Goblet Notes from Ms. KittieSparkle

Goblet Dancing in the US began in the 70s and has come in and out of fashion over the years. Regardless of fashion or fascination, the goblets provide not only nail biting entertainment for the audience but proof positive of excellent posture and core strength. Balance and focus are extremely important in goblet dancing.

Tips for choosing your Goblets: All of my goblets come from the thrift store. Depending on your weight, you may need to choose heavier goblets, and when stacking, goblet strength becomes even more important. Be sure the glass has no weak spots, irregularities or cracks. While some dancers do dance on only two goblets, I choose to dance on three for greater versatility. Dancing on two goblets instead of three is very different, but an admirable skill to be sure.

There are lots of great glasses to be had. I purchased a beautiful set made in the 70s for one of our dancers at a local thrift store. I recommend trying glasses out at the store. Be reasonable. Choose glasses that could feasibly hold your weight. Even at the thrift store, ‘you break it you buy it’ applies.

To test, first, use shoes – be cautious, you need your feet! Select a sturdy trio of glasses that are all exactly the same. Place the glasses in a triangle pattern on a solid and even surface. Two glasses will support the ball of the foot and the heel, the third glass will support the ball of the foot only – so space the glasses appropriately to fit your feet. This will put you in a nice posed position from which you can work isolations. Place one foot – heel and ball – on two glasses, then as you feel your weight on those two glasses, and feel comfortable, put your other foot down on the single glass.

Once you’ve found your glasses, it’s time to start working on balance, focus, posture and isolations.

Here are some movements for use on the goblets, though I’m sure you can think of many more…

Umi smooth or articulated
Reverse Undulation
Chest Isolations
Undualtions
Undulations with shoulder shimmy overlays
Small hip circles
Hip Drops
Mayas
Upward and horizontal figure 8s
Shoulder Shimmies
Snake Arms
Shimmies
Flutters
Head Slides

A dancer can even travel on the goblets to some degree. You can slide the front glass forward or back, you can scoot the glasses around with a hip twist. Normally you want to keep your feet on the goblets at all times unless you are transitioning. If you wish to travel with the goblet, one great tip is to use candle wax on the rim of the glass to help is slide. If you will be transitioning on and off the goblets, powder your feet to prevent sticking.

Some dancers also manage to do things like the splits on goblets. I personally don’t’ recommend the splits for Middle Eastern dance as it puts a great emphasis on the groin and may be considered vulgar by some audiences. Other dancers balance on the glasses with their hands and feet for floor work style moves. There are many possibilities with Goblets to really wow the audience!

Goblet Accoutrements:
Surface: You may be asked to perform on uneven, grass or carpeted surfaces. For this reason, I always bring my own surface. I use a large plastic cutting board painted red. Others have used portable wooden surfaces. You may also want to use a decorative throw under the surface just in case there is breakage. This is especially important as you get to know your glasses and their reliability. Remember, if the glass breaks, it’s rather difficult if not impossible to recover your routine. If other dancers will be dancing after you, you must be sure they would not suffer glass on the stage should anything break.

Transport: I use a duffle bag with a cardboard divider from a liquor store box to divide my glasses and avoid breakage. This storage method makes getting the goblets out pretty quick. You can also put each glass in it’s own tube sock. This storage method requires more time to get out the glasses. If you’re part of a troupe show you may need to set up quickly, so keep that in mind as you pack your glasses.

Spares: Always keep spares just in case!

Make it Especial!

Although much of goblet dancing could be improvised, due to the various feelings of security and comfort you may feel from performance to performance, you should plan ahead for a great and seamless overall performance. Think! How will you get your goblets on the stage? What will you do before you get on the goblets? Do you need any assistance, if so, what is your assistant’s role. What is her persona? How will you exit the goblets, and how will you get them off stage? Are there any cues in your music that you want to respond to in specific ways (level changes, specific moves or moving the glasses)?

Jazz it up!

* Try tea lights under the glasses for a neat effect. Remember 6th grade science? Real candles would go out due to lack of oxygen. If they didn’t you’d have some toasty feet.
* Try balancing the tray of glasses on your head before putting them out on the floor.
* Try balancing a sword or jug or candles on your head while on the glasses.
* Try finger cymbals

Other Tips
Setting the Stage: When putting your goblets on stage, it’s best to kneel down rather than bend over. Bending your back puts you in an unflattering position (I have the photos to prove it!). Think about how you’re going to look on stage and practice at home in a mirror or studio to see what a flattering angle would be.

‘Mounting’ the Goblets:
Knocking ‘em back: Be sure and bring your foot up and then place it down on the front goblet so you don’t knock it down. If you are wearing long pants or a full skirt, raise the leg or skirt a bit to make sure you don’t knock the glasses over. You can incorporate this into the routine by camping it up a bit. Powder your feet for a clean dismount. Goblets that stick to your feet on the dismount can fall over.

Dismount: Carefully lift your front foot up and then set it down.

Dress for Success: If possible, wear something that doesn’t obscure the goblets. People will be taking pictures !

Don’t forget to dance: It is still about the dance, so be sure and pick music appropriate for the act. Music that builds in intensity, but is still fluid enough for the suggested movements is ideal. Have a small set of fallback moves in case you begin to loose your balance. If you’re working with a partner, be sure and decide on some signals to help them know when you need help and when you are set. These could be musical cues or subtle movements that look like part of the act.

Arm Yourself: On the same note of dance quality while on the goblets, be aware of and practice your arms. You will naturally want to use the arms for balance or bring them in. However, like any other performance in Middle Eastern dance, you’ll want to use your arms as a beautiful accent or to frame your movements. Getting past the need to use the arms for balance takes a lot of practice!

Posture: Your dance posture is paramount in keeping your balance and dancing on goblets. Always practice great posture on or off goblets!

Mood Music: Choosing the right music is of great importance. Decide on the tone of the dance (serious, dangerous, silly, fun etc.), the length of time you’re willing to dance on goblets. Drum solos are surprisingly well partnered with goblets as the isolation works well with your inability to move around stage much; but still gives you that wow factor of being on goblets and hitting all your accents. Some people prefer music of a more even and predictable pace since it’s more comforting to know you can improvise at will if you begin to feel uncomfortable or off balance. A Taxim would also be a good choice for a more serious sensuous performance.

Focus! : Each time you dance on goblets, you risk breakage, and in the advent of breakage, there is no ‘recovery’ from the mistake as in other dances. Breakage could also result in injury and a lengthy clean up process. Be sure and use every caution. The best defense is first to be prepared and practiced. Equally important is your focus. If you perform goblets often, it’s likely you will become complacent. You must fight this tendency! Before each performance, I take a second to realize what I’m doing, and take a deep breath to get focused.

Notes from KittieSparkle www.tulsabellydance.com reuse with permission only.