Dance
Queens is hosting a new class called Dance Camp. This is a class for
people who are beginners in virtual dance creation. It will require
dedication, as you will be taught to create a dance from start to
finish. Each week you will learn a different component of your dance.
Therefore, your weekly attendance is very important. The class will run
for many weeks and promises to be demanding. You will be slowly taken
through every aspect of dance creation. This class will be thorough,
brutally honest, and will finish with a show on the Dance Queens stage
where you will proudly make your debut. Aren't you so excited?!?! Of
course you are! This is going to be fun!
Sundays at 2pm SLT starting March 12th Taught by Pea
*What
do you need to bring for the first class? Nothing, but be prepared to
buy a dance HUD and mover system if you do not have one. And some other
things as we go.
Classes are free but you are welcome to tip Dance Queens if you wish. IM Web Sass to sign up for this class.
Dance Queens is hosting a new class called Dance Camp. This is a class for people who are beginners in virtual dance creation. It will require dedication, as you will be taught to create a dance from start to finish. Each week you will learn a different component of your dance. Therefore, your weekly attendance is very important. The class will run for many weeks and promises to be demanding. You will be slowly taken through every aspect of dance creation. This class will be thorough, brutally honest, and will finish with a show on the Dance Queens stage where you will proudly make your debut. Aren't you so excited?!?! Of course you are! This is going to be fun!
Sundays at 2pm SLT starting September 25th Taught by Pea
*What do you need to bring for the first class? Nothing, but be prepared to buy a dance HUD and mover system if you do not have one. And some other things as we go.
Classes are free but you are welcome to tip Dance Queens if you wish. IM Web Sass to sign up for this class.
Monday, April 4, 2022
Harleyquin Workshops Presented by Eva Harley
held at the Dance Queens Class Area
All workshops are presented in VOICE
Length is 1 hour unless otherwise indicated
No registration, no fees, contributions always optional but appreciated
9 am: CHOOSING ANIMATIONS FOR A DANCE, Poses, Dance Animations, and Other Animations
It seems like there are more animations than ever to choose from - but how do you pick? I'll be sharing how I choose dance animations and my favorite stores. But why limit yourself to just dance animations? Strong starting and ending poses can really make a dance, and don't forget walks, gestures, and other dramatic animations can be used in your choreography. Poses too!
10:30 am: SPOT ON SMOOTH DANCER - FOCUS ON SEQUENCES, Creating, Recording, Editing, and Playing Dance Sequences
Let's play as we go over what this animation HUD does best - create sequences! Smooth Dancer is my #1 recommended Spot On foundation tool for creating dances. Not only can you create your own manual sequences, it can record the timing of your animations as you play them - creating the sequence for you!
9 am: Creating Dance in a Virtual World: Choosing Music
During this workshop it’s all about the music! We explore different styles of music, transitions, pauses, the audience, and soooo much more!
10:30 am: Spot On Smooth Dancer Animation HUD Class 2: Putting your animations together and creating dance sequences
Create a sequence of timed animations by using the amazing record feature in the Smooth Dancer HUD. Learn how to create multiple sequences, and manually edit them when needed! We will also touch on smoothing transitions, blind animations, and how you CAN perform using only the Smooth Dancer HUD.
Everyone welcome! Smooth Dancer HUD not required! Prefer to listen and follow along? Comfortable seating is provided
9 am: Creating Dance in a Virtual World: Music, Movement, Message, and the Kitchen Sink
During this workshop we look at some of the key elements in creating a dance: choosing music, animations, movement and tools, the dance message and connection with the audience, costumes and sets, special effects and particles
10:30 am: Spot On Smooth Dancer Animation HUD Class 1: I Wanna Dance!
Let me introduce you to the Smooth Dancer! During this hands on workshop we focus on the basics – loading animations, inviting others to dance, playing animations, how to reinvite and remove dancers. We also review what it can do and why it comes with a toolbox!
Goal: Feel familiar with your HUD and ready for a second date!
