JUNE 2015
SECOND LIFE ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE
Welcome to DANCE QUEENS! Dance Queens is for sharing information about dancing in Second Life. If you love dancing in any form, this group is for you. We share information such as dance makers, dance times, dance shows, dance technical issues ... anything to do with SL dance. Many of the leading dancers in SL are in the group. DANCE QUEENS doesn’t perform, rather we support all those who dance from ballet to burlesque to club to Geisha to Latin ... all dance. Joining the DANCE QUEENS Group! Joining the DANCE QUEENS Group is free. We have many male members as well as female. The group tag is Dance Queen or Dance King. You can join by opening the group in SL. WEBSITE http://sldancequeens.blogspot.com
CONTENTS EDITOR’S NOTE
Samual Wetherby
SHOWTIME “Takes More Than One To Make A Show” Anything Goes Isabelle Mavendorf Dancer Survival Kit CLUB IMAGE Kat Feldragonne GETTING STARTED - DANCE CHOREOGRAPHY BabypeaVonPhoenix Bikergrrl FUNNY PAGE Dance Theatre Directory
Samual Wetherby
SHOWTIME MAGAZINE
STAFF PUBLISHER EXPRESSIONS EDITOR IN CHIEF Samual Wetherby ADVERTISING Electra Spearsong
CONTRIBUTORS EDITORIAL Isabelle Mavendorf BabypeaVonPhoenix Bikergrrl Kat Feldragonne CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Samual Wetherby Monavie Voight Toysoldier Thor Celtic Infinity Electra Spearsong
COVER PHOTO Julianne Lemondrop Starlite Theater
EDITOR’S NOTE Welcome to SHOWTIME! Provided to you by numerous contributors and amazing venues, shops and supporters. Want to thank everyone who helped and hope you enjoy our little publication and outlook on the Second Life Entertainment Experience. This issue touches on some incrediable entertainers venues from all walks of life in SL. Also includes few fun and interesting articles with topics related to the entertainment industry in Second Life. I hope you enjoy.
Samual Wetherby
Samual “Way too much time on my hands” Wetherby
I am Samual Wetherby. I am not a dancer. I am not a choreographer. Now that we have that cleared up, lets talk DANCE THEATER! I’ve been involved in theatrical & show events for countless years. The one thing I have always relied on in Real Life or Second Life is others. As stated above, I don’t dance. The show requires many components to be successful. Choreographers with a vision. Builders & Scripters willing to help make their vision a reality. Dancers to bring life to the routine and all this is nothing without the audience to enjoy it. I know what some are thinking. And yes there are a lot of choreographers that do almost EVERYTHING themselves. SUPER CHOREOGRAPHERS I privately call them. Which is amazing but very stressful from what I’ve been told. To spend countless hours building, testing, aligning animations and slowly taking an empty stage shell and transforming it into a polished finished show dance. But there is so much more than the routine that goes into making a great show. You have the venue owner(s), support
staff, hostesses, Master of Ceremonies, DJs, bloggers, photographers, friends, family and fans all make up a show. Without each doing their part, there isn’t a show. I also like to touch on one thing like nothing else in Second Life. The Dance Community in a whole. As with Real Life, dancers support other dancers, theaters & troupes. It has always been a tight “family” type feeling. As we all go from venue to venue to see and support so many others throughout the year. It’s truly amazing. You won’t find anything else like it in SL. I’ve seen some outstanding shows month after month. I’ve seen some bad ones too. But I’ve always viewed it as it was their concept, their idea, their vision and not all have the same skills as others and I try not to compare one to another. I’ve always been very proud of my own dance troupe, Starlite Theater. They really support one another. Always having fun. Always there when you need them.
They are a very diverse group and it has always come through in our shows. Probably the main reason we don’t do themed shows very often as we have coined ourselves as a Variety Show. Keeping all the routines different and very entertaining. Most of our troupe have been with us since day one. We have had some amazing veterans of the dance community and new comers who have joined our little theater family over the last year. I truly love what they have to contribute to each show.
