Thread: Candle Dance Help

Hi All,
I am attempting my firs dance with a tray of candles. Any advice on what type of candles to use and more importantly, how to stick/keep them on the tray? I have found that sex wax (for surfing) on the bottom of the tray has reduces the slip factor so much. I had been practicing without it and now that I put it on, the tray hardly moves at all. Oh yeah – any advice on costuming & hair – I don’t want to catch on fire.
Thanks-

I like to use candles that are called "dripless" The name is a little exaggerated, they *do* drip, but not as much as regular candles, and the wax seems to harden again more quickly. For me, spilled wax on my skin & costumes is the biggest issue.

I use white modeling clay to stick the candles to the tray firmly, like the kind you find in craft stores. If you use white candles it barely shows. My teacher taught us to stick the candles firmly enough that you can turn the tray upside down without the candles falling off.

I use battery-powered candles that flicker and look real on stage. I put them in votive cups and use the crafty stickum stuff to stick the bottom of the cup to the tray.

Never have to worry about getting them lit at the right moment, a draft blowing them out, dripping wax, fire codes, smoke alarms, nervous venue managers, etc.

I agree, Lauren, that 'dripless' is an exaggeration. Keeping your candles in the freezer until you need them helps a little bit, but I don't think you can ever have a real candle that doesn't drip. To keep them in the cups, I let the candle burn for a bit and pour some of the melted wax into the cup then stick the candle in it. It keeps the candle in place but comes out easily (usually).

I hotglue my candles on the tray. You have enough going on with balancing, you don't need your candles sliding around. Iuised to just the hot wax to keep the candles in place but that wasn't sturdy enough, especially if you are using tall candles as well.

A little beeswax or surfer's wax will help keep the tray from sliding. Some harispray also helps with friction.

I don't think your hair catching on fire is a big issue (someone please correct me if I'm wrong). In the past 4 years of balancing candle trays I never dropped any of them (you can probably sense that it's moving and can catch way ahead of time). If it was to fall off, the candles never get in contact with your hair anyways, because the tray would just slide off, with the candles on top.

As far as you costume or skin getting burnt candle wax on it - not a big possibility, unless your tray is seriously wobbling on your head (which means you need a lot more practicing) or that your candles have burnt down so much that your tray is just filled with them.

Be careful if you like to spin though, you can easily get candle wax on you while spinning.

Thanks, everyone - while looking for the modeling clay I found some stuff like fun tack. The Elmers brand works great! I used that plus some sticky wax to stick the candles to the tray and that seems like the best combo - without going to hot glue. The sticky wax worked well but was affected by the cold and once the tray sat in the cold car it unstuck - since I'm dancing in January, Saturday to be exact - the combo seemed to work the best -