Gloving LED Gloves
What is gloving and what are LED gloves? Well, gloving is a performance art or dance by use of LED Gloves, also referred to as rave gloves, where one or more people creatively and systematically move their hands and individual, LED lit, fingers to make impressive patterns in the air giving an almost hypnotic like sensation to the onlooker. A huge influence of the craft comes from finger tutting as many of the same techniques and moves apply across both labels for very similar things.
This is a very new age type of skill or craft that has had its genesis from rave and electronic dance type culture. You will often find a large following of people who are very skilled with the art of gloving at said EDM performances. This type of practice is definitely expanding to different genres of music and culture but the popularity overall very much remains with the EDM scene.
The main goal of any glove performance is to move your fingers around in such a way as to paint a uniquely dynamic picture to the viewer.
Fluidity is key for many tricks within a gloving performance to create a trance like feeling to the viewer.
Gloving gloves come in many different varieties. Typically, they come in the basic two color ways black and white which can serve very different purposes depending on the environment and desired effect that the performer is trying to get across. Very often you see the white color way as being very popular in rave like environments as they give a very unique effect when exposed to blacklights and allow the LED lights to shine a bit brighter than the alternative. The black based gloves are great for darker environments as they hide the performers hands better as they blend in with the darkness so the the focus is on the LEDs.
Traditionally, rave gloves have been white, Mickey Mouse looking gloves, with single LED lights at the tips of each finger. As the technology and popularity of the craft is taking off the designs are becoming more and more dynamic. You can now find gloves with LEDs on each digit of the fingers and sometimes in the palms. As these glove styles change so do the performances.
There is no right or wrong way to glove as it is all about expressing yourself through the act of dancing with your hands. Many popular techniques permeate the entirety of gloving and could ideally be broken down into simpler categories including but not limited to tutting, finger rolls, conjuring, flailing and liquidity.
Getting started with gloving is not very difficult by any means but perfecting the craft to the point of impressing others takes time and practice. Unfortunately, gloving is not always taken seriously by people who are just finding out about it as they do not realize what goes into a solid gloving performance. Additionally, Gloving can have assumed connections to the drug scene at raves and occasionally has caused these toys to not be allowed into some events.
That aside, it is an awesome art form and toy that anyone can get into easily and begin to entertain themselves and others wherever they might be.