It has just been a joy to work with such a great group of people! Developing routine
ideas, building, creating, shooting and just having a lot of fun has been amazing. Everyone of Starlite Theater’s Staff, Dancers and Associates has gone over and beyond my expectations! Looking forward to many more shows, video shoots and a lot of great times to come! http://starlitetheater.blogspot.com Samual “Camel & I are just friends” Wetherby
HTTP://StarliteTheater.Blogspot.com
Anything Goes! By Isabelle Mavendorf Starlite Theater Manager
When I learned that Sam was opening a theater, I had to find out if we shared the same vision for what Second Life theater could be. As it turned out, we did. So I jumped at the chance to watch that vision come to life. We have had the good fortune to bring in some of SL’s most talented choreographers and most dedicated dancers. Since our September 2014 opening, I have been proud to be part of every show and to watch new choreographers branch out from solos to energetic, show stopping routines. Starlite Theater has remained true to its variety show roots. Our shows are definitely entertaining and always different. Each choreographer brings his or her special flavor, bringing to the audience a great mix of routines that run the gamut from upbeat to pathos from humorous to thought provoking. Above all, we strive to entertain. Our large turnout show after show is proof enough that we are doing everything right. As we come to the end of our season of dance to take a summer hiatus, I would like to thank our fabulous dancers. Without our exceptionally enthusiastic dancers, Sam and I never would have seen the vision come to life. The vision where bigger IS better and anything goes! Okay, almost anything.
Thank you all so very much!
By Samual Wetherby
ncer? a d l a c i r ay. t a w e r h u t o a y e n b o o t u t o get y o t s m So you wan e t i e v a ust h m e h t f o w e f Here’s a
#1
ANKLE LOCK
Don’t be caught DEAD on stage with broken ankles! Ankle Lock will prevent the dreaded broken ankle look that occurs from various poses, dances and other animations that attempt to bend it in an unflattering manner.
#4
TIME!
You wil need to devote numerous hours to meetings & practices depending on the dance troupe you join. Choreographers (dance routine creators) average 20 hours per routine. Some dancers are in several troupes & must somehow juggle them all. General Daners have it much easier, but will need at least 4-5 hours a week for various meetings, practices & shows, but the rewards are like nothing in Second Life! To be up on stage in front of a large crowd performing is amazing. So go Break a Leg and be a STAR!
STACK OF CASH!
MESH HANDS & FEET
#2
Second Life flared fingers are not very elegant or professional looking and should be avoided at all cost!
#3
Dance Theater can be very expensive! Animations, costumes, props & so many expenses can drain your digital wallet.
Item By Slink
GUITARS DRUMS PIaNOS SPEC
CIAL EFFECTS & MUCH MORE!
motion capture animation
ns starting @ $150L Each!
https://www.youtube.com/user/ThePinkVampireMusic https://www.facebook.com/ThePinkVampire Pink@ThePinkVampire.com
Club IMAGE Monsters Tea Party By Kat Feldragonne
Last weekend I was lucky enough to catch one of the last performances of Club IMAGE’s ‘Monsters Tea Party.’ The show had a storyline, complete with dialogue, about various monsters arriving at a tea party. The costumes were amazing, as were the particle effects. I should have written down the names of the characters – my memory isn’t what it used to be. :-) First to arrive at the party was a fiery fairy. (I think her name was Electra, but I’m not sure.) After the cute (but teeny bit scary) pixie arrives, there’s another knock on the door. Werewolf The werewolf arrives. Again, the costumes were spectacular. As they arrive, the monsters are shown into the library to await the arrival of the rest of the guests. Suddenly, it seems to grow darker. Who is arriving now? NyxNyx, the mistress of night. Played, of course, by Diawa Bellic. I loved the particle effects in this number. After Diawa’s stellar performance, Misse took the stage. MisseI am always in awe of Misse’s performances, and this one was no different.
Photos By Kat Feldragonne & Celtic Infinity
The visual artistry of her routines (and those of other IMAGE dancers) is simply amazing. The spots of red against the black, the moving pieces of the set – superb. Several other monsters arrive, and we discover the hostess has forgotten to order tea for the tea party. Not to fear – the last guest arrives with tea to save the day! Curtain Call The show ended with a group number. The pictures don’t do the performance justice. They are no longer performing this particular show, but they put on shows every Sunday. Set your alarm to get up early on Sunday and check out their expert use of visual effects.
