Friday Night Enjoyment at Elysium

 

By Dancerina Starlight

 

Music - Movement - Creation - Joy - Friendship

Second Life (SL) is full of life and social activities galore. Residents find ways to enjoy the day and night life. By Thursday, conversations are about weekend plans. As we know, SL is not deprived of night life. Many people look forward to the weekend, and this weekend was no different. On Friday evening, many could be found at Elysium jump starting their SL weekend by appreciating the arts among friends.

On Friday, February 9, six choreographers and one crowd dance choreographer bedazzled the audience with eclectic ensembles and vibrant costumes. Each choreographer and dance ensemble brought to life creativity, art, passion, and commitment to the arts. Among them were Mine, Sunset, Kira, Sarah, Chrissy, Lola, and Janjii as the crowd dance choreographer.

The first dance was by Mine and her five dancers, who brought to life a club scene as they danced to "My Type." The set embodied love and dance passion.

Dance number two was choreographed by Sunset.  "Black Eyed Peas Feat" was done justice with this great choreographer.  She and five other dancers dance to a mixture of movements, including same. Their colorful body suits captivated the audience with joy.

Choreographer number three, Kira, took control of her vision, and choreographed to "Dreams." Five dancers gracefully understood the assignment and graced the stage with pastel colors and spring-like set to demonstrate purpose and dance.

"Private Dancer," number four, was choreographed by Sarah. Sarah's passion was noticeable in every cadence and movement.  All five dancers wore derby hats and body dresses with feathers. Their movements swayed to the music and lyrics of the song.

Choreography number five was done by Chrissy. She and one other dancer had the audience fixated on her performance to "Cosmic Love." This dance meant a lot to her because her father passed away exactly ten years ago, impacting a huge part of her life. However, despite her sadness, she was determined to push forward and produce beyond her sadness. And, that is what she and her fellow dancer did.

Choreographer number six, Lola and two other dance professionals were enjoying "Hoje." Their feather costumes complemented every move and rhythm of the song.

The crowd dance was choreographed by janji.  A crowd dance is the very last dance where show participants and guests dance on stage to approximately one to three songs choreographed by the designated person.  Janji choreographed a rich mixture of dances, from Bollywood to Samba. Every dance made you feel as if you were in a Brazilian carnival.

As always, it was a great show.  Elysium Cabaret always provides a mixture of music, movement, creation, joy, and friendships every Friday evening at six o'clock in The Empire Room at Copperhead Road.  The venue challenges artists and guests to allow their imagination to illuminate and set them free through dance and entertainment!  And, these choreographers and dancers did just that.  Even the audience gets an opportunity to feel the magic. At the end of every show, the venue invites everyone on stage to dance with the show participants  and celebrate the simple joy of dance as a  "Welcome to the weekend!"

The last Saturday of each month, they also perform a "Best Of" show at 1pm SLT.  This offers their friends and family in Europe a chance to come see our shows at a time that is better suited for them.

Their Second Life Location is:
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Copperhead%20Road/74/64/2754

Social Media:
Blog: https://elysiumcabaretblog.wordpress.com/

Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/Elysium-Cabaret-191390887935940/

Submitted by: Dancerina Starlight

 

CATS at Theater On The Hill

By Gemma Cleanslate

I had my tissues out again Sunday at the Theater on the Hill.  The premiere of the musical , Cats, opened at 12:00. I have seen Cats in real life so many times, but love every minute of it and would go again. The cast at TOTH were dressed as real cat avatars, which is a little different. In real life shows they are humans made up beautifully to look like cats.  The dances and movements were choreographed so well to match the music. If you do not know the back story of Cats I recommend you visit the web to learn about it. This will give you the insight to what is going on.  https://www.catsthemusical.com/about-the-show/the-story

There are many individual cats to meet in the show and the music leads you to understand each one. There are some very special ones that grab your heart. 

Based on T. S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, the show is set amongst a larger- than life junkyard playground and is alive with our favourite feline characters including Rum Tum Tugger, Mr. Mistoffelees, Macavity, Jennyanydots, Old Deuteronomy,

"Well, of all things i
Can it be really?
Yes! No! Ho! Hi! Oh, my eye!
My mind may be wandering, but I confess
I believe it is Old Deuteronomy!"

"Remark the woman
Who hesitates toward you in the light of the door
Which opens on her like a grin.
You see the border of her coat
Is torn and stained with sand,
And you see the corner of her eye
Twists like a crooked pin."
 
