“Holiday on Ice” Touring Opportunities

Holiday on Ice is the oldest and most established touring troupes in the world. For the past 75 years, the company has been producing skating shows across Europe and beyond, and has a variety of professional opportunities for skaters who are looking to continue their careers beyond the competitive arena.

Can you tell us about the shows?

Every year, the company produces an original show, which generally runs for a minimum of two seasons, so that two productions tour at the same time — the new show and the one that continues from the previous year.

Holiday on Ice primarily tours in Germany, Austria and France but the company is looking to explore opportunities in the UK, Netherlands, Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, as well as the Middle East and Asia. Next season Poland will be added to the tour roster.

How long does each tour run?

Our first-year show generally runs from November to May and our second-year typically runs from December to April.

Do you take skaters from all disciplines?

Yes. Our aim is to cast performers who excel in various combined artistic disciplines such as top-level skaters (often former Olympians), acrobats, aerialists and gymnasts.

What are the requirements to join Holiday on Ice?

We hire a variety of performers. Obviously, those who hold top competitive records and who possess previous professional experience in performing arts are the core group that we recruit from. But, there are also a lot of young amazing talents who want to gain performance experience in shows and who are also of great value to our company. Our experienced recruiting network is rather broad, and we are always looking for any unique skill that a performer can bring to amaze our international audiences.

What is the technical level required?

It depends on what position a performer is cast. Principal performers should have very strong technical skills (triple jumps, a variety of spins, throw jumps and twist lifts for pairs, as well adagio lifts), possess solid artistic potential and have a strong stage presentation. For our ensemble skaters, the level may be not as high. However, all our performers must have strong skating skills and most importantly, perhaps, have the skills and the personal drive to entertain an audience at the highest level.

Some skaters may be great from a technical perspective, but might still need to learn how to perform in shows. In such instances, we offer the possibility to take an understudy role for one of the principal performers and use a season or two to develop and grow into that performance, and then take on a more prominent role in a show. And, of course, if any of the performers have a special trick or a unique element, we often try to incorporate those into the shows. In short, we are always supportive of trying to utilize and feature all skills, talents and elements that our performers have to offer.

Are your shows themed? If so, can you give us a couple of examples?

Some of our shows have been variety shows with no particular theme. However, in the last few years we gravitated more toward themed shows. They are not literal story-telling (in the broad sense), but rather a fascinating theme, around which various production numbers are revolving — enough for the audience to understand the story line yet leaving room for their own interpretation. For example, one of our recent productions “Atlantis” displayed an amazing creative interpretation on the legendary metropolis. The show visualized what could have happened before a catastrophic event caused its destruction in Act 1, and what could have happened if the city would never have been discovered underwater in Act 2.

Do skaters perform only in their own discipline or do you have programs to create pairs/adagio teams, etc.?

In most cases we hire performers who have already excelled in their own disciplines. However, if we discover a talented pairs girl and a talented pairs boy who are looking for a partner, we sometimes try to join them by creating a pairs or adagio team. We do not have a fixed training program or the facilities that could be used for this purpose. If we choose to put two skaters together, it is up to them to train and develop themselves further.

The same goes for other disciplines. If certain performers have the ambition to master a new skill (aerial apparatus, for example), we may encourage this initiative and offer them a platform to train, whilst they are on tour with us. In some cases, and when appropriate, we may also use newly developed skills and actively support our skaters to develop these skills for implementation in our shows.

Can you talk about the work environment and what is expected of skaters on these tours?

While on tour, we expect our performers to look after themselves, to keep fit and deliver performances at the highest level. A professional attitude and personal discipline is key to achieving this. Working and touring with Holiday On Ice can be great. Hundreds of examples exist where new skaters join and make new friends for life. Our performers often stay in hotels that are mostly in the centre of the cities where the shows take place. In between performance dates there is plenty of time to explore the exciting places we visit.

Where do rehearsals take place and how long are they?

Rehearsals generally take place near Antwerp, Belgium, at a large complex that has great on-site accommodation. Rehearsals usually start in mid-October and run until the end of November. Our new shows usually open in Germany towards the end of November.

Do coaches work with the skaters before and/or during tours?

Yes, we have experienced and qualified coaches who work with our skaters to get the best out of them. During the tour, there is a performance supervisor who helps people improve their technical and performance skills.

What are the benefits of working for Holiday on Ice?

It is the largest and the world’s most successful production company of first-class ice shows, with some of the industry’s most renowned creatives. Skaters are offered a chance to perform for enthusiastic international audiences of over half a million per season.

With Holiday on Ice, skaters have the opportunity to learn from the best, the opportunity to train and improve their skills, which creates opportunities for different roles in future productions.

What is the procedure for applying and what is the recruiting process?

Interested candidates can start the process by completing this application form.