Walt Disney World Fire Knife Performer Brings his Talent to Live-Action "Moana"
From The Lion King to Moana, this Walt Disney World cast member has done a lot.
For many, working at Walt Disney World is a dream; for others, it's a family affair. One Walt Disney World performer has even taken his skills to the big screen.
What's Happening:
- A new post on the Disney Parks Blog spotlights the life of Cast Member Alema Vaiaoga. He is currently a performer at Festival of the Lion King at Disney's Animal Kingdom, but his career and history with Disney are far more extensive.
- Vaiaoga is a second-generation Walt Disney World performer, as his father was part of the opening cast as a fire knife dancer of the Spirit of Aloha show at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. In 1998, dad was part of the cast that opened Festival of the Lion King.
- Alema Vaiaoga's father taught him fire knife dancing, so when dad retired, Vaiaoga auditioned and took over the role.
- The family's fire knife dancing has now reached beyond Orlando as Alema Vaiaoga was cast as one of Moana's ancestors in the live-action Moana movie, now available on Disney+. In addition to appearing on screen, his knowledge was used to train stunt performers in fire knife techniques.
- Today, Alema is teaching his own sons fire knife dancing, passing on the cultural heritage to the next generation. He's also glad that his work will live on in the Moana movie, saying, “I wanted them to have something to look back on. They can always say, ‘That’s my dad’ when they watch the movie. That’s really special to me.”
More Walt Disney World News:
- Here's a look at the new food coming to Walt Disney World this holiday.
- A few special food items have been teased for Jollywood Nights.
- Walt Disney World is still the king of the theme park destinations based on new attendance figures.