Gloving: What Makes it Special?

     Often some of the worlds most cherished arts start out in a dark light. In the early days, Gloving was always looked at as the thing to do for ravers and not something to be enjoyed outside of that. Today the art form has grown into more than we could have ever dreamed of. A much needed outlet for many of us, and one of the strongest ways to build a bond with someone in such a short period of time. No other art form can give you the chance to build connections like Gloving. Whether it be for therapy or making memories, Gloving and Flow Arts should be enjoyed by everyone!

What Is Gloving?

     Gloving is a mixture of movements by dancing with your hands and body using LED gloves to put on a show. You can give a show to an individual person, yourself, or even a large group of people gathered around. The art of Gloving uses popular movement techniques derived from many different dance forms and flow arts that have been around for generations. Isolating the hands and fingers, the flow artist works with the LED lights on their gloves to put on a show. The color and patterns from the LED gloves can change, be the same, or vary to create the perfect encapsulating performance. The combination of music, lights, and movement often mesmerize onlookers and put them in a euphoric like trance. Imagine being able to give a performance that you're proud of to viewers all around that are thrilled to watch! It can end up being a moment in yours or their night that's remembered forever. A light show has the opportunity to bring a viewer into a world that you've created and completely blow their minds.

The History of Gloving

     Gloving became popular in the early 2000’s with the rise of the underground music and rave scene. Initially people would attach glowsticks to their fingers and dance around with moves that came from a lot of liquid dance styles. It wasn't long before it gained traction and everyone was either wanting a show or Gloving themselves! Famous Glovers like Hermes and Gummy took over YouTube recording their performances and teaching followers their moves. The Flow Arts community took a heavy blow when in 2010, a 15-year-old girl passed away at EDC festival. Local authorities pressured lawmakers to crack down on the way large festivals were run. As a result, LED gloves were banned from festivals. Being grouped into a stigma has been difficult for gloving. But even with these bans, gloving was still a growing movement. Nobody will ever stop us from Gloving! In the more recent years, many of us leaders in the industry are constantly pushing the art form and the side of Gloving that only us Glovers know about. The beautiful passion that so many of us have for this art is truly inspirational. 
     

 

     Gloving isn’t just for ravers or a particular kind of person. Gloving is for everyone. The great part about gloving and the flow arts community as a whole is that anyone is welcome. Raving started with the mindset that everyone is welcome no matter where you come from. A lot of us have always felt like outcasts until we got into the flow arts communities. It’s not about who’s the best, although there are competitions. But it’s about the love of flowing and creating moving art as a whole. If you’ve wondered why the EDM and raving community is so accepting, it's because we know the power of music, the flowing, and how it can change you as a person and bring you joy. But most importantly, you shouldn’t just glove alone. Gloving is meant to be performed with others, where you can learn and bond with each other in a community. That’s why we want to invite you to join our Flow Army, a large family of flow artists and dancers who want to spread the love of lights to as many people across the world as possible. So what are you waiting for? Buy a pair of gloves, learn from YouTube, head to an EDM festival near you and get to flowing. We’re happy to have you in the community!