Gloving | Let's Light It Up

January 17 2016

Tracking The Journey Of The Dance Form Called Gloving

Technology is touching every aspect of our lives. Whether it is our workplace, personal life or entertainment, technology, today, is playing a very prominent and important role in almost everything that we do today. Therefore, it was only a matter of time before this technology made its presence felt in pure art forms like dance as well. This technology is being used for taking dance forms to an altogether different level and giving live performances and shows a feel of being so sophisticated and hi-tech, that they appear to be at par with any recorded and digitally edited dance performance.

Gloving is a dance form which is the best and the biggest example of the use of technology in dance. In this dance form, LED lights are used on the fingertips, in order to accentuate the movements of the hand and give them a digital feel.

History Of This Dance Form

There was a time when this dance form was practiced and performed in underground shows only. Therefore, if you wanted to watch a gloving performance, you would probably have to find your way into a rave party. Then Brian Lim came along and with time the popularity of this dance form increased and today, every dance show, music festive, party, etc. has at least one performance which is based totally and completely on gloving. This dance form has now been accepted as a true art form and is being appreciated by dancing enthusiasts all over the world.

Development Of This Dance Form

Gloving is one of the latest dance forms to hit the dance floors and hence there is immense craze about the same, especially among those dancing enthusiasts who like to mix technology with their dance in order to offer their audiences a unique experience. This dance form is being practiced by millions of dancers all over the world and the dance specialists are coming out with new and innovative movements which can be added to this dance form and increase its popularity and its appeal. Thanks to these new steps which keep getting added to this dance form, this dance style keeps getting better and better and through this continues to rule the hearts of the people.

There are two most important aspects which are involved in performing this art form. Those two aspects are as under:

Right Lights

Selection of the right lights is extremely important. Just as every dance step and movement in your choreography needs to be selected and inserted into the song very carefully, the LED lights which will be placed on your fingertips also need to be selected with extreme care and after taking into consideration their role in the choreography and the use of the same in the entire dance act. Selection of wrong lights can end up spoiling your performance completely. When you are performing the gloving style of dance, these LED lights are not some prop which you need to use in the dance, in fact, they are a part of your body which you just have to use effectively, delicately and perfectly in order to ensure that the standard of your performance, touches very high skies.

Practice

The second aspect involved in the performance of this dance form, or for that matter any dance form, is practice. Just as every step in your dance act needs to be practiced again and again in order to perfect it, similarly, you need to practice all your dance moves, with these LED lights, many times over in order to get them right. It is a good idea to get your performance recorded, so that you are able to see the actual effect and coordination between the lights and your dance moves. Until and unless this coordination between the two is not right, you will not be able to put up a good show. Therefore, practice is a must. The professional glovers around the world are putting in long hours every day in practicing this dance form so as to get it perfect. And to think that there was a time when this dance form was banned and these talented individuals had to showcase their dance gift at illegal parties, is just sad.

Thankfully, the scene today has completely changed, and anyone who wishes to follow this art form can do so freely without any fear of, any sort of negative judgment from the society or getting booked for any illegal activity. The biggest reason for the ban of this dance form was due to the big fire hazard which was caused by this dance form. All light shows are mostly performed on the floor and with all the gloves lying around on the floor, there is always the risk of someone tripping over and leading to sparks and consequently fires or other major accidents. However, one needs to realize that accidents are a part of life and due to the fear of these accidents we cannot stop enjoying or appreciating a good art form. What needs to be done is to ensure that all safety precautions are taken so as to reduce the chances of these accidents to a minimum. The audiences need to be educated about their movements and behavior during this show, as this again will reduce the number and incidence of these accidents.

Gloving is a free style of dancing and needs to be appreciated for its versatility and the great blend of technology which it brings with itself. This dance style when performed in concerts or musical festivals, can leave the audiences enthralled and when used in a party or a club, can help in lifting up the mood and spirits of the people in the house and taking the party to an altogether different level. Therefore, depending on the occasion, this dance form can help in crea6ting the right atmosphere, but it will need the support of a good, rather great dancer to make that perfect impact. Hence, if you love gloving and want to become a part of it, then first you need to brush up your dancing skills.