Several Disney Princesses traded traditional ballroom choreography for contemporary dance moves during an appearance at Hong Kong Disneyland.

Magical Moments with Disney Princesses at Hong Kong Disneyland

An Instagram Reel shared by ken.s_disney shows Belle, Jasmine, Ariel, and Aurora dancing together in Fantasyland just outside of Fantasy Gardens, located behind the Castle of Magical Dreams.

The four characters perform in a loose formation, moving through synchronized turns, hand gestures, rhythmic steps, and flourishes with their gowns.

Although each Princess retains some of her familiar character mannerisms, the routine is notably more contemporary than the waltzes and theatrical movements commonly associated with Disney royalty. Its sharper gestures and beat-driven choreography, coupled with a recent pop song, give the performance the appearance of a modern dance routine.

The performance appears to be one of the park’s smaller Disney Princess musical appearances or “magical moments,” rather than a full-scale production listed independently on Hong Kong Disneyland’s public entertainment schedule. Disney has not provided a clearly identifiable official English title for this exact four-Princess routine.

The Princesses’ dance sequence is set to “Like a Princess,” a Disney Princess-inspired song performed by German-American singer Ana Kohler. The 2023 single celebrates the qualities associated with many Disney heroines, including courage, confidence, musical ability, and intelligence.

Critics of “TikTok Choreo” for Disney Princesses

At time of writing, the top comment on the Reel criticized the performance by asking, “Why are they having princesses doing TikTok choreo? 😥”

The comment seems to refer to the routine’s synchronized hand gestures, exaggerated poses, and movements timed closely with “Like a Princess”, a modern pop song – all elements which seem to align with the popular trends of concise, synchronized dance sequences from mostly younger users on TikTok and other social media platforms.

For some viewers, the contemporary choreography may feel out of place when performed by characters traditionally associated with fairy-tale settings, royal balls, and music drawn from the respective films for each Disney Princess, which in this case includes Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, and Sleeping Beauty.

Placing four Princesses with very different stories into the same pop routine can also make the performance feel less specific to their individual characters.

However, modern choreography is not at all unusual for Disney Princesses at Disney Parks, on Disney Cruise Line, and other live Disney Experiences.

Several responses to the top comment correctly identify that Disney has hosted a variety of shows and Disney Princess appearances featuring modern choreography “before TikTok” as one way of simply making Princess appearances more dynamic and energetic, particularly for younger guests. Another comment points to Disneyland Paris and its Festival of Pirates and Princesses performance from 2018 as an earlier example of this style of dance choreography.

That marks just one example of Princess characters outside of their typical historical periods and musical stylings. Many of these characters regularly appear in contemporary castle shows, parades, anniversary productions, seasonal celebrations, and pop arrangements of Disney songs at resorts around the world, including Hong Kong Disneyland at their regular castle stage shows.

The Hong Kong Disneyland dance featured here may stand out against other contemporary performances because it presents modern choreography at close range, without a large stage, parade float, ensemble cast, or elaborate setting to frame the dancing.

The fact is, however, choreography like that shown in the Reel is commonplace at Disney locations around the world, helping to keep Disney Princesses and other characters more engaging than simply smiling and waving at guests.

What do you think of the Princesses’ contemporary dance routine? Share your thoughts with us on social media.

For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.