By definition, tracing is outlining parts of the body (arms, head, legs, etc.) with glowsticks. This is the most expressive and visually appealing aspect of glowsticking. Traces can be done all over the body, in both symmetrical and asymmetrical forms.

This type of trace is localized around the abdominal (stomach) region. The trace involves moving the glowsticks so that you create the illusion of a circle on your stomach. The circle can be going either clockwise or counter clockwise (first person view). The video shows the path of the glowsticks in both directions, but for this tutorial, I will describe the counter clockwise direction. The basic outline is to create a square with the glowsticks. To begin, you should learn the orientation of the sticks in relation to each other during this move. Remember that essentially, the sticks should be parallel to each other at all times. However, once you learn the motions, you can make your movements more fluid and the sticks will not be entirely parallel to one another.

1. Hold the sticks at the end as shown in the video. Begin by creating 2 opposite sides of the ?square.? In the video, I start with the top and bottom. Your right hand glowstick (bottom side) is point to the left and your left hand glowstick (top side) is pointing to your right.

2. Next, move the sticks so create the other two sides, in this case, it is the left and right sides. To this, bring your right hand counterclockwise to your right side with the tip of the glowstick pointing downward. At the same time, move your left hand counter clockwise to the left side, with the tip of the glowstick pointing upward. Remember to keep the sticks parallel.

3. Now continue to counter clockwise path and bring your right hand to the top and your left hand to the bottom. The right hand glowstick should be pointing to the right side and the left hand glowstick should be pointing to the left side,

4. Bring your right hand down along the left side while bring up your left hand on the left side. You?re just drawing the opposite sides of the square. At this point, your right hand glowstick should be pointing up and your left hand glowstick pointing down.

5. To complete the stomach trace, bring your hands counter clockwise back to the original position in which you began. You have just completed drawing all four sides of the square

After getting the paths of the glowsticks and remembering to keep them parallel on each side of the square, link the sides of the square in a smooth flow of motion. This is the tracing aspect of the move; having fluid hand movements while maintaining the parallel orientation of the sticks will create the circle illusion. As you get better, you can go faster to create a better effect. Another thing to keep in mind is that you are trying to create a circle, not an oval or eclipse. Practice in a mirror to get your trace in a perfect circle. You can also vary the size of your circle by manipulating the size of your ?square.? The stomach trace is excellent move with which to link moves. Check out the rest of the tracing tutorial to learn other types of traces that can be linked to the stomach trace.

For direct download of the tutorial video http://www.glowsticking.com/nu/media/5/20041207-Instructional_StomachTrace.wmv