"Give the people what they want but not in the way they expect it” is how Olympic figure skater Robin Cousins describes his approach to choreography.

And it is a maxim which can be traced throughout his career – from his Olympic routine set to the London Symphony Orchestra’s version of Rolling Stones classic Paint It Black, to the musical selection for his brand new show Ice.

“It’s nice to pick a lovely piece and re-orchestrate it in a way that people don’t normally hear it,” he says from Ice’s marquee rehearsal space.

“We mix a heavy metal rock song – Extreme’s More Than Words – with JS Bach at one point, and turn a Lady Gaga tune into a swing band piece.

“I love the moments where the recognition kicks in – there has to be a comfort factor in there. Anyone who knows Holiday On Ice knows I have a certain style and I’m not going to mess with what works for me.”

Cousins says the starting point for his choreography is always the music – and this show combines new routines to favourite tracks, as heard in previous shows Electric Ice and his contributions to Holiday On Ice, with pieces he’s tackling for the first time.

“If I can’t skate to it in my head then it’s not going to work,” he says. “I’m sometimes quite dismissive of music. If I can’t skate to it then it’s not a good bit of music!”

When it comes to the choreography for Ice, his aim is deceptively simple.

“I really want to run the gamut of everything the body can and can’t do on the ice,” he says.

Helping him create that vision is a 14-strong ensemble cast, drawn from old friends and experienced ice dancers he has wanted to work with for a while.

“We don’t have that many solos, although there are solo sections within numbers,” he says. “It’s all very much working as an ensemble and doing whatever the music and choreography requires.

“I needed a cast that understood my processes and what was needed – they have all been there and done that, and can bring something to the table.”

He hasn’t tried to enforce a theme or narrative to the show – allowing the pieces to flow naturally during the two hours.

“Ice shows have always been variety shows,” he says. “Some of the sections are quite long; it’s nice to do blackouts and start with something fresh, but there is some kind of flow.”

Announcing the launch of Ice in July, Cousins admitted producer Jamie Wilson had convinced him to create his own show having spent the previous few years working with touring giants Holiday On Ice – which had an unbroken run of shows at the Brighton Centre from 1978 to 2012.

“This allows me to go back to my roots and let skating speak for itself,” he said, revealing Wilson had shown him 30-year-old photographs from his sold-out Electric Ice show at London’s Victoria Palace Theatre to convince him to take the plunge.

“This is me taking the history of what I have done since winning [Olympic gold] and putting it out there in this wonderful space.”

Now the first Ice show is almost set to go, he admits he would love to do more.

“I want to get this one up and running,” he says. “The cast are working their skates off, but I’m enjoying the process. It’s all about detail now, getting the pieces so they are comfortable on the body rather than just good for the choreographer!”

The Brighton Centre is set to be one of the biggest venues on the theatre tour, underlining the Brighton audience’s long love of the ice.

“It’s twice the size of the other places we are playing,” says Cousins. “We will be able to do bigger choreography and open it up a little more.”

The launch of Ice coincides with Cousins’ return to the small screen as chief judge on the final series of ITV’s Dancing On Ice.

“We have been really lucky to get so many years out of Dancing On Ice,” he says. “We are going to celebrate that we did it for nine years – you should always go out with people wanting more.”

He is pleased with the impact the talent show has had.

“Dancing On Ice has brought ice-skating to a new generation,” he says, adding people have started rediscovering his old routines through YouTube.

“It’s nice to get that recognition for the sport after 40 years.”

He describes the breakthrough of British skaters in the later 1970s and early 1980s – with fellow champions John Curry and Torvill And Dean – as something of a fluke though.

“Sadly we’ve not seen a resurgence of champions yet,” he says.

“Skating has become like gymnastics – you have to be stronger, faster and younger. The UK is catching up though, and hopefully somebody will come through.”