'HIGH SCHOOL' COOL HOW CHOREOGRAPHER CHARLES KLAPOW GOT HIMSELF OFF THIN ICE.

Byline: >BY EVAN HENERSON

>LA.COM 

Choreographer Charles "Chucky" Klapow still has his "head in the game." Along with his heart, feet, spirit, enthusiasm . . . and now, his ice skates.

That's right, ice skates. The Northridge-raised Klapow -- who shared an Emmy with director Kenny Ortega for the choreography of "High School Musical" -- has taken his game to a new level with "Disney's High School Musical: The Ice Tour."

The tour plays a seven-performance, three-arena run beginning tonight at Staples Center. Klapow, 27, spoke to LA.com from New York, where the "HSM:IT" prepared to kick off at Madison Square Garden.

There's a lot of hip-hop dance and choreography in your bio. I don't see ice skating.

I learned how to ice skate for this. I never skated before this job. When Kenny asked if I could choreograph the ice tour in a similar, recognizable way and remain true to the film, I told them I never skated before. He said, "You don't have to. You just teach the ice choreographer on the floor, and they can take it from the floor to the ice." But the second we started, I realized that's not how I really work. I love demonstrating the moves and showing the energy. I can't do that from side of ice.

Is it possible to dribble a basketball on ice?

Yeah, it's so cool. We do basketball and baseball because the second act is "High School Musical 2." People are always asking about that. It's all alive and working on the ice. The baseball is so much fun. We've got the bats and the mitts and we use lighting to light the bases. It's even more fun to watch on ice than on film.

When you first got this gig, weren't you maybe just a little bit dubious?

At first, I said, "Cool, an ice show." I had never seen a Disney on Ice show. When we were filming "High School Musical 2," I saw "The Incredibles" when Disney on Ice came through town while we were shooting in Salt Lake City. I thought, "Oh no! Is this what I'm getting myself into?" I watched it and it scared me to death. I didn't know if I could handle something like this. But Kenny's trust reassured me. Of course, "High School Musical" is my baby, and I want it to be as good as it can be. Now, all because of "High School Musical," I can figure skate. I'm doing an axel now.

What's up next?

"High School Musical 3," which we're going to do as a feature film. We'll be starting that in January. I'm really hoping to direct one day. I'm learning my craft through Kenny the way he learned through Gene Kelley. He had me direct a sequence on one of the dances. He said, "Chucky's directing," and he just walked away and forced me to do it. Then he came back and said, "I did for you what Gene Kelly did for me."

I'll be doing "Dancing With the Stars" in a few weeks, and I'm not done with skating. Our ice choreographer Cindy Stuart asked if I'd be interested in choreographing the opening of the "Stars on Ice." So this show has opened doors for me, teaching me how to choreograph on ice.

We can see you on screen in the original "High School Musical," right?

Yeah, I still look young enough to be on the high-school basketball team. I'm No. 44 in "Get'cha Head in the Game."

Evan Henerson, [phone]

[e-mail]

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL: THE ICE TOUR

>Where and when: 7:30 tonight and Friday at the Staples Center; 7:30 p.m. Saturday and noon, 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday at the Long Beach Arena; 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the L.A. Sports Arena.

>Cost: $18 to $40. [phone], www.highschoolmusicaltheicetour.com.

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(1 -- 2) "I learned how to ice skate for this. ... Now, all because of 'High School Musical,' I can figure skate. I'm doing an axel now," says choreographer Charles Klapow, above, rehearsing with the troupe. The ice show opens tonight at Staples Center in downtown L.A.