Entertainment industry engineering and automation specialist WIcreations has
delivered a custom automation solution for the brand new Holiday on Ice show
“BELIEVE’, as well as fabricating the elaborate set as an efficient and tourable
package.

The world premiere of the fantastic new ice dance spectacle took place in Grefath,
Germany and is now touring Europe.

Hans Willems led the WI team for this project, working directly for producers
Netherlands based Stage Entertainment, and closely with set and scenic designer
Luc Peumans from Painting with Light.

A modern take on a classic Romeo & Juliet storyline, “BELIEVE’ dazzles with
movement, colour, style and world class skating and is directed and choreographed
by Olympic skating champion, Christopher Dean.

The intricate “stage’ comprises a series of interconnecting curved platforms,
walkways and sweeping staircases – most of them clad with LED video panels – and
this fills the space along one end of the ice.

It involves two prominent 8 metre high elevators with curved LED doors at the top
which are used extensively throughout the performance for entrances and exits.

The elevator platforms are moved up and down via a system based on one of WI’s
most popular multipurpose standard products, the WI Stacking Truss. The elevators
themselves have been custom constructed for this show but are based on more
standard WI products.

The vari-speed hoists controlling the elevator platform movement are running on
Kinesys Vector control on the same networked system as the tracks moving the
curved video doors. The lifts are used constantly throughout the show for
performers to access set platforms at several different levels.

On top of the central set platform is a DJ booth, which can also track 30 metres to
the centre of the ice using a WI Track touring system driven by two vari-speed
double-channelled hoists attached to the track.

WI has also supplied a SIL3 zero speed motor attached to the same track which is
used to lift two performers during the breath-taking Bolero routine.

When in its “home’ position in the middle of the set, this DJ platform has two skate
ramps either side that give access down to the ice.

The DJ booth was also built at WIcreations’ HQ in Heist-Op-Den-Berg and fitted with
all its LED screen. Because it is designed using WI Stacking Truss, the rigging and
hoists combined remain under 1 tonne in weight, which was crucial for tracking as
most venues offer a good selection of 1 tonne pointes, but if it exceeds that, the
whole process becomes a lot more complicated.

WI also contracted four 3.2 diameter scenic fan structures which are flown above
the ice, three to provide overhead lighting positions, and the fourth contains a
circular water screen which is activated for a special effect sequence in the show.

WI is supplying two crew on the tour. The show’s lighting designer is Paco
Mispelters and the video is designed by Michael Al-Far, both from Painting with
Light, and sound is designed by Jeroen Ten Brinke.

The “BELIEVE’ tour is currently scheduled to run for two years.