"Wolf" Act - Part 1 (creating a dance act for Guerilla Burlesque)

As promised, I am planning on detailing how I create the dance acts I present at Guerilla Burlesque. I intend to lead you through my personal process, from when the concept first germinates in my mind, to it's performance, which is scheduled for the show on March 2nd - so we have just twenty days to make this happen! Bear in mind, my process is not "the" way to do it, and in fact, I know other dancers on the Guerilla Burlesque team do it completely differently. On the other hand, I am often asked "how do I start", so for those of you thinking you might like to try this dancer caper out, welcome aboard.

For me, the process always starts with the song. I have been dancing for four years now, so it's safe to say I have used most of my favourite songs, but I have learned, too, that your favourite song cannot always be made into palatable entertainment. It's also my duty to point out that favourite songs tend to drop off your playlist after you've listened to them on repeat play for a few hours.

The song I have chosen to work with is Wolf by First Aid Kit. Little known chryblnd trivia: I have the radio on 24 hours a day, a habit from my youth when I had reason to be a very light sleeper. I find the continual flow of radio provides enough background noise to grant me unbroken sleep. That said, I am sometimes woken by the same song, every time it's played, and these songs tend to end up in my lifelong favourites list. 

Wolf is one of those songs. Released late last year, it woke me up several times through the holiday season. I like the drums, it's got a rollicking beat, and I was struck by the vocals, which seemed very Americana to me - though it turns out they are a Swedish band. And in a special bonus ending, the song turns out to have a story, or a bit of a story, which is just about perfect for my purposes, since I can create something that fits the bones of the song, but takes it in my direction.

So now I move onto what I would like to do to tell my version of this story. If you liked the song, you might already know there is an official video, and that's the first thing that will affect my interpretation. While I have complete admiration for those people who are recreating music videos in SL - it must be such a painstaking process - it's not my thing. I prefer to tell an original story, and that's how I let myself call what we do "dance interpretation". The result, of course, is that pagan rituals, leafy headbands, white dresses and fake wolves are out. 

But I still want to tell the story of a wolf or wolf pack. And I still need to have a sexy girl in there (because that's how I roll. Shut up. Don't judge). And here is where the brainstorm starts. I want the realism, I really love highly realistic stage sets. I wonder if there are any good wolf avatars out there? I used a wolf avatar once before, in my opening act for Beautiful Freaks Burlesque Circus. It was from Grendels, if memory serves. I wonder if there are newer avatars. maybe someone's doing mesh? Oh and I love forests, everyone knows most of my acts are just fresh versions of me prancing around in a forest. Wait, that's no good, I need to break that mould. But ... if I used the mover, that would meet the "fresh" requirement ... wouldn't it? Ehhh .... well I am not doing metaphorical wolves and prancing around Wall Street!

This is generally where I start building a set, a process that, for me, is like doodling, but cooler. The picture that ends up on stage may have nothing whatever to do with the picture I start out with. But here it is, so that you know. And no, I have no idea what that huge torus is for. You have no idea how long I stood around waiting for it to rez though :-)

criticism is good for character

I have simply got to stop reading the Dance Queens blog on the way to posting. Watching the Cutie Awards unravel and be repeatedly dismissed by someone who isn't actually game to use their own name is doing my head in.

Come out, come out, whoever you are. I take criticism very well, really I do.

At the end of the awards show, I was chatting to Jariah Yuhara, of A&M Mocap Animations and I told her this story:

When I danced for Virtual Burlesque, Cellandra Zon came to see our show. I was most honoured, and I really wanted to know if she liked us. I couldn't help it, though ... I mean ... Cellandra Zon! At that point she was the only name I knew, the only "star" I was aware of, and she was at our show! I had to find out what she thought.

Let me tell you, Cellandra, whom I now consider a friend, though we are not close, was not at all impressed. She gave it to me straight too, and it was very very humbling. When she was done, she gave me a landmark for A&M Mocap Animations.

And after that, I was a dancer.

I just finished saying, on the dance queens blog, that I am getting a little weary of hearing that the awards were "a high school prom where, nothing is based on merit, talent and skill". But you guys knew that anyway :-)

I share my little story in hopes that you might understand what drives me, at least a little, to require a high standard from Guerilla Burlesque. I still feel they deliver, in a way almost no other show does.

I keep coming here meaning to start a series that details my creative process, and I promise, that post is coming. Just as soon as I stop watching the car wreck they made of my statuettes.

