A Magical Experience: Ashley Cain Portrays Elsa in Disney on Ice

Ashley Cain has created some performances to remember over the course of her career.

With partner Timothy LeDuc, Cain gave two moving performances at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games. She has also wowed audiences en route to becoming a two-time U.S. champion, Four Continents medalist and World Team Trophy champion.

Although the Texas native has stepped away from competition, she is still inspiring people across the world. Just in a new way. Now, she's creating Disney magic. 
 

Since August of 2022, Cain has portrayed the role of Elsa in Disney On Ice's show 100 Years of Wonder. 

After performing in approximately 245 shows across the Middle East, Asia and South America, she now heads to Europe. Starting this month and running through March, the tour travels to the United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland.

"When I stepped away from competing, I knew that I still wanted that performance aspect in my life," Cain said. "I wanted to try a different avenue of performing and see how my skating could grow further."

Throughout her competitive career, Cain was always interested in performing in shows. Her parents, Peter Cain and Darlene Cain, toured in shows, including Disney On Ice, for nearly 10 years. So when the opportunity arose to portray Elsa from Frozen, Cain didn't hesitate. She immediately said yes.

"This year on tour I will be getting to travel and perform in the same venues and cities that my parents performed in," Cain said. "I've been able to meet many people that they performed with, and growing up, I heard so many stories from their time on the road. I feel like this is all very full circle!"

Plus, this tour has given her the perfect balance. While on most tours, skaters are gone for months at a time, this tour has run a couple of weeks at a time with a break before it restarts, allowing her to continue skating in shows, teach seminars and coach.

As she sat on the plane, ready to take off on her new adventure, Cain received a text from her mom. It read: "Have the time of your life. Make memories to last a lifetime, just as we did." 

While growing up Cain envisioned herself portraying Cinderella one day, Cain's closeness with her family – her parents were her coaches as well – may actually be what made her perfect to play the role of Elsa.
 

"Elsa's story is one that I love to portray on the ice; she is very introspective but also very powerful and dynamic, so getting to learn more about the character and bring that out through my skating has been something that I really enjoy," Cain said. "The storyline is more about the love and bond you share with your family instead of falling in love. It's a special story to portray as I feel like I have a close bond with my family after how closely we worked together throughout my whole career."

The Disney On Ice tour began in Saudi Arabia before heading to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Egypt, Singapore and Thailand. In both Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, the show made history as it was the first time Disney On Ice had toured in those countries, bringing skating to an entirely new audience.

"[It was] really cool, because I think they wouldn't have had that connection to skating in general. The show is one of the first things that brings skating over," Cain said. "From there, things can progress. Maybe ice gets put in [during the holidays], or maybe a rink gets built. Things can always evolve from this."

Growing the sport is something important to Cain, who was able to meet with some of the local clubs as well as national and international teams.

"To have that connection to possibly go over and teach seminars one day and really expand skating in some of these places is something that I would love to do," Cain said. "I would love to coach all over and be doing seminars, and just sharing what I've learned in my career and the reasons that I want to still be a part of the sport, sharing it with the skaters from all over."

In the South American leg, Cain traveled to Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile and Colombia. 
 

With the tour spanning three continents thus far, Cain has had the opportunity to experience some of the world's biggest attractions. She visited The Edge of the World in Saudi Arabia, the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi and the Egyptian pyramids; rang in the New Year with a boat cruise on the Nile River; went hang gliding in Rio de Janeiro; and saw tango in Argentina. Her favorite destination so far, though, has been Bangkok, Thailand, as she fell in love with the atmosphere, the energy and the food.

"Everywhere I've gone I've really tried to see what is special to the culture there," Cain said. "I look back at my photos from this past year, and just to see all the places that I've gotten to go to is pretty insane."

In her time with Disney On Ice, Cain has learned many lessons on the ice as performing has pushed her in new ways. She noted the adaptability required as a performer, whether it's being able to perform under pressure with no warm-up, adapting to different ice surfaces, people being in different spots due to changing circumstances or shows starting late.

"When you're competing, sometimes you always felt like things had to be perfect or line up perfectly … but in the show, you're really not in control of that," Cain said. "This is live entertainment, so I have to be prepared for anything and everything. We are performing in a different city each week, which means it's a new venue, new backstage area and new ice floor each week. I have to ensure I stay in character and continue to tell the story and bring it to life on the ice without the audience recognizing that adjustments were made."

Cain also feels her skating has expanded when it comes to playing a character. With Elsa, who is very introspective, that meant Cain showing what was being felt inside of her to the audience.

"It's an honor to bring this iconic Disney character of Elsa to life on the ice as fans from all over the world identify with the fact that she is strong-willed and powerful but also vulnerable. I think hearing everybody sing every part of ["Let It Go"] – it's such an iconic song and so many people know it, whether it's in a different language or we're in another country – they hear it and I think it automatically clicks for them," Cain said. "I feel like when I step out there, I stand a little bit taller. I want to bring that performance quality forward for them. I'm not just doing a program, but actually bringing the character onto the ice."