GETTING STARTED DANCE - CHOREOGRAPHY
By BabypeaVonPhoenix Bikergrrl What are the elements of a dance? Music, choreography, costume, set, emotes if you use them. Which element is the most important? I think they are all equally important, as they each contribute to the presentation. Dance is about connection. I do not believe a dance is truly finished until we have shared it with another. Our audience, even if it is one person, complete our creations. Dance is one way souls connect. Here are a few tips for the new choreographer. Some you may know, some you may not. MUSIC The first thing you need to do is, pick out a song that you love. Something that excites you, touches your heart, or inspires your imagination. It does not have to be something powerfully emotional, it can simply be fun. Not every dance has to be a dramatic performance that is going to make people cry. It is alright to excite them and pump them up, or even use dance to make them laugh. The important thing is, we want to make them feel SOMEthing when we dance. Music must be submitted to a DJ in MP3 format only. Most players can only use this format. WAV files are too large to email. MP4 files are video files. So! You may need a way to convert music files to MP3 format. I use: DVDvideosoft http://www.dvdvideosoft.com/ It is free to download. It has an audio converter so that you can convert various audio files to MP3. What if you want to edit your own mix? Or remove some ugly noise, applause, static, or dead air from a music file? What if it is too soft and you want to amp it a little? I use an audio editing system that is free and easy to use: http://free-audio-editor.software.informer.com/3.2/ ANIMATIONS Once you have selected your song, you need to create a choreographed dance sequence that compliments the music. You must select animations that go well with the tempo of the song and compliment the words or the feelings of the song. Example, you don’t want happyhappy joy-joy animations if the song is sad. Selecting animations is very time-consuming and can get expensive. When shopping for animations to suit a specific song, and especially if you wish to not waste money, expect it to be time consuming, and just have fun with the exploration. Go to the different animation shops, play the song over
and over, and just keep trying different dances. Make a list on a NC of ones you think are great for the song you are doing. Then go back and review just those animations, narrow them down until you have perhaps eight on your NC. Those are the ones to buy. This can keep you from over-spending, and also make sure you buy animations that you will actually use in your dance. Do not buy packs! It may seem you are saving money, but the tiny bit you save is not worth it, because if you are like most dancers, you won’t use half of them. Ever. I do recommend, for your first dance... just to keep you from
feeling overwhelmed... to limit the dances you will buy to one store. Most animation shops offer an enormous variety of animations, more than enough to choreograph any one dance. If you limit your animation shopping to one store, it will keep your brain from exploding (hopefully) by having to select from between hundreds of animations instead of tens of thousands. It is also good to select a few still poses for the open and close of your dance. Some dancers want to be dancing when the curtain opens and still dancing when it closes. This is how I was taught. But I think it looks great to open the curtain, you are in a pose, the music starts and off you go. Then at the end of the song, you finish in a pose, before the curtain closes. Also, don’t hesitate to use still poses or even animations from AOs and other non-dance type of animations in your dances. These can provide a pause as you wait for your music to transition. They can affect the mode of a dance, as a sudden halt into a still pose can be very dramatic. So do use non-dance animations in your dances if you feel they enhance your dance. TRANSITIONS Transitions!! This is extremely important. When one animation ends and another starts, it is very important that the transition is as smooth as possible. If you have ever seen a dancer suddenly
shoot across the stage or move from one animation to another, and it was not smooth... a bad transition stands out like a sore thumb. It looks jagged and abrupt, most of all, it looks sloppy. Most animations start and finish in the same spot. Most of them have a run-time. Most offer the opportunity for a smooth transition. There are some exceptions, and you may find some animations that simply do not end back where they started, so they are bumpy to get into the next animation. TIMING Most dance animations run for a specific amount of time and then loop (repeat). Some animation shops have a website with the run-times of all their animations. Some have the run-times as part of the names of the dance or in the properties. Some do not offer run-times. So you have to work them out for yourself. I use my computer’s music player to time dances. Some people use a stop watch. You will find the method that works best for you. Dance Queens also has a database with the run-times for many