Tainted victory

I was so engaged by the Dance Queens Awards. I can admit to being competitive, I was raised by people who thought that was important. As I monitored the nominations, my excitement grew. All the big names were there. People I have worked with, people I have learned from, people whose work I have long admired. Legends. And us amongst them.

I'll not be disingenuous - I believe we are the best dance show working the grid right now [edit: at least, I did think that, til I saw what IMAGE are doing]. I took all of the things I observed in other dance shows, added it to what I know about live music audiences, mixed it up with some monkey spit and an overweening need to control everything with my name on it, and set up a show I would want to go to see. I work damned hard, seven days a week, and we produce a fresh and original show every single week, for almost two years. I don't know who else is doing that, because I don't go to other shows, because if I did, my dancers would never make it through rehearsal. But I do know I wanted the dancers I work with on the nominations list. I think they're worthy.

So as our names were added to those illustrious others who are famous across the grid, I felt we were taking our place amongst them. I felt it was right. We draw upwards of 60 avatars every week to our show, despite the fact it is on at midnight. Again, I don't know which other shows can say that - but it's a pretty impressive feat. I've always taken it to mean we are doing what we do right.

I even got my nails done!

Coming into the voting week, I was told we couldn't win anything. We were outsiders, unknown, and it seemed as though at least one committee member was actively campaigning against us, with mixed up schedules and disappearing nominations. We were determined to show up anyway, or at least, I was, because I really loved this concept. Our own awards! Peer recognition! An awards ceremony! Seriously, I thought all of those things were a really cool addition to the way I live my Second Life.

And then I was asked to present, which was just icing. Oh, hello Mohna Lisa Couture, I will be needing a new gown! Even though the awards ceremony started at midnight in my reality, I was determined to be there.

And then guess what happened?

We won. We won a lot. We won so many I couldn't find any more original ways to say thank you, and you three who read this know I am not short on words.

It was glorious, amazing. Our group chat was full of joy and wonder, especially as dancers in different timezones logged on and learned what was happening. It was just so unlikely, we cleaned up, and to this minute, I do not know how. I mean ... we gave the voters all the access we could. We supplied what videos we could, we provided links to photos, and of course there were shows they could attend. But these things are so often a case of people rounding up their friends to vote for them. And we didn't think we had any to round up, so we didn't.

I went to bed at 5.30am and woke at 11am. For a few minutes I just lay there thinking "wow ... wow .... wow". It's a long time since that has happened to me. I may have been a child the last time I was that happy.

And today, as my muse crept up on me and started whispering in my ear, I thought, "you know what? Bugger the secrecy and competition, I think I want to blog my creative process" . I was so inspired by the camaraderie, the open-hearted generosity of spirit that it took to make these awards happen. I thought I could extend that feeling, explain what makes me "tick", what makes me dance, engage with commentators, if they exist. Enjoy the dancing aspect of my dancing. And share it.

And I will still do that ... I guess ...

As I opened my blog to write the first post, to share the song I am going to work on, and tell you what ideas I have for it, I noticed there was a new post on the Dance Queens blog.

Nottoo Wise, who came up with the Cuties concept is stepping away from the process. I don't know her very well, we don't chat, but as an avid follower of the blog, it is all too apparent that she's been under immense pressure from people who think something completely opposed to my experience of the awards. And in case you're thinking "well that's easy for you to say, you won," let me confess, that I, too, made my complaints about the process known to her. I had my say :-(

I cannot tell you how awful it all feels now.

Meet Myf

I have noted before that I am not a "gamer". Apart from a couple of blasts around the track in Mario Kart, I have never been compelled to go in pursuit of the Super-Duper Sword Of Killingness*. This is in no small way down to the fact that I am fiercely competitive. I don't start things I can't win, and if I start it, you had better assume my endgame is to win it.

I'm not really one for shooting, blowing up or setting my problems on fire. And I like to dabble ... and dabblers don't win races.

Since knowing Shippy, and as a direct result of Second Life having become a place of work and not leisure, I have been logging onto Clone Wars Adventures and have completed Guild Wars - Prophecies.

I had to start from the very beginning. In fact I still don't know how to move with anything resembling agility, and every achievement has come as the result of repeated smooshings.

I started Guild Wars 2 last week. Please meet Myf Rogue, and her companion/mentor Jyotis Ravi.

