Glowsticking
Glowsticking is simply defined as the art of dancing with glowsticks or other glowstick-like instruments that share the same kind of qualities: durable, consistency in light, safe to toss around, and often made up of a soft and pliant plastic.
History and culture
Although glowsticking has roots in the 1980s underground rave scene, it has since become a separate cultural phenomenon that can be found throughout the general electronic dance music world, and is becoming popular in the twirling and dexterity play communities.
Because of its history, it is argued that glowsticking culture has PLUR like aspects to it, preferring sharing and performing in accordance with your observer without any kind of negative statement implied, thus most disciples of glowsticking frown upon competitions.
The process has come to embody a sort of outsider's casual disdain for the rave scene, as demonstrated by the pejorative and vaguely dismissive term 'Glowstick crowd' as a reference for the people at the kinds of events at which glowsticking potentially takes place. These performers can usually be spotted quite easily as there is almost, always a circle of on seekers forming around the display.
Forms of glowsticking
Glowsticking is an umbrella term describing two broad categories of glowstick use, using strings (or lack thereof) as a method of distinction. Freehand and glowstringing are technical terms describing the set of moves common to both practices. The former is typically practiced without strings attached to the glowsticks. Glowstringing, a field that shares many of the same aspects as many other stringing related fields, such as poi, yo-yoing, and martial arts forms common with swords, flails, and rope darts, is typically executed with glowstick or glowstick-like instruments tied with a durable string at the end of it. In some case, handles on the opposite end of the string may be used, usually consisting of another glowstick, to allow for switching ends. In some cases, because the handle and end glowstick are different colors, moves or tosses that switch the ends give the effect of "color-switching."
Both of terms freehand and glowstringing describe the technical skills that relates to both.
Glowstringing
Glowstringing is defined by a few factors: the use of glowsticks on a string, the swinging motion, and an equally large growing category of moves and concepts that are common to glowstringing, including but not limited to: wrapping and elaborate string manipulations common with yo-yoing and martial arts (as well as other disciplines). Glowstringing, much similar to freehand glowsticking, typically borrows from other disciplines, with some moves originating from poi. This genre has even on occasion borrowed freehand concepts, such as the aspect of mimicking traces (and vice-versa).
Freehand glowsticking
Freehand is defined by the steadily growing body of concepts and moves. Some of these concepts include liquid dancing, tracing, taps, throwing, as well as interdisciplinary dance skills borrowed from common funk style categories. Freehand glowsticking typically borrows from many other dance styles as well as having its own unique set of moves.
Traces is the act of dragging the glowsticks over one's body. An example of a common trace is the stomach trace, which includes dragging the glowsticks over one's stomach to create a circular pattern.
Another example of a basic movement frequently used in freehand glowsticking is the figure eight-- quite possibly the most well known, albeit not the most common move in the intermediate and more advanced levels.
Drug-enhancement effects
One reason that Glow sticking is popular in rave culture is that the visual stimulation of moving glowsticks is said to enhance the high of the drug ecstasy. In 2001, the ACLU won a case in Federal Court that defended glowstick and pacifiers being given out as party favors [1].
See also
External links
- www.glowsticking.com - Discusses the culture of glowsticking in depth, provides videos, tutorials and forums.
- Playpoi Glowstick Photo Set - Extensive collection of long-exposure glowstick photos.
Video clips
- When Circles Dream - Video featuring moving and still images of glowsticking.