Finally, the rave is back. We get to attend those festivals we know and love with our little rave family. We get to listen to the booming bass of live music (remember live music?) We get to dress up, dance, and rave our booties off.
Along with the dancing and the good vibes, there’s another essential part to raving that is unique to the scene: light shows.
Some prefer their light or fairy whip, some prefer hooping, but many of us take the gloving route.
If you’re interested in trying out LED gloves for yourself, or just bought your very first pair and don’t know where to start, we got you.
It’s All in the Gloves
The first thing you need to do is make sure that you have a good pair of LED gloves. The gloves are really the key to success, here.
Your gloves should offer multiple settings, including colors and color-changing effects. Some gloves offer strobing effects, so if that’s something you would like to try out, you should get yourself a pair that offers those effects.
You should also get a few different sets of finger lights to swap out when you need to change up your routine.
Some light gloves also come with apps that you can connect your gloves to.
Practice Makes Perfect
Just like with everything else in life, practice is what really makes the performance. You are learning a new skill set, and for some people, the coordination doesn’t come automatically. It’s something you have to practice.
Luckily, since all your really need is your hands to practice, it’s easy to do anywhere. On the train, at your desk, anywhere you happen to be, if you’re comfortable with it.
When you practice, you strengthen the connection between your hands and your mind. You also strengthen the literal muscles in your hands and fingers, which is also important.
Go with the Music
The key to putting on a show with your light gloves is to move with the music. Listen to the beat and then move along with the music.
In rave music, the bass is usually key. Punctuate those beats with things like pulses and rolls. The best music to practice gloving to is house music, so put together a playlist of all of your favorite house songs. Gloving to music you already know is easier than trying to keep up with new songs, so trying out techniques to familiar songs is a great way to get your bearings.
Start Small
There are some crazy intricate, next-level techniques that you’ll see advanced glovers breaking out at the rave. But try not to compare them to yourself.
When it comes to anything new, we’ve all got to start somewhere. If you’re new to gloving, start out with smaller, simple techniques. Focus on making sure that you nail these techniques, like basic rolls, and then you can move on to the bigger tricks. You have to walk before you run.
Be Patient with Yourself
If you have a perfectionist streak, you may have a hard time at first. Just remember that nobody is ever perfect at anything overnight.
Regardless of how it may look, gloving can be kind of hard. You’re asking your hands to do movements that they’re not really used to and it takes time and patience to master it.
Remember to Have Fun
Above all else, the main thing you need to remember when you’re learning how to put on a light show with LED gloves is that this is supposed to be fun. The only way that you can fail is if you’re not having fun.
