I've been blogging this particular post for awhile but couldn't figure out what to call it. Then it came to me. So here is the next thought of your friend and mine, Dejaye Barracuda.
I've been told a few times (he said she said gossip) that my sets are overkill and that isn't what dance is about. Only one that I know for a fact is someone I was interviewing to join my team. I bet he was red faced when I said "Well that one was mine. 😁" Am I butt hurt over it? Nope, and here's why.
For me, dance is more than just the dance itself, I want to set the mood, give the ambience of what it is that I'm trying to portray in the song that I've been inspired to do. Some of my dances tell a story, like "The Wizard of Ahhzz" by Pentatonix, which goes through the entire Wizard of Oz movie in six minutes. "Stay" by Shakespeares Sister, where good and evil battle over the life of a man who hangs in the balance, and then one of my favorites, "Twas the Night" by Jessalyn Gilsig where a wife longs for her husband who is deployed at Christmas time and excitedly falls into his arms when he unexpectedly comes home on Christmas Eve. All of my sets required set changes in order to create the atmosphere I wanted. If it's overkill then ok.
What matters to me is what the audience thinks, and we may not draw in the biggest crowd compared to others dance teams in SL, but the ones we do draw in are amazed at what we do. I have received lots of compliments over the years about my sets, many of them coming from other directors and dancers. Its funny for someone known for "overkill," so many directors from all over the dance community have messaged me for advice. This girl....overkill girl. Set changes and moving props is part of my mojo and my audience likes it.
Jealousy?? It's a horrible thing, and the only explanation I can come up with as far as why anyone would think my sets are overkill. Maybe because they didn't think of it themselves. I'm not the only one with moving parts on a set, there are others out there that I'm jealous of because they are creative as fuck. There is one girl on another team I dance for that has over the top amazing work in her sets and dances, I want to be just like her when I grow up. 😂😂 Its okay to be envious of someone's work, its not ok to be negative about it.
So if you think I'm overkill, suck it up buttercups, I'm not changing my style. It's me, because I'm more than just about the animations, I'm trying to tell a story here. Get over yourself.
