Utah skater lands her dream princess role and flips her fins as Ariel in Disney on Ice Dream Big!

Vika Bulokolova has always wanted to explore the world.

It’s that curiosity and sense of adventure that made Ariel her favorite Disney princess, and now the Utahn gets to portray the little mermaid in the Disney on Ice Dream Big! show coming to Salt Lake City’s Vivint Smart Home Arena Nov. 16-19.

“Ariel is very adventurous and curious about role of humans, and she is fascinated by the human world,” Bulokolova said. “I tend to relate to her because I travel so much and am learning about different cultures. I feel like part of the whole world. In order to relate to the princesses, you want to have many connections with that character because you are truly living out her life on the ice.”

Bulokolova was born in Russia and began ice skating at age 3. Her family moved to Utah when she was 10, and she continued pursuing her passion for figure skating. Her coach, a former Disney on Ice performer, encouraged her to become a cast member to hone her skills and develop new talents.

Bulokolova, who graduated from West High School’s IB program, joined the show in 2013 and has been skating since.

In her years on the ice, she has understudied and performed several Disney princesses, including Tinkerbell, Rapunzel, Snow White and Cinderella. The skating schedule is demanding, with seven to 12 shows a week in the United States and upward of 25 shows every 10 days while abroad.

Every principal role has four understudies who are rotated, so every performer gets a variety of experiences and skills.

Bulokolova says her favorite part of Dream Big! is the acrobat number performed during The Little Mermaid section.

“There are tricks and backflips, and it gets the crowd going,” she said. “There is singing and dancing, and the applause is through the roof. It’s very high-energy.”

The crowd energy is one of her favorite parts of her job, especially when she sees how excited the kids are to see their favorite Disney characters come to life.

“I think the audience will have unforgettable memories and truly enjoy the show,” she said. “There’s something for everyone to connect with: the little kids smiling and laughing to seeing how happy the kids and adults are as they are dancing and singing with you.”

She’s particularly happy to be performing in front of a home crowd, and she’s looking forward to hearing the familiar voices of her family and friends cheering her on.

“I’m beyond excited to come to back to my home and show everyone what I’ve been doing for the last few years,” she said. “I’m excited to share my love for skating with the Salt Lake City crowd.”