Everyone welcome! Smooth Dancer HUD not required! Prefer to listen and follow along? Comfortable seating is provided
Artiste proudly presents a new suite of tools called StoryTeller.
An exciting must-see new dance tool is about to be released. Imagine one tool that can: 1. Animate mesh 2. Fade in/fade out 3. Glow one or all 4. Move objects 5. Rotate objects 6. Add and remove costume pieces 7. Shrink and enlarge objects
8. Multiple actions available upon collisions
9. Trigger other chat-commands like particles
10. Has its own independent timeline
11. Propel objects
12. Rez with motion
13. Change object status
14. Many commands operate on single links as well
And more!! All the stage tricks in the book from ONE tool that is extremely affordable! No more hunting for scripts, no more editing scripts, no more asking friends... this tool does all the tricks in the book plus ones that aren't in the book. You must see it to appreciate all it can do.
Come to the Q&A to find out more! Bring your curiosity, your excitement, and your questions! There will be a demonstration as you are all invited behind the curtain and find out how this amazing new tool works, and what all it can do.
Two Q&A sessions are being offered: Saturday, October 16th at 3pm SLT Saturday, October 23rd at 3pm SLT
A series of posts sharing my own beliefs, methods, and suggestions for the new dancer. As with anything I say or teach - QUESTION EVERYTHING! There are many different approaches and methods to dance. From all you learn, all you experience, strive to create your own methods, ideas, and knowledge. Unique and in your own voice.
Disclaimer: The author of this article wishes to point out, in case it was not already embarrassingly, ridiculously obvious, that the opinions expressed belong solely to the author and they do not represent in any way those of Dance Queens, Dance Queens members, any affiliations, friends, non-friends, the guy in the 3rd row, or management. If you must...EvaHarley bio
Welcome, welcome, welcome to the wonderful, crazy, consuming and thrilling adventure called dance here in Second Life! Perhaps you've been bitten by the bug or wonder what all the hullabaloo is about? Step-by-step I will share what I know of creating a dance performance and self-expression. The stage is your canvas, the dancers your paint. What story will you tell through your creation?
As we explore the process of creating your own dance performance, you will find that I follow a certain flow and focus heavily on building a strong foundation. I love tools, gadgets, particles, and anything else that gives that extra bit of oomph which enhances my dance. In time, these will also be introduced in this blog series. I believe strongly that choreography is the core element in creating a dance - the animations chosen, how they are linked together, and those infinitesimal changes, transitions, pauses, and poses that express the music. Amazing choreography can be performed in front of nothing more than a black screen and still draw the audience in and take their breath away.
If you've been following along, you should have a piece of music chosen, a choreography HUD loaded with a variety of animations, and you should have roughed out the choreography for your dance.
Transitions - Pulling it Together & Smoothing it Out
What a transition is:
Fact - a transition is the act of changing from one animation to another Art - a transition is the flow of changing from one animation to another seamlessly, without the audience knowing. Making it appear that you are playing one completely smooth and seamless animation without others knowing where one begins and the other ends.
In some ways, Dance in RL and SL are the same. The emotion of the music, the backstory created by sets, costume, music, and movement. The anxiety of getting your dancers dressed and in place before the curtain goes up.
One of the major differences? We are not limited by gravity or limitations of the body in this world. RL is not limited to the pre-created dance animations that are available, but we are in this world. The key is how to make them work for you.
Unless you hit the lottery, buy your own motion caption equipment, hire dancers to record, and animators to translate the data and clean up the files...your choreography is created by sequencing animations you purchase from various animation stores together. It is in your animation choices, in the order you place them, and in the way you transition them that you create choreography in SL.
In our previous blog post, we talked about adding interest in a dance by changing your animations, using distinct movements to hit high points or to accentuate instrumental phrases. Now, we focus on tips for smoothly transitioning from one animation to the next. It truly is an art that requires patience and attention to detail, but it can be one of the most fun aspects of creating a dance. Finding those nuances and putting it together.
