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WIcreations supports new Holiday on Ice show

WIcreations has delivered a custom automation solution for the new Holiday on Ice show ‘Believe”, as well as fabricating the set as a tourable package. The world premiere of the new ice dance show 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.

The ‘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 video doors at the top of the elevator are attached to tracks in the roof that are integral to the elevator structure and deal with the open/closing movement, while the positional movement cues for the LED doors are linked to the Pandora’s Box media server playing back the video.

The elevator platforms are moved up and down via a system based on 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 ‘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. 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.

A challenge was designing all set elements so they pack down into a series of dollies for practical transportation. LED screen is designed, where possible, to travel with most of the relevant set pieces, rather than being attached separately at each venue, and lighting fixtures - supplied by Focus Showlighting - are also built into some parts of the set.

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.

(Photos: Morris MacMatzen)

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