Sacramento skater in Disney on Ice

Disney on Ice performer Tylerann Farley is looking forward to coming home to Sacramento, where she'll make her debut on Wednesday at Sleep Train Arena in front of family and friends.

"I have all my family and friends, and I have like 50 friends alone who are coming," Farley said, speaking by telephone from Fresno. "It's probably going to be close to 100 people."

Farley's preparing for "Dare to Dream" shows in Sacramento after finishing a stretch in Stockton. The ensemble skater does a number of things in the show, including parts in the Cinderella and Rapunzel (from the film "Tangled") segments. She's also the first understudy for the role of Princess Tiana, the heroine of "Princess and the Frog."

"We have something called a strut line. It's Tiana with other guys, so we have to be completely in line for it," Farley said of the "Princess" segment, which also includes pair lifts. "When we performed in New Orleans, it was good because that's where the show's set. Applause was unmatched in that series."

Farley said her favorite part of the show is the finale, featuring the song "Something That I Want" from "Tangled," and an aerial act with the Rapunzel performer hanging by her hair.

The 26-year-old performer has been skating most of her life, starting at 8 years old at Iceland in Del Paso Heights. That led to competitive skating in San Jose, and eventually joining up with Disney. Farley said her coach was friends with the director, who was doing "Princess and the Frog" shows about four years ago. She sent in her audition tape, but didn't join right away, as she was still in college.

She graduated from Sacramento State with a degree in public relations, and said she would like to eventually pursue a job with an NBA team. But for now, she is focused on ice rinks, not basketball courts.

The tour, which started in August, continues through May 20.

"Before we start the tour, we have about a month, two months of rehearsal time," Farley said, noting that sizes of the rinks vary for each city and that performers "get in the groove" of making those adjustments while on the road.

Although she has enjoyed meeting celebrities on the road like Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles, Farley said most of all, she is excited to see her loved ones and have them witness her skills on the ice.

"I have been really blessed to have my family come out and see me, like in Chicago and Florida," Farley said.

CONTACT Laura van der Meer at lvandermeer@appealdemocrat.com or 749-4771. Find her on Facebook at /ADlvandermeer or on Twitter at @ADlvandermeer.