I was at a show yesterday and ran into a friend. We were discussing dance shows and what we like and don’t like about them.
In SL, there is something for everyone – including dance shows. It seems that a lot of dance shows bill themselves as ‘burlesque’ or ‘cabaret.’ I’m not sure that those titles accurately describe many of the shows.
When I first started dancing in SL, it was as a chorus dancer. The venue put on weekly burlesque shows and the occasional big production. It was a lot of fun, because I am a burlesque fan. I love the costumes, the dancing, the sexiness, the tease, the humor. Eventually I moved on to various other venues. And as time has passed, new things have ‘arrived’ in SL.
Burlesque shows in general were usually in smaller venues in clubs (although there were exceptions). Someone would dance, maybe emote, maybe have a couple of props, or even a stage set. New dance HUDs made things easier. Then movement systems arrived, making it easier to dance in groups, move around the stage in formation, etc. Dancers used particles and effects, scrolling backgrounds, whatever they could dream up to make their routine unique and entertaining. Then faders and rezz boxes made it possible to switch sets, using multiple scenes in one routine.
I don’t want to get into a big discussion about whether any of these things are good or bad. Not everyone likes the same things.
But I got to thinking – I would love to be able to read about a show (venue, dancer, etc) BEFORE I went to it, so I would have a better idea what to expect when I attended the show. Things like: how large is the venue? Is the stage 10X12 or 100X120? Will there be a lot of particles/FX? Do the dancers emote? A lot? A little? Is there a storyline or theme to the show, or is it just individual dancers doing routines? Is there a script limit for audience members? How long is a typical show? 1 hour? 2 hours? Longer?
Is there a need for something like this? Or is it preferable to just show up and ‘what you see is what you get’?
A Kat and A Mouse 