Bio: Zupanc, Timmy - Disney On Ice Tour (2022)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Zupanc

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 6/01/2022

Zupanc Wraps Up First Tour With Disney On Ice (2022)



Timmy Zupanc (l) of Loyal just wrapped up his first U.S. tour with Disney on Ice. He performed weekly as Flynn Rider from Disney’s movie “Tangled.” He also played Charlie, Dory’s dad in “Finding Dory.” Submitted photo

By Valorie Brecht

Timmy Zupanc has created a lifetime’s worth of memories that he will hold near and dear to his heart after spending almost nine months as a professional skater for Disney on Ice.

Zupanc, who is from the Loyal area, is on a sex-week break after completing a tour of 35 cities in North America. He performed as Charlie, Dory’s dad in “Finding Dory,” and as the understudy for Flynn Rider, the one of the main characters in Disney’s “Tangled.”

The show Zupanc is part of, “Let’s Celebrate,” opened at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, AZ on Sept. 30, Zupanc said the memory of gliding out onto the floor there is something he will never forget.

“That was my first show ever. I had never skated for that many people before. It was crazy to skate for an arena full of people. It was something I knew I wanted to do because I love performing,” he said.

From there, Zupanc and the rest of skating company trekked across the country, performing 253 shows between September and mid-May.

“I would say I grew as an athlete in consistency – in being able to deliver a show every single day,” said Zupanc.

It wasn’t all performing and no downtime, though. Along the way, Zupanc got to enjoy sightseeing in new places. Before Disney on Ice, Zupanc had only traveled to some Midwestern states and to Washington, so it was a whole new experience. Two cities stood out as favorites to Zupanc.

“I enjoyed San Francisco because it’s very naturally pretty. I loved the scenery and the ocean,” he said. “I also really enjoyed New York City. I liked how busy it was and enjoyed being surrounded by people. It was eye-opening to get to see all the big cities in the U.S.”

Some of his favorite stops while on tour were Alcatraz Island, the Golden Gate bridge and the various museums in New York City. Besides all the sightseeing, Zupanc enjoyed getting the chance to bond and develop friendships with the rest of the cast through get-togethers outside of performances.

“We had fun just enjoying each other’s company,” Zupanc said.

Zupanc enjoyed the tour so much that he signed on for another season. First, at the end of June he and fellow cast members will travel to Mexico City for a “Mexico extension” tour. He will spend four weeks in Mexico City and one in Monterey. After that, he will begin the next tour, with the first stop in Toronto, Canada.

“I really, really liked my first tour and I’m excited to do another tour,” said Zupanc. “I think I’ll do this for a while.”

Zupanc has been skating since he was 8 years old. He is a triple gold medalist through U.S. Figure Skating, meaning that he has passed the highest level proficiency test in three disciplines: moves in the field, free skate and free dance.