Mullingar resident takes dance role in ‘Disenchanted’

(Above) Noi Tolmer.

A Mullingar resident has been busy rehearsing for her dance role in Disney’s Disenchanted.

Disney is currently filming a prequel to its 2007 movie Enchanted and is on location in parts of Dublin and Wicklow.

Noi Tolmer (43), originally from Australia, has been based in Mullingar with her husband for the last three years.

Noi’s dance career has spanned 14 years, during which she worked on music videos, ads, Bollywood movies and more, but had put aside her dancing career and is now a freelance dance teacher.

However, when her sister-in-law passed on the advertisement that Disney were looking for dancers, she decided to try her luck.

“I’m in my 40s now and hung up my dance shoes 10 years ago and in no way did I think I would be back dancing and performing again, but I thought it looked like a bit of fun,” she told the Westmeath Examiner.

“I just thought ‘why not see how it goes’ and went from there. I sent on my CV and a video of my reel and then I was asked to do a video audition,” she said.

Noi was then asked to attend in-person auditions and mentions that there was a lot of competition from all ages.

“In my audition, I was the last group of the day and there were around 20 ladies and 20 men in that audition alone,” she said.

“You had these young, ready-to-go dancers who really want a job, and then there was the ones who have already retired and aren’t really thinking about it who are just there for the sake of going,” she laughed.

Noi has been busy rehearsing for it but has not been on set yet, so has not crossed paths with stars of the film, Amy Adams or Patrick Dempsey; but she said she is a big fan of both.

“Well of course, McDreamy (Patrick Dempsey) is a big star from Grey’s Anatomy, and Amy Adams is such a versatile actress,” she said.

“I’m waiting for the day I meet them to ask them over for a cup of tea,” she laughed.

However, a friend living nearby the movie set has sent her some photos of it in construction.

“I’ve been sent photos from Wicklow with all the new buildings being built and it’s incredible… it’s great, it’s nice to see the buzz around it,” she said.

Asked if she was a fan of the original movie, Noi said she thought it was a fun movie so is delighted to be involved.

“I loved Disney as a young child and Enchanted really captures your imagination, it’s all about the fairy tale. It’s lovely to see the animation come alive, I love that.”

“And also, the dancing and the singing are just icing on the cake,” she added.

Noi will start shooting on the 1st of June for two weeks so until then is just working hard rehearsing to be ready for that.