A Disney On Ice performance of The Little Mermaid’s“Part of Your World”turned into a genuine scare this week when a“headbanger”stunt went wrong. Video posted to TikTok shows the skater playing Prince Eric hoisting his Ariel by the ankle to spin her, only to lose his grip mid-air and send both performers crashing to the ice. The clip has already racked up 8.7 million views, and the comments range from“That actually looked BAD”to“Oh my gosh, she could’ve died.”
The headbanger is one of the riskiest moves in skating, and it’s not the first time it’s raised eyebrows. Former Dancing On Ice contestant Michelle Heaton has said the move depends heavily on height and safety, which is exactly why the crowd went silent. According to footage, Ariel clutched her head for a moment after the fall before Prince Eric checked on her.
But the recovery is the part worth celebrating. The pair got back up, took a bow, waved to the audience, and skated off the rink like nothing happened. Have you ever seen a live show moment go sideways like this? Tell us in the comments.
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.