Dan Whiston, Ice skating pro and associate creative of one of ITV’s most loved shows Dancing on Ice, shares his typical day working on the show. Documenting his day working with the contestants and with the all contestants and what typically goes on behind the scenes to make the show such a success!
A day in the life of Dan Whiston, creative director of Dancing On Ice:
A large part of my job revolves around getting ready for Dancing on Ice live show days. On a Sunday I get into work early morning, and after I’ve made myself a nice strong brew, I go straight over to the judges desk where I watch as each skating couple rehearse their routine. I chat with them alongside the production team and Karen Barber, head coach and we give them notes. This is where we help them put the finishing touches to their performance, or if they’re struggling with a particular move, I’ll work with them on that.
Once all couples have rehearsed their routines, I’ll go on the ice to run through and finesse the big production numbers. I love choreographing the group performances, especially if they’re pro routines because they’re so fast paced and packed with tricks. It’s really important to ensure all the moves and tricks are performed just right, so the studio cameras can pick up every shot, and the audience watching at home, don’t miss anything.
I pop along to wardrobe, which is one of my favourite places to go as it’s warm in there, the costume team are really friendly, and also they have loads of sweets! I check through all the costumes with the designer, making sure everything works on the ice and that the skaters can perform their moves without splitting their trousers , or losing straps etc.
At some point I’ll meet with the production team and go through creative ideas for the next weeks show, confirming songs the celebrities will skate to if they stay in the competition, and talking through possible performance ideas.
Holly and Phil arrive around midday and start rehearsing their links, before I head back to the studio for the dress rehearsals. This is when everything starts coming together and the VT’s, performances and presenter links happen as if it’s the live show. We look over every routine, and together we might make some last minute adjustments if needed.
I sometimes have a little bit of time before the show starts, whilst everyone is getting show ready. During this time, I’ll quickly grab some food, and walk around checking everyone’s okay, sometimes helping calm people down or occasionally doing something silly to cheer them up.
As you can imagine, once the show is live on air it’s a whirlwind of activity and adrenaline backstage. By the time the show finishes I’m absolutely exhausted, and after a quick show debrief and maybe a cheeky glass of wine, I try to get an early night because Monday we start the process of putting the next show together all over again…. It’s a mad busy schedule but I absolutely love it!
Follow Dan on Instagram @thedanwhiston for more behind the scenes at Dancing on Ice.
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