 I could write at some length, believe me, about the game culture, and what it's like to stumble into this microcosm. How intensive is the preparation and research, how resourced these players are. How it's natural instinct to them to make use of tools within and without the world they inhabit. And I probably will consider these things at other times. Because I really love this game.

Myf and Jyotis in Rata Sum, the capital of Metrica Province
"we're setting out on the journey"

Myf and Jyotis are Asurans -:

"The Asura value intelligence and intellectual superiority over all other attributes. Individual asura will dedicate an entire lifespan to building a portfolio of successful projects or becoming the foremost expert of some tiny aspect of the arcane. They constantly seek to prove their own intellectual superiority, and by extension the superiority of the asura race. This typically results in asura being arrogant to the point of rudeness towards others, especially towards non-asura races. The asura have quickly established their intellectual and magical superiority over the other races and view them as useful primarily for heavy lifting, taking risks, and asking stupid questions."

No comment on that at all. I admit, I chose an Asuran because Shippy already was one, although it was also because he thought the character type would suit me. Before I entered Guild Wars 2, I would have told you I wanted to be a typically beautiful human-type character. I don't really "get" how people spend their online lives as other creatures, maybe it's just been to fantastic for my fairly pragmatic nature.

There is just something so endearing about watching these two tiny creatures scamper through Tyria, exploring, adventuring, learning ... and fighting. The game is best played full-screen, and to do so cuts you off, somewhat, from the usual distractions like facebook updates, emails and IM from other forums. It's also such a beautifully made world, it's so easy to immerse.

Jyotis and Myf are agreed it is like having their own movie to influence, participate in, and ultimately consume. That's not dissimilar to what their Second Life counterparts have been heard to say. "Proper" gaming involves quests, challenges, the acquisition of skills, and very little of the "lifestyle choices" of Second Life. It is very goal-oriented, and in that sense, a refereshing diversion for chryblnd Scribe.

I'm still getting smooshed. At time of writing, I am a level 24 stain on the ground :-).

You can expect to hear more of Myf Rogue and her adventures in this lovely alien environment.

Music to read this post with:

Track 06 from The Unofficial Soundtrack for Guild Wars 2, composed by Jeremy Soule

Chry's interview with Gem Karas from the Australian Trader

One of the most inspiring and talented people I have met in SecondLife has to be Chryblnd Scribe, a tireless and enthusiastic worker for her group Idle Rogue and Second Life in general. Her infectious personality seems to inspire other to give of their best.
Caught up with Chry this week to find out a little more about what makes her tick!
Gem: What was your first impressions when discovering SL?

Chry: Heh ... like so many of us, I rezzed on the Pond Estates, and was bumbling around, more than a little out of my depth, when Parky Lane dropped out of the sky looking all kinds of glamorous, and helped me find my way from orientation into the game lol. I have never lost that sense of wonder, that instant bonding as I learned I could create things, put things together that were really beautiful, and meet other people who have this same (sometimes untapped) creative streak in them, that SL lets loose.
Gem: To us you seem to be a woman of many facets, are there parallels in Rl?
Chry: It is my profound belief that, if you allow it, SL simply distills and underscores who you are as a real person. And you will know who you are, what moves and motivates you, and what you wish you could change, if you pay attention to the choices you make in your Second Life. There are many things it turns out I am, in RL, that I didn't really recognise until they wove themselves through the ether.
Gem: What was your Inspiration behind Idle rogue?
Chry: I was raised by people who lived the philosophy that you get out and create the community you want to be part of, and that is all that I wanted Idle Rogue to be. A community where like-minded people could come and be who they are. Idle Rogue grew organically. I'm a little bit alternative, so it's a little bit alternative. The people who enjoy it best are people who have similar interests to mine, and they are who makes it strong. Idle Rogue is the community I always wanted to live in.
Gem: Have you had any disapointments?
Chry: Of course! We are dealing with humans, and I am relentlessly human myself. I've had painful personal losses that I still struggle to accept. I will say, though, that my biggest disappointment, and this is true for many committed SLers, I think, is that SL remains a misunderstood "fringe" medium. We all, to a more or less degree, treat it like our dirty little secret, and perpetuate the notion that there's something not-quite-right about having a virtual life, when in fact, having a virtual life allows us to explore, trust, create, love, in a way many people will NEVER get from their real life.
Gem: Your greatest highlights are?
Chry: My greatest moments have come from times when I see my friends and family pull together. There are times on Idle Rogue, or with Guerilla Burlesque, or when a group of Idle Rogues travel to an outside event, when I am just bursting with joy to part of such a diverse, engaged and clever group of people. They make friends wherever they go, they get involved with things on the grid, they're people who do, and they do it without bullshit or drama. An Idle Rogue is never alone, and that's actually a pretty awesome thing.
I often say that everything I do, I do for Idle Rogue. The highlight is and always has been that Idle Rogue is worth it.
Gem: Where to now for Chryblnd Scribe?
Chry: Honestly? I have no clue. I am flattered to be offered marvelous opportunities almost constantly. And I am lucky to have the time to be able to accept some of them, though the unadorned truth is that I badly need real life work.
All I really do, in everything I do, is look for ways to help my friends live the kind of Second Life they want. I manage time and resources in a way that lets them get on with doing the (much cooler) stuff that they do, and by "they" I mean the musicians I work with, the dancers in Guerilla Burlesque, the content creators on Idle Rogue. It turns out that this is a kind of leadership, but it's just so exciting, for me, knowing that if I do my stuff right, they can do their stuff brilliantly. It is most definitely, as anyone will tell you, a work in progress, but I'm getting there!

