German fireworker: Our colourful Hell tries to put the angels under its spell

Brno – The Dance of the Angels with Two Steps on the Highway to Hell is the name that German fireworks designer René Calmez from the German team Beisel Pyrotechnik chose for his pyromusical. Emotions will play a big part in the German show, which will shine on Wednesday 12 June at 22:30, and the audience can also look forward to great synchronisation of the fireworks with the music and to many unique effects.

During the German show, effects from Italian producer Antonino Vacalluzzo will shine above the Brno Lake. Vacalluzzo won the main prize, the audience prize and the prize for the best music in Brno in 2011. By choosing those effects, the team pays a symbolic tribute to the fireworks manufacturer and designer who died in an accident in 2022.

You have chosen very powerful, epic and energizing music for your show. Which track was the best to work with? 

For me, it’s the penultimate track (Our Destiny by Thomas Bergersen and 2 Steps From Hell) was the best to work with, because it brings a lot of different dynamics, tempo and melodies to the show.

How did you come up with the idea of using the waltz from Czech opera Čert a Káča (The Devil and Kate)? 

This is very simple. As soon as I was sure which theme we would do, I was looking as a little homage to our Czech host and Czech audience for a title from a Czech composer or artist which relates to the topic and so I came to the Opera from Dvorak.

How did you feel about the obligatory song this year, which is also the first song of your show? 

Chariots of Fire is very often used as a song for fireworks, so at first, I thought “not again”. But we were allowed to use cover versions, so we found a version touched by electric music. In the end, it was a lot of fun to choreograph the show to the mandatory part of the soundtrack.

The spectators will see various effects from different countries. Which effect is your favourite? 

That is very difficult to say. For me personally, the favourites are of course the effects from Antonino Vaccalluzzo from Italy. Not just because of my personal friendship, but also because this effects in this quality will never be seen again, because Antonino died in a tragic accident at his factory in Sicily in September 2022. So, in this show, the audience will see some of the last effects he built before he died. But there are some other outstanding effects like big “Ghostshells” in the show. 

Hell is traditionally associated with warm colours such as red and yellow. Will the audience see those colours representing the “flames of hell” in your show? 

No, not in this case. In our show, “the Hell” tries to put the angels under its spell. It uses very colourful and symbolic effects to bring the “Hell Party” to the angels.

Dominika Lišková
The author graduated from FSS MU in Brno,
for more information from students of the faculty visit Stisk online