This past Sunday, September 15th we had the privilege of watching Kira Attius dance into history as she earned her star in the Dance Queens Walk of Fame. She performed a mini-show that dazzled and amazed the audience on the Zhaza Zerbino stage at the Dance Queens sim. Her creativity and imagination took us all on an eclectic journey to other worlds, dimensions and lives, each telling a unique story. Let's have a look at some pictures from the show, and then read an interview with this talented virtual dance creator and get to know her better!
THE SHOW
Delta Rae - I Will Never Die
Muse - Supermassive Black Hole with Azzy, Cael, Dee, Tiberius & Yancy
Devil, Devil with Azzy, Dee, Ele &
Tiberius
Glitter & Gold with Azzy,
Cael, Dee, Tiberius & Yancy
THE INTERVIEW
1. How and when did you find Second Life?
I found SL back in January 2008 through a friend of mine.
She introduced a whole group of us, however with each year that’s gone by
they’ve all left SL, so now only I remain. 2. How and when did you discover virtual dance?
In March 2020, I began my journey in Austin. There, I went
to one of the dance troupe shows and discovered it was an Austin activity. I reached out and joined Austin in Motion in
the early summer. After dancing in my
first show, I started wondering about becoming a choreographer so I started
working on my first dance in November/December 2020 and made my choreographer’s
debut with Austin In Motion in January 2021 and haven’t looked back since.
3. I know picking is hard, but name a few of your favorite
dances that you have ever created:
Each dance I have created is a favourite for one reason or
another. What I can say, the 4 dances
you are seeing here today are probably my outstanding ones from each of the 4
years I’ve been a choreographer.
“I Will Never Die” is
the first solo I created in March 2021. It was the first time I used the Spot
On Glow Fader en-masse with staggered timings in line with the song's
lyrics.
“Supermassive Black Hole” is a dance I had a lot of fun
creating in September 2022. Originally,
this dance had a cast of 10. A gang of
Stormtroopers march through the audience up to the stage while the Imperial
March fills the theatre. It was the
first time I used not just the stage, but the entire theatre to tell a story.
“Devil Devil” is a favourite of mine as it’s the one where I
was thrilled with how each transition and effect fell into place with the
music. Originally created in October
2023, it is also a dance which expresses my love of all things dark, and
dangerous, particularly the devil.
Lastly, in August 2024, I created “Glitter & Gold”. The vision for this dance was for a group of
golden statues to come to life. Through the lyrics, I take the audience on a
journey across time and humanity’s strive to be successful. After all, ‘All that glitters is gold.’
However, since I chose these 4 dances, I have created
several new ones. Most notable are “Hold
On” by Alexia Evellyn, “Uprising” by Muse, and “A Storm is Coming” by Liv Ash
& Tommee Proffitt.
4. Did you have any
mentors when you were learning to dance that you'd like to wave to?
I certainly do! One
of my greatest mentors is my ‘sis’ Azdra!
She has inspired, encouraged, and helped me all along the way. It was Azdra who included me in my very first
dance at Austin and the rest is history.
Other notable mentors for me include BabyPea Von Phoenix,
Taema Mynx, & SoCo Trallis. Each of
these ladies create such awesome dances which make me take notice which then
pushes me to try what some might think is impossible with my own creations.
5. What is your favorite thing about virtual dance creation?
My favourite thing about virtual dance creation is there is
no limit to one’s imagination when it comes to a piece of music. We each have a story to tell when it comes to
dance, and my vision for one song will be entirely different to another’s
vision for the same song.
6. What is your least favorite thing about virtual dance
creation?
My least favourite thing about virtual dance is some of the
limitations of what I’d like to do during a dance. I come up with some rather wild ideas,
usually while driving to & from work and listening to music in the
car. I’ll hear a song, and the ideas for
the dance start flooding in. When I sit
down to start building the set, or trying to locate the right effects
(particles, lighting, etc) or even the right costumes, many times I get
frustrated because something doesn’t exist or takes forever to locate. After all, I’m not a builder or a script
writer.
7. What advice would you give to someone who is new to
virtual dance?
Let’s see…..there is no such word as ‘can’t’. Trust yourself and your vision. If you can
imagine it, then you can create it.
8. What is your favorite food, favorite drink, and please
tell us about any pets that you have.
Well…..those who know me here in SL can tell you I’m always
banging on about my favourite drink, which is a not so ‘wee’ dram of single
malt scotch. Favourite food is
pizza! Vegetarian Hot. Margharita, Spinach & Ricotta, or Tuna
& Sweetcorn.
As for pets, I’m the proud ‘mama’ of a diva dog named Aoife
(a pure white Miniature Schnauzer), an attention whore named Bartley, and a
drunken porn-star named Winston. Bartley
& Winston are both long-haired Birman cats.
And of course, I can’t forget to mention my little kitty angel, Hamish
who crossed the rainbow bridge in February 2024.
9. What activities other than dance do you enjoy?
Well in SL, there is always the shopping! But when faces with RL, I can always be found
with a book/Kindle in my hands. When not
reading, I enjoy writing, photography, genealogical research and last by not
least, learning different languages. So
far, I’ve been mastering Italian, Scots Gaelic, and Latin.
THE STAR CEREMONY
Congratulations Kira on earning your star in the Dance Queens Walk of Fame! We are so proud of you, as it takes a lot of courage and skill to do a one-person show. Thank you for sharing your talent for virtual dance with us! And thank you for participating, as we continue to grow our Walk... thank you for adding your STAR to it! May your passion for dance continue to envelope audiences with the warmth and light of your creativity for many years to come.