The music is delightful, fun in some places and so poignant in others. Every  time I see a performance it is almost like I have not seen it before, always surprises. There was a page in the theater handing out champagne, cookies, juice, soda and other goodies.

There will be several other opportunities to see the show. Do not miss it ! The TOTH will present it again next Sunday at 12pm and again on October 21 at 1 and perhaps again. Perhaps you will see me there! The music is so enticing and the movement of the cast only enhances it.

Oliver Elton is the person behind this show at the TOTH. All SL cats should come as well as the nekos and all furries and humans will love it even if they are not cat friendly. The usual ending to the story was not there but I did not miss it. Everything about this Second Life show is well worth a visit.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Pure%20Luxury/194/128/37  

Gemma Cleanslate

Mysteria at the Oval Theater

By Gemma Cleanslate

I spent Monday at the Oval Theater watching their new show, “Mysteria.” The invitation said, “Let your imagination soar as your reality merges with a world of wonder and whimsy in an enchanting production that is sure to leave you spellbound” and it did. It is a perfect description of the performance.  The show is an eclectic collection of scenes ,  each with dance and song.

Othon Weiland-Nootan (Othon Weiland) greeted everyone as we arrived and settled ourselves in the comfortable seats around little tables, set in groups of four in the theater. It has seating on several levels so it is very perfect for viewing the stage from all angles. The scenery is a show in itself. Each scene has a setting that fits the performance going on and each is fabulous.

The choreography is an art that must take so much time to prepare with so many styles of dance.  The music is a fitting choice for it or vice versa . It all works beautifully.  The costumes are beyond description. The entire performance is over an hour but flows so evenly with costume changes going on behind the scenes with pleasant break music for the short changes. The entire cast is to be applauded for all their work with many appearing in more than one scene in various roles .

I am happy to tell you that the show will be performed two more times. July 21st and 23rd at 1PM SLT so you will not miss it. Enjoy! 

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Devils%20Cave/145/80/21

Gemma Cleanslate

Performances at Club Image

 By Grey Lupindo

Last week my neighbor Celtic Infinity invited me to attend a dance performance at Club Image, located at Club IMAGE, Laem Singh (198, 29, 2021).    The Sunday morning performances, which are held every week, are suitable for all residents.   The dancers and audience are predominately Japanese, but there were other nationalities represented, too.  Performances start at 7am SLT.

        On the Sunday that I attended, Daylight Savings time had just gone into effect within most of the U.S., but not in Japan.   The time change caught a few people off guard.   In addition to the time issue, SL was having a few technical issues.   But even with these difficulties, the performance was amazing.

       As curtain time drew nearer, Misse Tigerpaw (misse.tigerpaw) greeted everyone and explained about the time issue.   She has been a resident since December, 2007.  Misse is one of the Image dancers and was to be the featured performer in the second act that morning.   She reminded everyone to have a seat and make sure their music was turned on.

         The show began with two dancers, a particle light show, and a lively mix of music.   The first song was “Call Me".  The performance was great, with a snappy beat, high energy dancing, and lots of particles.  The songs that followed were varied and well known. 

        The transition to the second act began with a storyboard of “Little Red Riding Hood” that included pictures of Misse Tigerpaw in costume.   The background music included Sarah Vaughan’s “A Lover's Concerto”, Nat King Cole’s “L-O-V-E”, and Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World”.    Then the London Philharmonic Orchestra began playing “Enchanted Forest” as Misse Tigerpaw began her performance.   She performed a stunning and beautiful ballet as Little Red Riding Hood.   There was fire and ice, a blood moon rising, and even some wolves.    

           After her performance, due to technical difficulties, the order and scheduling of the Image Dancers was changed.  Diawa Bellic was the next dancer.  She has been a resident since 2008. Her talent and professionalism was awesome and overcame the minor technical difficulties SL threw at her. 

      The final act was a group performance of six Image Dancers, including Terri Wardell, Misse Tigerpaw, and Diawa Bellic.  Unfortunately I was unable to confirm the names of the other three dancers.   Their performance, set on a busy urban street, was fun and energetic.     

      Nearly 40 residents watched and cheered the performance.   At the end the performers exited the stage and received more congratulations as those who attended left the theatre.  

       The Image Dancers put on a great show that I heartily recommend.  If you go, plan to arrive early so you can get a good seat.   There is no change for the performance.  However, pictures of the dancers are on the wall and serve as a tip jar for anyone who wishes to donate.    Don’t worry if you don’t know Japanese or have a translator.  Celtic gave me a translator so I could understand the chat better, but I didn’t need it for the show.   Music and dancing are universal.  

Grey Lupindo