Music
glowstick
What does glowstick mean?
A flexible tube that glows when snapped, waved and twirled by ravers in the dark as part of the visual experience.
"Someone handed me a fistful of glowsticks and the night transformed."
Origin
Chemical light sticks became a rave staple in the 1990s; the freehand 'glowstringing' and 'glowsticking' art forms grew out of that scene, later joined by LED gloving.
Frequently asked questions
What are glowsticks used for at raves?
They're waved and twirled in the dark for the visual experience, and skilled dancers use them to perform flowing light patterns.
What is glowsticking?
It's the performance art of moving glowing sticks in intricate, beat-matched patterns, popular in rave culture.
Are glowsticks the same as gloving?
No — gloving uses LED lights inside fingertips of gloves, while glowsticking uses handheld chemical or LED sticks.
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