How does one bring an animated classic to life on the ice? Step by careful step.

That’s according to Barry Lather, choreographer for the Disney on Ice production “Toy Story 2,” which will be performed eight times this week at the Bangor Auditorium, beginning tonight.

“There is a script, but we’re not trying to duplicate an animated film,” Lather said in a phone interview from his Minnesota home. “Everything is thought out and discussed, and we know what we have to go after. Every single number is important, and I treat them the same.”

Lather actually started out on ice, as a hockey player during his youth in Minnesota, but turned to dance early on. He worked with singers Janet Jackson, Paula Abdul and Sting. His film and TV projects include Super Bowl halftime specials and a Miss America competition. He has been recognized with an MTV Award and two Billboard Music Awards.

In 1992, he began choreographing professional figure skaters Kristi Yamaguchi, Brian Boitano and Katarina Witt. He began working for Feld Entertainment when he choreographed “Grease on Ice,” starring Nancy Kerrigan and Scott Davis. He went on to help bring “The Jungle Book,” “Tarzan” and “The Lion King” to the ice in Disney on Ice’s “3 Jungle Adventures.”

What’s the biggest difference between choreographing for the stage and for the rink?

“The ice is humongous,” Lather said. “It covers much more room. You have to work from a broader perspective. You have to entertain everyone, regardless where they’re sitting.”

The Bangor shows will feature a smaller, portable ice surface (also known as “tank ice”), whereas some of the other places the tour visits have existing full-size ice rinks. It makes no difference to Lather.

“Everything still does work for tank ice,” he said. “You have to keep that in mind when you’re choreographing each number.”

Lather starts planning his choreography by listening to the show’s music. Other factors he must take into account include props, costumes and pyrotechnics.

A production number could take anywhere from four hours to two days to choreograph, depending on its complexity.

“Toy Story 2” features two huge production numbers, one a traffic jam and another an airplane departure. Lather welcomes such challenges.

“You can create interesting staging and shapes with a lot of people,” he said. “It’s not difficult, just time-consuming.”

Since Lather’s ice-skating days are in his past, he relies heavily on his assistant choreographer, Gig Siruno, who is also a veteran Disney on Ice performer. The pair works on the choreography for three weeks before even starting to work with the cast.

“It’s important to have an assistant who’s a good skater,” he said. “I would create a movement, and Gig would try it out on skates, to see if the steps work, or if they need to be simplified. He also showed the skaters the moves.”

The choreographers rehearse the show with the cast for six to eight weeks. The costumes arrive about halfway through the time. Since many of the outfits are bulky, Lather often adjusts the choreography at that point.

Lather’s involvement with the production ends after a series of dress rehearsals. Then the show goes into the hands of the touring performance director, “who makes sure everything is good, to keep it at a high quality,” he said.

Lather said that his goal is to help the audience connect with the performers.

“It’s about making a connection,” he said. “The audiences respond to the skaters’ display of happiness, sadness, fear and courage on the ice.”

Disney on Ice’s “Toy Story 2” will be performed at 7 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 11 a.m. and 3 and 7 p.m. Saturday and 1 and 5 p.m. Sunday at the Bangor Auditorium. Tickets are available at the auditorium box office and Ticketmaster locations or by calling 990-4444 or 775-3331.

Dale McGarrigle is a Style Desk writer. He can be reached at dmcgarrigle@bangordailynews.net.