About CD Disco Balls

From time immemorial, human beings have gathered together to dance--or, to put it colloquially, "to party." In recent times, the CD disco ball has allowed such gatherings to take on a sort of urban nightclub feel--even if the event itself is being held in a high school or office space--or even in someone's living room.

History

The disco ball has been in wide use since the 1920s in nightclubs and urban dance halls. But only since the compact disc became used on a massive scale--and only since the CD became incredibly cheap--has the world of informal dance been graced by the CD disco ball. Nowadays, the CD disco ball is a common feature at many home parties, school dances, and other less formal, music-driven get-togethers.

Significance

The CD disco ball has been able to transform what otherwise might have been a darkened room blaring music into a home disco, with the look and feel of a real urban nightclub. Combined with the strobe light and, sometimes, the traffic light, the CD disco ball's stamp on informal dances and parties has been significant, creating a groovy, almost professionally organized atmosphere for the event's participants.

Features

The typical CD disco ball is made of several parts. The core of the disco ball can be anything spherical, though it is usually a Styrofoam ball or some other light, easy-to-glue-onto object. Unwanted compact discs are then cut up, usually with strong scissors or shears, then the pieces are glued in mosaic all over the core of the ball, until it is completely covered by compact disc shards. Finally, a string or ribbon is attached to the top, making it easy to hang from the ceiling.

Size

There is no fixed size for a CD disco ball. Like the conventional disco ball, the CD disco ball can be small--say, the size of a large orange--or large, perhaps the size of a basketball. For large dance venues (like, for instance, a high school auditorium), a beach-ball-sized CD disco ball would certainly be preferable. In short, the size of the CD disco ball is typically relative to the size of the disco area itself.

Function

The CD disco ball is suspended over a social gathering of people, usually engaged in dancing or other forms of "partying." Lights in the area (from a strobe, a traffic light, or any other light) are reflected off of the broken CD shards and beamed around the room, creating a "room filled with stars" effect. Additionally, the pinpoints of light scattered about the room by the CD disco ball spin slowly as the CD disco ball itself spins from its string or ribbon.