"The Lion King" Cast Member on Dancing and Singing in Zulu

There are a lot of dancers and actors in the world. Only 52 of them have put in the time, hard work and developed the talent that allows them to be in Fort Myers right now, performing in Disney's The Lion King. Shacura Wade is one of them.

The Lion King's “Get Up and Go” campaign which promotes fun ways that kids can lead healthier lifestyles brought Lion King ensemble dancer Ms. Wade to Quality Life Center.

She talked to students about eating habits, and told them that eating a lot of vegetables makes her feel better and keeps her energized. Students could only imagine the energy and hard work needed to perform the choreography for multiple characters day after day while living on the road.

Ms. Wade plays different characters in the show, including a zebra, lioness, hyena and is part of the dance ensemble in "One by One." She led students through some stretches, and an activity that involved both movement and listening carefully to directions.

Then it was on to choreography!

As she taught children the dance moves for "He Lives in You," Ms. Wade talked about the meaning of the song, and how Simba used it to deal with the death of his father.

She let them in on some secrets such as how Scar's head moves, and how the actress playing the cheetah is able to get the puppet's feline movements to match hers. 

We also learned that six indigenous African languages are spoken throughout the musical. Ms. Wade gave us a demonstration of a song sung in Zulu.

Physical fitness and good nutrition have taken Ms. Wade far (a bachelor's degree in fine arts and lots of motivation and hard work didn't hurt either!). Thank you, Ms. Wade for your inspiration!