A disco ball, also called a ball mirror, is a large sphere with numerous glass mirror pieces or other reflective material covering it. In most clubs, the entire disco ball is suspended above the heads of the dancers. Random streaks of light are projected onto the walls, ceiling, and floor after a spotlight is focused on the rotating ball. The DJ or lighting technician can control the speed and direction of the disco ball as it spins with a variable speed motor.
The mirrored dance ball is several decades older than the ‘disco ball.’ For example, an early version can be seen in the film Casablanca. When discotheques resurfaced in the 1970s, creative lighting became an important part of the overall atmosphere once more. A disco ball’s random flashes of light created a dynamic backdrop for other effects like strobes and helicopter lights. The disco ball became shorthand for a glitzy, upbeat club atmosphere as disco culture became more mainstream.
When disco’s popularity faded in the early 1980s, so did the disco ball. The frenetic pace of a disco ball became more of a relic of a bygone era, though some ballrooms kept a very large mirror ball to indicate an open dance floor. However, by the late 1990s, a new generation of ‘house music’ fans had revived many of the dance club’s lighting and sound effects, including the disco ball.
Those interested in purchasing a disco ball can do so today through specialty gift shops, online catalogs, and theatrical lighting stores. Large professional units with thousands of real mirrors can still cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars, but novelty versions can be had for as little as ten to twenty dollars. When hanging a disco ball, it’s important to remember to use a focused light source, such as a pinspot or even a flashlight. Colored lights will create color reflections, which may be more appealing to the eye.
A disco ball can be made out of a collection of unwanted CDs and a large foam sphere for the craftier disco enthusiast. This type of project can be found in do-it-yourself craft books or on the internet. Other DIY disco ball ideas using common household items like latex balloons and reflective tape can be found online.