As a Canadian who loves passionate people, I’m SO excited about the 2010 Olympics on Canadian soil! Did I FLY off my couch (while tweeting) when Alex Bilodeau won the first Canadian Olympic Gold Medal on Canadian soil EVER? YES! Did I cry (while tweeting) during opening ceremonies? YES! Did I MELT when Rick Hansen opened the torch lighting ceremony? O to the MG, YES!

In honour of the Olympics and of passionate athletes and artists, and in anticipation of Disney on Ice‘s most unique, exciting, and educational show yet — LET’S CELEBRATE! — I bring you the one and only Matthew Buttrey, Performance Director of Disney on Ice. I had a totally fun time interviewing him last Friday. I could have talked to him for hours! But I let him go — he was in Boston and had a show to put on, after all! So, here goes. CHECK IT.

How cute is he!? A cross between Haley Joel Osment (as people like to tell him) and Matthew Morrison!

[Note: these answers are paraphrased -- as close to the original answer as possible! I'm a novice at interviewing. Bygones!]

You began skating when you were 7 yrs old. Was it always figure skating, and what drew you to it?

It was always figure skating for me. I never had an interest in hockey, no. I saw figure skating on TV and thought, “I want to do that!” — even though no one was really figure skating in the small town in southeast Missouri where I grew up.

So, you really went against the grain — courageous in a small town, no?

Yeah, you could say I went against the grain that way. At the same time, I didn’t know any better because I was always doing things that were different than what my three older brothers did. They loved baseball, and I skated.

Were your parents always supportive of your choices, even as your choices were so different from those of your older brothers?

My parents were totally supportive. They really encouraged me. I got involved in theatre and art and creative stuff. They stood in the outdoor stands for my brothers, and the indoor stands for me! And it was great. I loved my skating. I made a lot of friends, traveled all over the US competing, met friends in competition – some of them are skating in Disney on Ice now. It’s a very small skating community.

So, you basically found your niche in skating at a young age. Nice! Was there a lot of pressure? Or were you skating simply for fun?

When my hometown coach moved cities, he referred me to a new coach in St. Louis, an hour and a half away. This new coach encouraged me to compete. I started competing in ’89. Prior to that, my small town was just opening its rink, so my skating was recreational. There are definitely benefits to both recreational and competitive skating.

What was your highest level of competition?

In 1994 I went to Nationals and skated in the Pairs Competition. The Nationals are the qualifying competition for the Junior Worlds – like a mini Olympics. I came in third in the novice pairs. Actually, an hour after I competed, the news of the Nancy Kerigan/Tanya Harding scandal went live. It was pretty wild, and unfortunate.

Did you have to practice ballet, yoga, or any other forms of movement as part of your skating training?

I started practicing ballet as part of my competitive training, yeah. I did tap in high school — as part of our high school musicals. In university, I majored in theatre and set design, so I felt well rounded altogether. Yoga has been great for dealing with the stress of traveling. I’ll practice in my hotel room sometimes, or at a gym either in the hotel or nearby.

Tell us about your role as Performance Director of Disney on Ice.

Among the many responsibilities, one of the things I do is take skater and tech notes on things that look good, need work, etc.. I relay my observations to the crew and skaters. I also help with understudies, scheduling rehearsals, coordinating all those people, making sure understudies get implemented in regular shows. I do skater evaluations for all the skaters, as well as overall performance reports. I’m also an “ear” – I listen. It’s a tightly knit unit and challenging to keep everyone happy, so I make sure people are as content and safe as possible, and that things are done the way they’re supposed to be done. I’d say I’m a good listener!

What’s a typical show day for you?

Opening night is the busiest night. The show starts at 7. I get to the building at noon or 1pm, set up office, coordinate schedules for the week’s rehearsals (skaters do their own makeup), set up performance reports so they’re ready for the show. I also check the size of the ice, and look at the grid to make sure the production fits the stage. Sometimes this means making changes to numbers or set pieces.

I see one of your role models is Paul Wylie. I have to say he’s my FAVOURITE male skater, too! What do you like about him?

Paul is just inspirational – energizing. And he’s well-rounded.

On a personal note, what do you like to do for fun? What would an ideal day off be like for you?

One of the best days off I can remember was when we were touring in Paris. I loved the people watching and sampling food at the local cafes, the local flavours, and the amazing architecture. I love going to outdoor cafés (even in winter), with the Paris opera house in front of you. I just love the architecture…, and photography! I have a photo log filled with photographs of the different places I’ve been to — usually of the architecture. This obviously ties into my work, my experience in set design.

[Some of Matthew's beautiful pictures from his Disney travels -- makes me want to join a traveling performance group, too...! See if you recognize any of these places!:]

Traveling must get taxing after a while. Any plans to settle down in one place?

Well, now there is. I just bought a house in November near Tampa, Florida. And I miss it! So, yeah, I want to settle down now. I try to get back there as much as I can. So, I want to go as far as I can with Feld Entertainment because I love working for them. Perhaps a stationary position, designing sets — anything creative, anything involved with production and putting performances together.

