Glove Light Shows: Specific Techniques Part II - Lightzombies.com

I've had some requests, specifically for some more advanced moves and transitions. I'm going to split this next tutorial up into two parts:

i. Advanced Moves

ii. Transitions & Stalling (Thinking Time)

For this tutorial I chose to use gif animations (they work a bit better than still images). Unfortunately, hub pages won't let me upload gifs to my hubs, so I have to link them. I recommend you open the link and keep it up on the side of the descriptions.

As always, practice practice practice. Keep it plur and have fun!

This is sort of a variation of the finger roll. It takes a bit more dexterity and flow. The final product should look something like a sine wave. Make sure to vary your speed and distance.  Also, make sure to switch it up, so you aren't doing finger waves in only one direction. Finger waves can be performed with two hands or one.

1. Start with your fingers flat. I'll call this line the zero line.

2. Move the pinke of your right hand upwards, and follow with your other fingers until you hit a 'peak' (your index finger should be near zero line). As you reach this peak you should start moving your fingers like the top of a parabola.

3. Start moving your right pinke back downwards and following with your other fingers. Your left index finger should follow. When your left index finger reaches the 'peak' your left and right pinkes should be near the zero line.

4. Repeat the above steps with the bottom of the wave (make sure to start arching your fingers like a parabola towards the bottom 'peak').

The warp is like a rotating finger roll that stops at a center point. Your fingers/hands will be moving/rotating in opposite directions. Doing this move with thumbs on looks cool, but it looks great with thumbs off as well. Don't forget to vary your distance and speed when doing this move. You can start the warp 2 feet back from your lightshowee and 'warp' into a few inches. It makes for a cool effect. Changing up the speed also provides some good variance (I.E. make one warp take 4 kick drums (quarter notes) to complete, then make the next 4 take 1 kick drum.

To perform the warp:

1. Start with your fingers in one central position.  Your fingers should be pointed down on one hand, while they are pointed up on the other hand.  Both palms should be facing outward.

2. Start a finger roll (pinke first) with your top hand, and (first finger first) with your bottom hand.

3. Make a circle until they meet at the central point again

I like to do splits in conjunction with the warps because it creates a cool effect. There are other ways to do splits that are just as effective and look cool.  Basically, when you reach one end of the split just move your hands in opposite directions.

(In this gif on one side I move my hands directly vertical when they should be diagonal.)

Same as the split, except you move one hand past the lightshowees head and one hand far away from them.

The finger roll variation of the solid roll is a lot like the solid roll in the 3rd part of my gloving tutorials.  The major difference is you are doing a finger roll while doing the solid roll.

In the solid roll your fingers remain straight, but in this variation you will need to move all of your fingers like you are doing a finger roll (sideways).

1. Start with your hands in front of you in a fist.  Your fingers should be touching so that one palm is facing you and another is facing away.

2. With the hand that's palm is facing away (still in a fist).  Start a finger roll (pinke first) with your right hand, except have the finger roll move forward instead of sideways.  You are doing the opening part of the finger roll at this point.

3. When you reach the middle point of the finger roll with your right hand rotate your left wrist so that it is facing away from you and begin a finger roll (pinke first) the same way you did with your right hand.

4. Rotate your wrist forward as you do the finger roll, much like the warp, so that the bottom of the roll (closing) contacts where the bottom of your other hand was.  You should now have a fist with your right hand and have your palm facing you.  Move this hand up as your other hand nears the middle of the finger roll, and rotate your wrist so it is facing away from you.

Rinse and repeat.  Once again, make sure to vary speed and distance.  Also, don't forget to switch it up and do the finger rolls upwards (index first).

Stacking can be one of the coolest moves when done correctly.  You are essentially making a line of lights (like the zero line in the finger rolls) with one hand, and making it look like your other lights are passing through them.  To do this you will need to perfect the speed and timing of your stacking.  It is difficult, but it creates a really cool effect.

Once again, vary your speed!  I personally don't vary my distance with this trick, but that might make for a cool effect.  Don't forget to switch it up and do them upwards as well.  I'll talk about this switch after I explain the move.

1. Start with both hands making a horizontal line in front of you (both palms face down).  Your right hand should be on the bottom (doesn't matter, but I will use that setup to explain this trick).

2. Move your right wrist downward until your right hand is directly behind your left.  Your fingers should now be vertical and facing directly towards you and your palm should be facing to your right.

3. Continue rotating your right wrist until your right hand comes in contact with the top of your left hand (your right palm should be facing up now).  You should also move your elbows in so your hand is not crooked.

4. Repeat the same steps above with your left hand/wrist until it is on top of your right hand with both palms facing up. Your elbows should be close to each other at this point.

5. With your right hand on the bottom again start moving it in a circle to your right and rotating your wrists with that circle.  Continue rotating until your right palm comes in contact with your left palm.

6. Repeat the steps above with your left hand until your left palm contacts the top of your right hand.

To reverse... With both palms down do the stack with both hands at once (or very close to eachother).  When you get to the palm up portion, start the stacking but upwards.

This is almost the same as the solid roll, except you use your wrists more and it has a diagonal line along your lights, rather than the vertical line. While this seems like a very basic move it is more intermediate for one major reason. You can, AND SHOULD, use this move to vary your figure 8s. I see a lot of beginners do figure 8s for a long time.... BORING. Throw in a couple side rolls mid figure 8 to vary it up. You can even do a figure 8 with 1 side roll on each side of the figure 8... cool effect! I'll talk about transitioning into this from the figure 8 in my next tutorial on transitions and stalling (thinking time).

Make sure to keep your wrists far apart so that you can make your rolls circular (instead of jerking one direction or another when your wrists cant do the full rotation).

Thanks for reading again...

Happy Gloving!