dance animations: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/ d / 1 M Y 2 r Q w T- N 1 9 VC 5 W g B p F 9 g It G 7 O Q a h x drQHhCFdwK7o/edit#gid=0 Now, please keep in mind that lag and other SL glitches can still mess with a person’s animations and cause them to freeze then suddenly bolt back into action. So just because you may see a dancer appearing to present sloppy transitions, it could be lag affecting the animations or stalling the HUD. Let us not think harshly on another dancer, and always give the benefit of the doubt. As, a dancer may give every best effort to choreographing a smooth, tight dance sequence, and the lag sleen may still come in and tamper with it. If/when this happens to you, try to not get upset. It can make you RL cry when you have worked so so hard on a dance and then lag or a SL glitch messes up your performance. We can always do our dance again, another time, another show. HUDS You do not have to use a HUD to dance in a show. You can open each animation, line them up across your monitor, and click each one in turn. This is the ultimate freestyle. However! You must know your animations extremely well, to know when to start the next one so
that the transition is smooth. It is stressful and could look sloppy. I do not recommend it, unless you are performing only once in a while. A dance HUD takes the guess work out of transitions and with one click of a button, your entire dance runs. There are a lot of HUDs available in SL. A dance sequence is the foundation of your performance. It is the movement, the dance animations set to music. It usually consists of a notecard. On that NC are the names of the animations you are using and their run-times. This sequence NC goes into your dance HUD with your animations. You load the NC of the dance you want to do, then with the click of the PLAY button, the entire dance sequence plays in the order and timing determined by your NC. CACHING Have you ever seen a dance where, the dancer constantly pauses between each animation? And it looks so odd and unsettling. This is because, the dancer’s animations were not cached in your viewer. Before performing a dance, you need to run through each animation so that your animations load into the audiences’ viewers. I usually cache several times before performing. And always my final cache is right before I perform, so that my animations are cached in the viewers of any late-comers. To cache your animations, you only need to play each one for a second. Though I feel more secure with five seconds. You can play through the entire dance. But even clicking through and running each animation for one second will cache them. This is extremely important and is a vital habit to get into, if you are going to perform. Remember, just because they are cached for you does not mean they are cached for your audience, so do this right before you perform. ORGANIZATION I would finally like to advise you all to start a folder system for your dances. Have a primary Dance folder and then subfolders, one for each dance. In the folder for each dance, include everything for that dance including a folder with the costume, the set, and anything else that you use for that dance. I also always include a NC for EVERY dance I create that has the following info: song, HUD NC name, costume details, emotes, and any other information that I would need to perform that act. INSURANCE I will advise you of one more thing. Only buy copy animations. Make a box and put a copy of each animation into it. Include copies of your HUDs and everything else you want to keep. If you have land, rez that box somewhere on it. Here is why. I have known of SL eating entire folders from peoples’ inventories. LL will NOT replace the lost inventory and neither will the sellers. So always always always put a copy of each animation in a master box, and park it on your land. Park another copy somewhere special in your inventory. That way, if the SL inventory eater ever strikes, you will have a backup of everything. Protect your investment.
LUVOFMUSIC
Born and raised in Chi-Town (Chicago), I started singing at a young age. I had a few generations of music playing all the time in the house. I could list some of my favorites, but it would be too long! Some of the artists that were played ranged from Frank Sinatra to Led Zepplin to Soul and R&B. I love singing Jazz, blues, R&B, Rock & Roll and some pop. For booking info, feel free to IM me.
Hear that Guitar WAIL?!! That’s Bono Fouroux, King of the 6! What a pleasure it is to rock the Blues with you, Bono!! A great guitarist, a great friend, Bono Fouroux truly is one of a kind!
Jacqueline Luik Jacqueline performs a mixture of artists from all genres, past and present, with focus on jazz, love songs, ballads and country music.
Calendtar
https://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=jacqb.luik@ gmail.com&ctz=America/Los_Angeles Jacqueline performs a mix of artists from all genres, past and present, with focus on jazz, love songs and country music.
FUNNY PAGE JUNE 2015
MOVE MAGAZINE
Issue No. 1
2015
CLICK NOTECARD TAB FOR COMPLETE LIST AND LANDMARKS
A&M Mocap Maniacs Ballet Pixelle Theatre Blue Velvet Theatre Club IMAGE Dance Xcetera Theatre Elysium Cabaret The Empire Room Guerilla Burlesque Kiki’s House of Burlesque Lady Garden Cabaret LA ORO’s Performing Arts Venue
MJ’s Burlesque Review The Moulin Rouge Paramount Grand Night Players Theatre Pink Ladies Dancers Sinners Burlesque Theatre Spirit Light Dance Company Starlite Theater The Velvet Vixen The Waterfront Theatre Winds of the Sahara Cabaret
Le Artiste DANCE QUEENS GROUP LISTING AVAILABLE ONLINE http://sldancequeens.blogspot.com/ If you have a group to add or information to complete about a group, please notecard the information and submit to BabypeaVonPhoenix Bikergrrl in-world.
EXPRESSIONS PUBLISHING