As an ice skating beginner, Isabella Brearton discovered her dream when her parents took her to a Disney on Ice show at the Delta Center. “I felt this overwhelming joy and never forgot that feeling,” said Brearton, who was about 6 years old at the time.
The show Princess Classics featured princesses like Cinderella, Jasmine and Snow White. Brearton, who grew up in South Jordan, was enthralled. She set a goal to one day become a Disney on Ice skater.
Nearly two decades later, Brearton is set to return to the arena as Princess Anna from the Frozen films for Disney on Ice: Magic in the Stars.
The show, running March 6–9, features over 50 Disney characters, including those from Encanto, Moana, Toy Story and Cars. Mickey, Donald and friends will also appear.
“It’s going to be quite amazing to be able to perform in that same arena,” she said.
Brearton followed her older sister’s blades into skating at the Utah Olympic Oval as a young girl. She later became a competitive ice skater and, at 18, began auditioning for performances. She has also earned the rank of Triple Gold USFSA Medalist.
Before Disney on Ice, she performed with other companies, including a European tour. She has been skating with Feld Entertainment, which produces Disney on Ice, since 2022. “I actually sent in an audition reel with clips from practice and other shows that I had done, and then the casting director at the time, Judy Thomas, hired me on and brought me to a unit where I did my first show in New York City,” Brearton said.
She started as an ensemble skater, performing in large dance numbers. For two seasons, she has been a principal performer.
Her favorite tour stops so far have been Brisbane and Melbourne, Australia. “We had just come back from the pandemic, and Australia had just reintroduced live shows,” she said. “It was this really emotional feeling, honestly, because it was the first time people were able to gather like that again.”
Brearton attended Brigham High School. Off the ice, she loves reading, running, coffee shops and the outdoors. She’s also pursuing another dream — her Salt Lake Community College nursing degree. She first entered the healthcare industry as a medical assistant for an asthma clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Disney on Ice didn’t perform. While she’s keeping options open, she is considering transitioning to a career combining her healthcare knowledge with athletics after completing her degree.
“Going into Disney on Ice, most people don’t realize how much goes into taking care of our bodies. We’re on very long tours, very strenuous schedules and it requires a lot from us, not only physically but also mentally,” Brearton said. “So, I’ve been taking more classes like sports psychology and exercise science because I’m thinking of maybe eventually one day transitioning to working as an athletic trainer.”
For now, she’s focused on completing her education and gracefully representing the fictional kingdom of Arendelle, alongside Elsa and Olaf, on the ice.
Brearton sometimes leaves the venue for a walk or a coffee between performances. Outside, she sees families with kids anxiously waiting to get into the show.
“It’s really beautiful,” she said. “I remember when I was that kid.”
When you go:
Disney On Ice: Magic in the Stars
March 6–9
Delta Center, SLC
Tickets and more info
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