Closed Topics: Glass Bottle Alternatives

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Glass Bottle Alternatives

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Printed Date: 8/09/25 at 4:53am
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Topic: Glass Bottle Alternatives

Posted By: SpazzingSM
Subject: Glass Bottle Alternatives
Date Posted: 8/03/04 at 8:26pm

Hi... I'm SMing Fiddler on the roof and we have been using glass bottles for the Bottle Dance scene at the wedding. At rehearsal tonight one of the young teen's bottles fell and shattered. I would like to know if anyone has any suggestions for bottles that look like glass, and are weighted enough that they can balance them on their heads during the dance but do not have the hazards that come along with glass breaking on stage.

We open in just a couple weeks so any info you have would be greatly appreciated ASAP!!

Thanks!

Replies:

Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 8/05/04 at 12:35am

I have seen it done using plastic bottles with sand in the base for weight, magnets & Velcro on the base. Not very realistic if the dancer tips their head or the hat falls off & bottle remains attached! What I have seen, is the bottle is coated with a plastic film, from a spay can. If the bottle falls it just bounces or if it breaks the glass shards are held together. Unfortunately it takes a lot of practice, to dance without moving their head. If one falls, I think this adds to the performance & proves their not just stuck on. You can assist by having a depression in the top of the hat, that is the exact size of the bottles base.

I don?t know if this helps? - Probably not!

Chookas

Posted By: dougb
Date Posted: 8/06/04 at 11:33am

When we did Fiddler, we tried a lot of things to help with the bottles. We were using high school boys as the dancers. Finally they just did it with plain bottles - it was clear to the audience that there was no trick to it and it stopped the show every night. When they lost a bottle, they always managed to catch it. They got really good at it but they worked very hard on it. Most nights they got through the entire dance and never lost a bottle.

Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 8/06/04 at 10:03pm

Every time I have been connected with ?FOTR?. I have only seen 2 broken bottles. - That would cover about !00 Pro & about 60 Am performances.- There has been a lot of bottles fall off & either been caught or bounced. In the cases where they smashed, certain members of the cast, would sweep it up immediately, as part of the scene!

However every time you would see the dancers, back stage, they would be practicing deportment with bottles on their hats.

While there are a number of things you can do to assist -the real secret is the same for a juggler - constant hard work & practice!

Chookas