Kokoro Hirano of Torrance poses for a photograph in Long Beach on Friday, April 24, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Kokoro Hirano of Torrance poses for a photograph in Long Beach on Friday, April 24, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Kokoro Hirano of Torrance poses for a photograph in Long Beach on Friday, April 24, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
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Kokoro Hirano of Torrance poses for a photograph in Long Beach on Friday, April 24, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Koko Hirano is happy. After seven months touring the world in “Disney on Ice,” the 21-year-old Torrance figure skater is home.
And this weekend, Hirano, who said she has been living her dream as a professional figure skater during her first tour with the iconic ice show, gets to perform for local audiences. “Disney on Ice presents Road Trip Adventures” began a four-day run at the Long Beach Arena on Thursday, April 23, with shows also scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.
“It’s been a truly unforgettable experience,” Hirano said. “I get to skate and I get to travel, which are two of my favorite things to do, and performing for Disney fans is such an amazing experience. I love that I get to see all the audience members light up when all their favorite Disney characters come out onto the ice.”
Hirano has trained since she was 4 years old, following in her older sister’s footsteps, but ended up paving a path for herself, becoming a two-time National Showcase champion. And in the “Moves in the Field” figure skating testing competition, she is a four-time gold medalist in free skate, solo pattern dance and solo free dance.
“I was so passionate about figure skating and I’ve always wanted to make sure that it was worth all the hard work and I wanted to do it professionally,” she said. “It gives me a lot of freedom and whenever I have bad days, I can always count on skating to make me feel better.”
Hirano trained for thousands of hours throughout her childhood and teenage years at The Skating Edge in Harbor City. After graduating from West High School, in Torrance, she started coaching at The Skating Edge and ended up auditioning for “Disney on Ice” in 2024.
In “Disney on Ice presents Road Trip Adventures,” Hirano plays Mulan and skates as part of the ensemble throughout the show. The show takes attendees along on a Mickey and Minnie’s road trip throughout iconic Disney destinations, including the rooftops of London with Mary Poppins, Motunui with Moana and the Pride Lands with Simba.
Hirano said she’s thrilled to return home after months away. “Home sickness,” she said, has been her biggest challenge during her first tour.
“It’s been a little hard being away from my family and friends,” she said, “but being on tour, I’ve made so many friends here, so they became my tour family.”
Hirano did not start out as an artistic figure skater and performer. Like many young skaters, she began on the competitive track, and transitioning to becoming a performer was a challenge for her.
“My toughest challenge would be when I first stepped away from competitive freestyle skating and transitioned into showcase/theatrical skating,” Hirano said in a written statement. “It was completely different from what I used to do, so that change was tough to overcome.”
But, Hirano said, she loves the freedom and artistry that comes with theatrical skating — and she loves the impact her performance can have on the audience.
“There are so many characters and artistic movements – it’s really fun,” Hirano said. “You get to have a lot of freedom with it and that’s why I like it so much and dedicated all my hard work to it.”
There are three more weeks of the “Disney on Ice presents Road Trip Adventures” and then Hirano will get a break. But then, in the fall, she will head back on tour.
“I’m planning on being with my family,” she said, and going back to my home rink to skate even more and coach, too.”
If you go
When: 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, April 25; and 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Sunday, April 27.
Where: The Long Beach Arena at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center, 300 E. Ocean Blvd.
Cost: Tickets vary; they are available on Ticketmaster or at the box office.
Information: disneyonice.com.