» Holiday on Ice Anthony Van Laast interview
Anthony Van Laast MBE, choreographer of stage spectaculars, on why he loves Holiday On Ice and working with Robin Cousins
How did you first get involved with Holiday on Ice?
It was interesting. I choreographed two big shows in Las Vegas, I choreographed a show for Siegfried & Roy, the magicians with the white tigers, and I worked with Michael Crawford at the MGM hotel. Each one, at its time, was the biggest show ever done in Vegas.
I have a bit of a name in Vegas, and Betty Goodhart, the wife of the owner of Holiday on Ice, approached me about doing an ice show around 12 years ago. First, I thought oh my God, ice show is a bit ‘end of the pier’, I can’t really be doing that. However, she persuaded me to go to Germany to have a look at the Holiday on Ice shows and I was absolutely enamoured by them and thought they were fantastic, I really loved them. So I said I would be interested in doing something and I made my first show, [Extravaganza] about eleven years ago.
You worked with Robin Cousins on Extravaganza and he has choreographed Mystery, do you enjoy collaborating?
Robin and I have been friends for years. When he came and did that show [Extravaganza] it cemented our friendship. We said that if we ever had the opportunity, it would be great to work together again, and then about five years later, they invited me to make another ice show and Robin and I made the first of three shows together. I think Robin is one of the finest skating choreographers in the world, there’s, no question about it.
What is it that he brings to it?
It’s theatricality and musicality. Musicality for a choreographer is vital. So many times I’ve seen skaters lacking musicality. He’s brought an athleticism and musicality and what I love about Robin, as a choreographer, is that he has continued in that vein and has brought that kind of artistry and I sit in awe watching him choreograph.
You’ve said before that Britain hasn’t really embraced the ice show in the way that European communities have, do you think it’s the cheesiness that is sometimes is associated with it?
I do think Holiday on Ice has had a strange name in England, in Europe, it’s this phenomenally successful dance company. One can’t disguise the fact that an ice show is a great variety show, and I think this country, has become kind of blasé about any kind of variety and I think it’s a huge mistake. I went to The Palladium the other week and I watched a magic variety show and the audience absolutely loved it. We have no variety on TV any more, so it’s been taken out of the psyche of our culture here, and I think it’s a real pity. People in this country don’t put the ice show at the top of their list, but once you’ve been to an ice show and you’ve had a good time, you will want to go again.
Do you ever get on the ice?
No! I can skate, but I think that all the skaters have so much respect for me that if I got on the ice, immediately any respect they had would disappear. So, I would rather remain this authoritarian figure on the edge of the ice, who everyone thinks knows what he’s talking about, rather than being the idiot on his bottom in the middle. Also, I respect the ice and you can injure yourself very easily, which would be very stupid at my stage in my career. I don’t think people realise when they see an ice show, how difficult and dangerous the stuff they’re doing is.
Is this your best ice show so far?
It’s very hard to say, because every one you do is the best you can make it. There are sections with Robin’s choreography that are absolutely exceptional. Then I look back at other shows and think that some of those sections were exceptional. What I’d love to do one day is make a ‘best of’, because I think we’ve done some really good work together.
Holiday on Ice ‘Mystery‘, The Brighton Centre, Kings Road, Brighton, Friday 9 Jan to Sunday 1 Feb 2009. Bookings: www.ticketmaster.co.uk
or call 0844 8471515
