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Madame Upanova is a character in the 1940 film Fantasia. She is an ostrich ballerina who represents the dawn.

Background[]

Physical appearance[]

Madame Upanova is a black ostrich with feminine features. She always loves pink as her favorite color, so she wears a pink bow with matching ballet slippers and has a thin black ribbon around her neck.

Appearances[]

Fantasia[]

Madame Upanova is in a segment called "Dance of the Hours". She appears in the beginning with all her students. She wakes herself and all of them up as the curtains open. Her pirouette is caused by their reach over her as it is thrust up high with lots of feathers shed. As she feeds some of her students some fruit from the conch, she tries to eat the purple grapes she holds in her beak and get away from the squabbling of all her students. As they pursue her, one of them makes her drop the grapes, causing them to fall into the water, and they all flee from the bubbles coming from the fountain.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit[]

Madame Upanova makes two cameo appearances in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. First, she walks to the Maroon Cartoons Studio door, giving Eddie Valiant the cold shoulder as she passes him. She, along with half the Fantasia cast and Dumbo, are on loan to Maroon from Disney. Her second appearance is among a group of toons in the finale.

Aladdin[]

Madame Upanova makes a cameo in the episode "Raiders of the Lost Shark", where she was conjured by Genie to give him an egg for the meal he was preparing.

House of Mouse[]

In the episode "Donald's Pumbaa Prank", she is seen ducking her head into a three-layered cake with a cherry on top of it when Pumbaa is about to stink up the club.

Princess Academy[]

Her role is unknown due to this program being canceled.

The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse[]

In the episode "Birdwatching", a photo of Madame Upanova appears among the bird photos in Mickey's birdwatching photo album.

Disney Parks[]

Ostrich WDW

Madame Upanova at Disney Parks

Ostriches resembling Madame Upanova (possibly her students in her colors) are walkaround characters that appear in parades. Upanova also appears in the Disneyland Hotel's Fantasia Store as a statue. A statue also appears outside the pool area at the Disneyland Hotel at Disneyland Paris. She can also be seen in the Main Street Electrical Parade and in Fantasmic!'s bubble sequence.

The scene where Madame Upanova's students launched her into the air represented Fantasia in the Back to the Past sequence in Wonderful World of Animation.

Gallery[]

Wiki
The Disney Wiki has a collection of images and media related to Madame Upanova.

Trivia[]

  • Despite being referred to as female by the development staff, Madame Upanova's feather colors are of a male's. Much like peacocks where males are bright and colorful, and females are shades of brown and grey, only male ostriches have black and white feathers, while females are varying shades of brown like female peacocks.
  • In production, Madame Upanova was referred to as Mademoiselle Upanova; however, she is marketed as Madame Upanova.
  • Madame Upanova's name is a play on the phrase, “Up and Over”.


v - e - d
Fantasia logo
Media
Films: Fantasia (video/soundtrack) • Fantasia 2000 (video/soundtrack) • The Sorcerer's Apprentice (video/soundtrack)

Video Games: FantasiaKingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop DistanceDisney InfinityFantasia: Music EvolvedDisney Emoji BlitzDisney Sorcerer's ArenaSorcerer's Apprentice

Disney Parks
Cinderella Castle Mystery TourDisney Animation BuildingFantasia CarouselFantasia Gardens Miniature GolfFantasy GardensPrimeval WorldLe Pays des Contes de FéesMickey's PhilharMagicSorcerers of the Magic KingdomThe Sorcerer's HatVoyage to the Crystal Grotto

Entertainment: Disney Classics: The Music & The MagicFantasmic! • Mickey's Magical Book • Mickey's Gift of DreamsMickey's Magical CelebrationMickey and the Magical MapRivers of Light: We Are OneOnce Upon a MouseVillains Tonight!
Restaurants: Fantasia Gelati
Parades: Disney's FantillusionDisney's Party ExpressDreaming Up!Festival of Fantasy ParadeJubilation!Magic HappensParade of the StarsSpectroMagic
Fireworks: Celebrate the MagicCelebrate! Tokyo DisneylandDisney EnchantmentIlluminate! A Nighttime CelebrationMomentousWe Love Mickey!Wishes: A Magical Gathering of Disney DreamsWonderful World of AnimationWorld of ColorWondrous Journeys
Summer: Club Mouse Beat
Halloween: Happy Hallowishes

Characters
Fantasia: Sorcerer MickeySugar Plum FairiesNutcracker Suite DancersYen SidMagic BroomsTyrannosaurus RexStegosaurusTriceratopsPteranodonCorythosaurusApatosaurusDiplodocusOrnithomimusBrachiosaurusCeratosaurusKannemeyeriaEdmontosaurusParasaurolophusDimetrodonTylosaurusPlateosaurusAnkylosaurusCompsognathusArchaeopteryxTroodonOviraptorBacchusJacchusCentaursCentaurettesMelindaBrudusIrisMorpheusDianaZeusApolloVulcanBoreasMother PegasusFather PegasusPegasi SiblingsPeter PegasusCherubsSatyrsUnicornsMadame UpanovaOstrichesHyacinth HippoHipposElephanchineBen Ali GatorAlligatorsChernabogChernabog's Minions

Fantasia 2000: Donald DuckDaisy DuckColorful TrianglesBlack TrianglesHumpback WhalesDukeFlying JohnKilljoy MargaretFoo-FooJoeRachelNasty NannyTin SoldierBallerinaJack-in-the-BoxToy SoldiersYo Yo FlamingoSnooty FlamingosNoahSpring SpriteThe ElkThe Firebird
The Sorcerer's Apprentice: Balthazar BlakeDavid "Dave" StutlerMaxim HorvathRebecca "Becky" BarnesDrake StoneVeronica GorloisenMorgana le FayMerlinAbigail WilliamsSun Lok
Deleted/Unused: OtikaSunflowerNutcracker SentriesDahliaChronosLorenzoMolly

Segments
Fantasia: Toccata and Fugue in D MinorNutcracker SuiteThe Sorcerer's ApprenticeThe Rite of SpringThe Pastoral SymphonyDance of the HoursNight on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria

Fantasia 2000: Symphony No. 5Pines of RomeRhapsody in BluePiano Concerto No. 2The Carnival of the AnimalsPomp and CircumstanceThe Firebird Suite

Locations
Yen Sid's TowerMount OlympusBald MountainNew York CityPrehistory
Deleted and unused concepts
Unused Fantasia SegmentsClair de LuneSunflowerOtikaEgret CoupleNaiadsDestinoThe Little MatchgirlOne by OneLorenzo
Objects
Sorcerer HatGrimholdMerlin's RingEncantus
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