Gloving is a form of modern dance which involves the use of fingertip light-emitting diode (LED) lights to accentuate fun creative patterns.
Gloving performances are called light shows and have become increasingly popular at raves in America. Elements of hip-hop dance including liquiding, finger tutting, and popping have influenced gloving, and many of the same dance concepts and techniques can be applied to the dance form. Prior to gloving, rave attendees twirled glow sticks, and before the addition of LED lights, glovers used plain white Mickey Mouse gloves, which reflected black light frequently employed at shows. Sometimes when a person is gloving they grimace, as it's quite a taxing activity. Gloving is also referred to as fingering by some enthusiasts, however this is considered uncouth in some pro gloving communities.
In 2010 an electronic dance music promotions company, Insomniac Events, banned gloving from all its events citing drug connotations and safety issues. Insomniac chief executive officer Pasquale Rotella stated, "Between the fire marshals and the media perception, was putting the events in jeopardy and was not helping the health of the culture."
References
- Bain, Katie (May 15, 2015). "Everything You Need to Know About Gloving". Insomniac. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
- ^ "Inside EDM's Gloving Craze". Rolling Stone. April 10, 2014. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
- Kline, N. (November 7, 2013).Gloving Is Not A Crime! Electric Sloth.