Have you ever shown for any celebrities and their kids?

I actually had the opportunity last November to be on Regis and Kelly. I skated with Kelly! She was wonderful, and she let me pull her around the ice. It was a lot of fun. I basically turn Kelly into a princess, and bring her to Prince Mickey! It’s in the video archives somewhere…!

We just went to Disney, and my kids LOVED Mickey and Minnie. My daughter loved Sleeping Beauty, but got dressed as Cinderella at the Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique…. Is Disney still as magical as ever for you, and who’s your favourite character. Mine’s Goofy.

MICKEY. I go to Disney every year: Tokyo Disney, Paris Disney…. I’ve been to all of them, except Hong Kong. They’re all unique. Orlando is the best because of the four parks – Animal Kingdom, Epcot, etc..

I have to tell you, I’m in the audience at every show, and the kids all dressed up in their costumes never gets old. The performers are totally inspired and motivated by the kids. We all love looking at everyone — including the ADULTS! — in costumes! It totally spurs us on.

What do you think about Toronto?

I LOVE TORONTO! I love walking up and down Bloor, Yonge — there’s a great theatre scene there. I’ve seen Wicked, Sound of Music…. The crowds are great here. Toronto has a really intelligent skating crowd – they like the jumps and spins and lifts. It’s great.

Do you have a favourite restaurant in Toronto?

Fire on the East Side (near Isabella), a really small restaurant. I love the atmosphere. And just generally, I love going out on the road and finding restaurants with great atmosphere.

Tell us a little about this show. What can we look forward to in Disney on Ice‘s Let’s Celebrate?

This show is totally unique — like none of the other shows you’ve seen from Disney on Ice. It celebrates festivals and holidays around the year, features 7 Disney princesses (including the newest princess, Tiana), Woody and Buzz Lightyear, Jack Skellington (who brings on Halloween), Enchanted, and so many more. It’s all told through Minnie’s dream. We go around the world with Mickey’s DGD, which takes us magically anywhere we want to go.

The audience is really involved in this show — starting with the opening number, when Lumiere invites the audience to BE OUR GUEST, and come celebrate “Unbirthday,” which is basically 364 days of the year!

This is definitely one of my favourite shows. The special effects are so much fun, and there’s so much energy, crazy lifts, and, just, a party throughout.

It’s great that your kids love Mickey and Minnie because, in Let’s Celebrate, they have the largest presence ever in a Disney on Ice show. And they have the best costumes. Wait ’til you see Minnie’s 1930s flapper dress for Mardi gras!

Are you excited for the Olympics? Is there still a special jump to look out for? Is it still the elusive quad?

There are so many great skaters this Olympics. It’ll be a real showcase of new talent. I’m so busy with my job that it’s hard for me to keep up with what’s going on. The quad is definitely the big jump still, but technical steps are also really important.

How about in Let’s Celebrate? Will there be a lot of fancy, difficult skating? And do skaters ever get used to falling in front of hundreds of people?

Yeah, there are several back flips, triple jumps and pair elements that you won’t see on TV. In amateur (competitive) skating, you’re really limited in what you can do. This isn’t the case with Disney on Ice. And we have amazing skaters in the show.

As for falling, our main goal is to make sure everyone’s doing their best and feeling good about their performance. I give them all encouragement and make sure they have a healthy attitude. That’s my job. Falling happens — it’s a part of skating.

Are you reading any books in your limited spare time?

The last book I read was The Art of Racing in the Rain. I’m now reading Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now — just little bits here and there when I have time. It helps me escape and think of things other than the show, while helping me do my job managing others, etc..

Cats or dogs?

In southeast Missouri, we had cats. So, I like cats. Or calm dogs….

One of the things I love about going to Disney on Ice is that it’s ALL for kids. I mean, they go ALL OUT to give the kids a magical experience. I get verklempt when I’m there, and sometimes cry at the effort put in to entertain children. If you were in an Olympic-sized skating rink filled with children, and their parents, what would you like to say to them? What advice would you have? And what would you like them to get most out of the show?

Let’s Celebrate offers a great escape from our issues or woes. It’s a total escape — just like Disney World. And it’s a ton of fun. When I think Disney, I think fun and happiness, and I get a bit of a sad feeling when I leave. I want the audience to leave with the feeling “I want to come back!”

I would tell the children to celebrate something EVERY DAY of their life. There’s nothing too little to celebrate. Be present, enjoy the audience participation – GET INTO IT! Fairy Godmother and Mickey will ask for help. So, get right into it and take advantage of the escape. Be present in the moment, have fun, be all about who you are, be part of the moment here.

Thank you so much, Matthew, for taking the time to share yourself and your photos with me and my readers, and for helping us get even more into the Olympic spirit and good and psyched for Let’s Celebrate!

CHECK CHEATY GOODIES FOR A SPECIAL DISCOUNT ON TICKETS TO THE TORONTO SHOW (MARCH 3rd – 7th) JUST FOR CHEATY READERS.

Love!

xo Haley-O