These articles are for all kinds of glowstickers at all sorts of different skill levels. These articles will focus mainly on technicals and foundations and will teach nothing about creativity and artistry. Some of the best glowstickers cannot do anything "difficult", but you'll still be blown away by their artistry.

In any case, the following skills should be considered as foundation skills. Some, such as liquids, are a whole field of dancing and translates to dancing without glowsticks as well.

These skills are mainly from the iloveraving.com glowstickers who helped define glowsticking in california (and to my knowledge, first ever). Many of these skills, such as kicking, stalling, and other advanced forms, were popularized and most likely invented by iloveraving.com glowstickers (circa 1998-). That doesn't mean that ILR people invented them all of them necessarily, but it does mean that these articles were written with the biggest influence from ILR glowstickers.

Some of these forms, such as liquids and tracing, are as old as glowsticking itself.

Yosho (the founder of iloveraving.com), for example, was one of the first to have a methodology for kicking a glowstick, and he is featured in a 2 year old glowsticking video by DrunknMunkey (available in many places and outlets). Many other different styles of freehand glowsticking has emerged from all over, from Hawaii to Taiwan to New York.

In any case, these articles will at first mostly focus on california style glowsticking, in particular, the specific combination of skills and methods that characterize iloveraving.com style glowsticking.

Some of the ILR glowstickers that are considered to be influential are Yosho, Manny, Hoppa, Paul, Dave (that's me), Felix, Jeff, Gio, and others. Some of us have influences outside of glowsticking (funk styles), and different types of philosopies.

I've personally witnessed many forms of glowsticking that are very unique and have a definately style. For example, a juggling (pure juggling with 3-4 glowsticks) type of style with ultra fast combos from a glowsticker by the name of Kevin is one of Jeff's influences in northern california. Another famous older glowsticker (in 1999 or so), by the name of Johnny Quest mixed bboying and breaking moves with his glowsticking.

In Hawaii, the glowstickers attach photons to create a very mesmerizing and fast form of glowsticking. In New York, the style is supposedly a very smooth type of glowsticking. I am personally experimenting with combining my knowledge of waving, tutting, and other (mimimg, animating) forms of dance with glowsticking.

In any case, please don't let these tutorials limit you. Your imagination is limitless-- so don't let your glowsticking have limits. Remember, glowsticking is dancing with glowsticks. Don't settle for anything else.

TrackBack URI for this entry

Comments (0)