Debi Barr’s Disney-inspired story of perseverance

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“I knew what it was like to be on the football field, be there with the huge crowd and feel the energy of that crowd. I loved that feeling of performing and just being in the element of enthusiasm,” she says. She wanted to give her students the opportunity to feel that effervescence, so she kept on the search for large performance opportunities for them. “We had done all kinds of performances, but we had never done a performance at Disney,” she explains. “So, I thought, well, let’s try Disney!”

With a glimmer of an idea and the boldness to ask, Barr reached out to Disney to see if they would allow her students to dance in a parade prior to the Disneyland parade in California.

“They told me no! They said, ‘No, we don’t do that,’” she recalls. “I said, ‘I know, but people sit for an hour on the curb waiting for your parade. Why don’t we entertain them?’ They already did marching bands pre-parade at the time. They asked, ‘But what would they wear, and how would they learn the routine?’ They felt it wouldn’t work. I had been teaching for years and years and I said, ‘I promise my standards are as high as yours. We can do this!’

With much perseverance, Disney finally said yes to a meeting, and what followed was a dream come true for Barr and thousands of dancers from across the world.

“We had our first event and Disney was like, ‘This is amazing; the audience loved it. Would you like to do this again next year?’ It kind of snowballed from there, and Dance the Magic was born!” Barr says.

Photo courtesy of Dance the Magic.

Seeing the dancers light up, as well as their proud parents and dance teachers, is inspiring for all. “It just brings such joy and is so much fun,” says Barr. “The dancers and their parents never forget the experience.”

Grown from that one parade performance in 2001, Dance the Magic now hosts multiple events at Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, Disney on Broadway and The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville! Each destination is an immersive experience with parade or showcase performances, workshops/rehearsals, private parties and more. Studios sign up and receive the choreography to teach and practice beforehand. They then film themselves and send it in for positive and insightful professional feedback before arriving at the theme park or theatre and handing over the reins to the Dance the Magic Choreographers for final rehearsals. They coach showmanship and add that extra sparkle and pizazz to the performance.

But convincing Disney to buy into the model in the first place took time – two years of conversations, reassurances and knockbacks. “Everyone said it would never happen,” Barr shares.

So, what would she say to herself back then, when her dream seemed impossible? “I would say, ‘Be persistent,’ because that’s what it took. They said no so many times, so I just came back with another angle and more options for them. Believe in yourself, stay in truth, and keep your standards high, because a lot of people take little detours and say, ‘Let’s do it fast this way.’ We’ve always done it right. Be persistent, believe in yourself and good things are going to happen.”

Photo courtesy of Dance the Magic.

There’s a lesson there for all of us – whether it’s a novel idea, a tricky combo or we’re desperately trying to break through the crowd at auditions. Stay the course, be persistent, don’t take short cuts, and keep your standards high.

Barr and her team at Dance the Magic built a rapport with Disney, and soon they were being asked to bring their events to Disney on Broadway, in NYC, and then Universal, Orlando. In the early 2000s, Barr started advertising the same opportunities to local studios in the Orange County, Los Angeles area, but soon grew worldwide. Dancers from all over the globe can now Dance the Magic.

“I purchased a map of the United States that was laminated,” Barr recalls. “So, when people would call, I would ask where they’re from and I had little sparkle star stickers I would put on each location. Then, pretty soon, I had to flip the map over, and on the back was the world! It’s the little details that matter – a little bit of sparkle that you’re giving to all the lives of the people coming from those places.”

Dancers travel with their studios from Australia, Japan, Portugal, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, Mexico, Panama and Puerto Rico. All because one woman had a dream to make all dancers feel special and share their talents to make others smile.

Photo courtesy of Dance the Magic.

“We just love working with dancers from around the world. It’s so fulfilling. We’re doing something that we know makes a difference in their lives,” she shares.

Perhaps the secret to Dance the Magic’s success is quite literally embodying the Disney spirit. The company strives to be kind above all else and flexible which endears them both to the studio directors and the dancers, as well as their partners at Disney. The end result is always that everyone has a magical, unforgettable event. Studio owners get to give their dancers a stress-free, once-in-a-lifetime experience where they get to sit back and enjoy the wonder alongside their dancers. Parents get to burst with pride at seeing their child shine brightly. The Dance the Magic Choreographers ask the dancers to leave their whole heart out there for the audience to see – to smile, to make eye contact, to connect and share the best day ever.  They are encouraged to celebrate every magical moment. And they do! Making memories that last a lifetime.