘‘I want to stay on this show. What tends to happen is skaters stay on the same show for a year or so, then they can audition for an understudy role or for a different show that goes somewhere else in the world. It will be interesting to see what offers come my way – I’ve got no answers yet.
‘‘I am very excited to perform in Auckland. My mum has a whole list of people who want to get tickets. It’s kind of special when you get to play at home.’’
What’s your sports background?
‘‘I lived in Florida for five years from 11 to 15 and trained in Orlando under Olympic-level coaches. I came back to New Zealand and kept skating competitively, and got to junior world level but I struggled with a bad injury and finished competing in 2009. Mum said I should start thinking about education so I got UE and went into podiatry: I wanted to do something similar but not exactly the same as Mum.’’
How have you adapted to the lifestyle?
‘‘I’m starting to feel more comfortable. It is very different to a normal job. I don’t miss sitting in traffic every day, but I miss driving my car, going to work. I guess you want what you can’t have. You take your groceries back to the hotel and usually there’s a fridge, but you’re lucky if there’s a kitchen. I’d love to stay with this for a while because it is such a great way to see the world.’’