Rave dances themselves are considered legal gatherings although they did not necessarily begin that way. The rave dance started as huge parties in fields spread by word of mouth. One needed to know somebody who know somebody else to get information about when and where these parties were going to be. The crowds were diverse, people didn’t judge one another, and popularity grew. As the crowds at the rave dance party grew, so did the negativity surrounding it. The availability of drugs, such as ecstasy, caused the rave dance party to become a target for criticism from law enforcement and parent groups. The parties were getting busted by the police and people were being arrested for not having the right permits to hold such large gatherings. As the rave dance scene continued to expand, the movement went into the clubs.
The rave dance and club culture is a youth driven movement. People who attend rave dances freely express themselves through the art of dance. There are certain dance styles associated with a rave dance. They include glow sticking, break dancing, popping, and liquid dancing. Liquid dancing is a form of gestural, interpretive dance. Popping is when a dancer quickly contracts and relaxes one’s muscles to causes a jerking movement in one’s body. Break dancing is a street style dance that evolved as part of the hip hop movement. Glow sticking is a type of dance that involves light. Glow sticking creates interesting dance effects and is also thought to enhance the effects of drugs such as ecstasy.
Rave dance parties are loud and they are dark. This could be why glow sticking has been increasing in its popularity. A glow stick is a form of light that is inexpensive, durable, and safe. Glow sticks will not break if they are dropped. Simply having a glow stick in one’s hand at a rave dance does not mean that one is glow sticking. Glow sticking implies dancing. If one is not dancing, one is not glow sticking. The two main moves when glow sticking are moving the glow sticks in circles or forming figure eights. Watching a person glow sticking at a rave is quite an eye catching form of dance.
Glow stringing is a variation of glow sticking. Glow stringing may have some associations with Poi. Poi is the ancient art of twirling balls used by the native Maori people of New Zealand. Poi has been described as a form of juggling that utilizes balls attached to ropes. The ropes are held in the dancer’s hands and the balls are then swung in various circular patterns. Glow stringing is similar to Poi, except that it uses glow sticks tied to strings instead of balls. One can do an Internet search for glow sticking and find various instructional videos for this form of rave dance. There are also sites that sell the materials one would need to glow stick.
The rave dance movement has evolved over the years. Raves continue to be popular events for youth around the world. The rave dance movement has its own culture and its own form of dance. If you are looking for a new experience, perhaps consider checking out a rave dance party near you.