For the few who have yet to see Guerilla Burlesque (SL), it's a show not to be missed, the talent and professional performers make this a rivetting hour of music and dance.
The key to Chryblnd Scribe's success is simple, good music, good friends, and a different slant on life, she helps open your eyes to what can be.

Story by Gem Karas
Pictures by Whelan Ferraris Australian Trader, November 2012

Dresses: Left - GizzA - Dolly Dress [Lace]

              Right -  salt. summer romance vintage sundress
                           Slink Womens Natural Barefeet (Mesh Rigged) (with thanks to Sho Kyong for her patient help with skin-matching)

Still a dancer, always

I don't get time to dance very often. I have commitments that include managing the Second Life engagements of Jordan Reyne and DeepSky Timeless, and a commitment to maintaining the Idle Rogue sim and community. Dancing as a soloist for Guerilla Burlesque has become a fairly demanding pursuit, the bar is very high indeed, and I don't have time to learn the skills the other dancers regularly deploy.

I am frankly in awe of the dancers who arrive at every rehearsal with fully-realised, clever concepts that are freshly developed. It's a rare thing for a Guerilla Burlesque dancer to need to run a repeat, and is more often about performing to their own personal satisfaction than it is about a creative block.

We just went through the Halloween season. Our performances were watched over 500 times, and we did five fresh shows, each with a rehearsal (some shows featured repeat acts). It was hard work, and every dancer dug deep and found the stuff to make it great. We made a lot of new friends, and we did some amazing things. My team is better, faster, stronger than ever, and they make me incredibly proud. Not least, for me, is the fact that our last show, on home ground, was the best. I love that they treat Idle Rogue so well, because Idle Rogue loves them very much.

As my own dance commitments have shrunk, new faces have appeared on the team, and these are truly interesting, natural performers. You will enjoy getting to know them, as they have already shown a distinct personal style and a heartfelt dedication to creating great works. We are honoured, in so many ways, that they chose to work with us.

My act for the final show was based on two thing. The first (as always) was the song, Juular from The Devin Townsend Project. The second was the *~*Illusions*~* Civetta Venetzia Mask which was every bit as majikal as wearing a mask is in real life. In case you missed the act, enjoy the song :-)

 

and now we are four ...

So my rezzday came and went, with a minimum of fuss, and that is what I'd hoped for. Other years, especially last year, were crazy big events, and that always flattens me. I was particularly naughty last year, I know how much time and effort everyone put into it and I behaved very badly. It wasn't intentional. I am just surprisingly bad at unexpected attention. Not something I had to worry about this year lol.

And as I go into my fifth year as resident of a virtual world? Do I still believe? Does it still compel me? Yes. Of course. I am there less now, because so much of my SL is actually work, I have to go somewhere else for mindless distraction, which is ironic. And it's fair to say the raging battles of the past twelve months took their toll, the enjoyment has been muted.

I still believe SL teaches us everything we need to know about ourselves, if we choose it. Sometimes the journey down the rabbit hole is bewildering and unclear until you are able to pause and reflect. That's true of first life, too. As always, Second Life simply compresses the time required, distils the experience. It's the internet, baby. With pretty pictures.