Glow Stick Tricks
Basic tips for tricks with glow sticks
If you have ever been to a rave or warehouse party, you have an idea about the sort of tricks people perform with glow sticks. Some of the trickery involved with glowsticking, as it is commonly known, is nothing short of spectacular. It is utterly mesmerizing to stand back and watch somebody dance whilst twirling glow sticks in time with a steady, pounding beat. It is awe-inspiring, to say the least.
There is some confusion among people new to the rave culture and glowsticking in particular, regarding the origins of this wonderful pastime. Many people tend to associate glow stick dancing with something known as Poi, even though the art of Poi has been in existence long before glow sticks were invented. Poi is a form of dance that originated in New Zealand, amongst the Maori tribe. In short, it is a tribal dance performed using a piece of rope with a ball attached to either end.
There is, however, some logic behind the assumption that glowsticking is related to Poi. There is no question that they are very similar. In all likelihood, practitioners of Poi began to practice their art at rave parties and the rave culture adopted it with one minor modification- the addition of glow sticks. There are two main types of glowsticking: stringed, otherwise known as glowstringing and unstrung or freehand glowsticking. Freehand glowsticking or using glowsticks that are not strung together is somewhat self-explanatory, so we will focus on the stringed techniques.
Stringed glowsticking refers to connecting two glowsticks together with a string or rope. There are a few basic tricks that people perform with their stringed glow sticks. Most beginners start by learning how to do these tricks with one hand, and then progress to using the other hand. With time and practice, they eventually learn to perform their tricks simultaneously with both hands.
The most basic trick in the glowsticking repertoire is making circles. The next trick people tend to learn is the figure eight pattern. Once the user is confident performing both of these tricks safely, they can begin to interchange them. Another glowstringing trick is to swing one glow stick over the shoulder and to grasp it under the arm. This is a great trick because the transition to doing it with the other hand is very natural- especially for martial arts movie buffs. One more variation of this trick is to swing the glow stick over the shoulder but, instead of grasping it under the arm, the user will grasp it behind their back.
These are just a few basic ideas for tricks with glow sticks. There are countless tricks that people can do with glow sticks. The wonderful thing about dancing with glow sticks is that there are no real rules to follow. By spending some time experimenting with different techniques, users will inevitably discover their own glowsticking style. The rave culture is open-minded and encourages self expression, so feel free to experiment with your tricks and your dance moves.
