Liquid Gold Dance Group Gallery And New Exhibit At Peale Museum

 

 By Gemma Cleanslate

 

Liquid Gold Dance Group has a lovely region for their activities. One of the buildings is a gallery owned by Lin Carlucci. October 2 I was invited to an opening for a good friend of mine, Beertje :. (Beertje Beaumont). I have known Beertje as a member of my Philosophy class for many years and also she is known for her beautiful fashion shop store, !!La Beaumonde ,where she has elegant gowns and jewelry on the Amsterdam Region. We also golf together most weeks.

I was unaware however what a marvelous real life artist she is. She has imported her real life art pieces into second life and are now on exhibit at Galley until January. Many of her pieces are done with texturing.

Several are hauntingly beautiful portraits from her work in real life. I was taken by her rendition of shore birds since I have been a birder for many years and will be putting them on my wall at home.

The reception was well attended and many friends were present . Her works are for sale at the gallery .Be sure to get her gift when you go. It is one of her jewelry sets, necklace, earrings, tiara for the ladies and a sweet carnation pin for the gents which I would certainly wear so I took it too. Here is the entrance. 

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Only%20One/49/64/1501

Last week I went to a new exhibit at the Peale Museum that was very different. The Peale is a replica of the Peale Community Museum in Baltimore, Maryland. This exhibit by Leeboot is the very same exhibit they hosted recently in Baltimore and it has been imported to SL. Lee Boot is a painter and media artist. He is the Director of UMBC’s Imaging Research Center, and an affiliate Associate Professor in the Departments of Visual Arts and Computer Science and Electrical Engineering. His background is extensive and it is all explained at this exhibit which will be there more or less permanently.

As he talked about his background and his various life experiences and how they affected his art I felt I was looking into his expression of the mind and brain. There are many metaphors in the surreal images. You will see as you follow the arrows that there are explanatory videos along the way to help you understand how the art came to be and perhaps some meanings one would never recognize until the video explains it all.

It reminded me of stream of consciousness writing transferred into art.

Although Lee has been an artist for many years his work now is dedicated to how art can affect and assist young people and assist them mentally. He became a researcher in. how to use media to further the arts, public policy, importance of culture and how it drives human behavior and impacts the world. The videos will help to explain it all much more fully. Here is the entrance with the opening video,

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Peale%20Museum/221/74/1418

 

Gemma Cleanslate

Virtuoso/JAPA Halloween/Fall Strut

 

By Dancerina Starlight

 

 Are you like many who steal a thoughtful memory or two from some great events that captured your warm Summer 2023 months? This past summer was busy and fun for dancers at Virtuoso.  From their summer showcase, "Into the Woods," Adventurous Dance Challenge, Intensive Summer Dance Camp, Summer World Dance, Steampunk Showcase--just to name a few, how can anyone easily remove such indelible memories? And, these dedicated dancers haven't slowed down - with their commitment to dance, Fall was greeted with the same dance energy and fancy feet welcome!

On Saturday, October 28, nine Virtuoso dancers embraced harvest season and all the other spooky "stuff" that comes with this time of the year.  With Sexy to spooky costumes, they participated in the 2023 VIRTUOSO/JAPA HALLOWEEN/FALL STRUT, coordinated by Delaney Jenson and had a blast! 

 

Choreographers were Rose (Day-O), Morganna (Quid Pro Quo), Sagia (Zombie Zoo), Sultry (Spooky Scary Skeletons), Dancerina (When Fall Comes to New England), Ravyn (Dolls), Janji (If I only Had a Brain), Sarah (Witchy Woman), and Cassy (Somebody's Watching Me). They came with their individual and collective energy and dance spirit to strut their Autumn dance numbers. A strut is a choreographed dance made in the Smooth Dancer.  It allows guests to join the dance via each dancer's inviter - affording everyone present to dance as a whole group.  No stage sets or dance movers are needed (Delaney Jenson 2023).

Approximately forty guests braved the spook and footloose with choreographers. The song selections meshed well as choreographers and guests cheered each other for doing a great job!

Rose, like Dorothy, longed to go home. It seemed support dancer, Maestro, Morganna's four-legged accompanied dancer appeared to only flaunt his beautiful, thin black velvet fur and green eyes, but nonetheless captivated everyone with his presence. Sagia kept company with the zoo zombies. Sarah, flew off in thin air on her fancy broom. Sultry insisted her bare bones were all she needed to live. Autumn leaves gently blew and flew here and there as Ravyn played with dolls. Janji needed to be convinced she had a brain, while Curious Cassy's laser eyes penetrated the darkness with her self-made effects! The strut concluded with great free-styling from Ravyn!--Myriad talent, energy, synergy, spirit, and togetherness in the name of dance.  

These dancers discovered each other while being professionally trained at Journey Academy of the Performing Arts (JAPA)--Classes of 2021 and 2023 and while enrolled in any of many dance classes.  

 

While they continue to broaden their dance perspectives in varying spaces, they remain linked to their source, JAPA.

Klark Harvy, JAPA Principal and Performance Director of VIRTUOSO,  established the group to inspire talented people to come together for full show performances, and as guests, solos and groups, at the Virtuoso Theatres, and special events (Klark Harvy, 2017). Of course, Principal Klark showed up wearing his Principal face and fun face, dressed to impress the zoo zombies!

Vice Principal Delaney Jenson works very closely with Principal Klark on all levels at JAPA and Virtuoso. She teaches all of the Spot On Tools and gives presentations in some areas of dance. 

 

Through the mentoring program, she assists students in dance and personal development.  She coordinated the Halloween/Fall Strut and showed up splendidly sexy and ready to direct as she keeps her pulse on her next project.

What's on the rest of Virtuoso's 2023 calendar - well, the work almost never ends. The company multi-tasks with on-going dance project management. Currently, the company is preparing for Oliver, a very complex and moving program scheduled for December as well into 2024 as well as preparing to dance on Veteran's Day, and perhaps a Holiday strut.  

JAPA is a learning institution for dance, personal development, and life. There is a balance of professionalism and human consideration in both worlds.  For further information and consideration, please contact Principal Klark Harvy or Vice Principal Delaney Jenson. Virtuoso membership is by Director invite only.  

Dancerina Starlight