Things to consider when changing from one animation to another:
Current "placement" of your avatar
Position of the hands, feet, head, body
Tempo of the animations being changed
Smooth in, Smooth out
Putting it into practice:
Placement of your avatar - Your avatar has a position, coordinates, just like a box does when you create one. This is your "avatar center". When you dance you "move" away from this center point, but for SL your avatar is still standing in that avatar center position. When the animation stops, you'll be right back to where you started.
So, why is this important? Most animations start at your avatar center position then continue to move you on the stage. Start the animation again and BAM - it will drag you back to that avatar center position when the animation begins to replay. Now think about transitions, changing from one animation to another. If your first animation has danced you into a wide circle and you change the animation it will slide you back to avatar center, your starting position. (PS - slides are usually bad, even the electric slide but I digress).
What can you do? When I create my choreography, I stand right in the middle of a circle grid. This visually let's me see where I am in relation to my avatar center.
If I'm waaaay out from center, I know I either need to transition either before or after when I'm closer to center.
If I'm right on center, I know I should be ok to transition based on position.
If I'm a little off center but it looks like I'm taking a step or in a kick, my animation change will sometimes make it look like I stepped to center as it starts playing the next animation.
Is this written in stone? Nope. If you're a gooey slimy creature or in a futuristic/fantasy/psychedelic dance a slide may actually really work! (but slides are still usually bad)
Give it a try. See where your animation starts based on where you're standing. Where does it move to? Where does it finish? (I often change my animations before they finish, but sometimes when they end) Most animations will end at avatar center - but that's not always true either. Now - see what happens when you change between two animations. No slide? Good!
You heard it right – Harleyquin workshops are back with a remix!
What’s a remix, you ask? Taking the best pieces, shaking up the
environment, and putting a fun and playful spin on things!
Creating Dance in a Virtual World: Music, Movement, Message, and the Kitchen Sink
During this workshop we look at some of the key elements in creating a
dance: choosing music, animations, movement and tools, the dance
message and connection with the audience, costumes and sets, special
effects and particles
Length: 1 hour Everyone welcome!
Sat Oct 10th @ 10 am & Wed Oct 14th @ 6 pm:
Creating Dance in a Virtual World:Dance Tools for Animation, Movement, and Coordination
During this workshop we talk about different types of dance tools, a
suggested process for learning, and tools available from Spot On,
MetaHarpers, and Barre.
Length: 1 hour Everyone welcome!
Sat Oct 24th @ 10 am & Wed Oct 28th @ 4:30 pm:
Creating Dance in a Virtual World: Choosing Music
During this workshop it’s all about the music! We explore different
styles of music, transitions, pauses, the audience, and soooo much more!
Length: 1 hour Everyone welcome!
Sat Oct 24th @ 8:30 am & Wed Oct 28th @ 6 pm:
Spot On Smooth Dancer Animation HUD Class 1: I Wanna Dance!
Let me introduce you to the Smooth Dancer! During this hands on
workshop we focus on the basics – loading animations, inviting others to
dance, playing animations, how to reinvite and remove dancers. We also
review what it can do and why it comes with a toolbox!
Goal: Feel familiar with your HUD and ready for a second date!
Length: 1 hour
Everyone welcome! Smooth Dancer HUD not required! Prefer to listen and follow along? Comfortable seating is provided!
Stay Tuned for November!
Late arrivals for Activity Workshops:
If arriving after the workshop has begun, please find a seat to
listen and follow along. Kindly minimize disruption as possible. Thank
you!
Classes at J A P A start in March 2020. There have been a few changes this year, so please read through the program carefully so that nothing is missed.
*** DANCE *** BUILD *** MOVE ***
*** MARCH *** APRIL *** MAY ***
CLASS STRUCTURES
*W* WORKSHOPS - You are expected to interact within the class, take relevant notes, and are expected to participate in both the Theory and Practical sessions of the workshop.
*P* PRESENTATIONS - You attend as an audience member, and to take relevant notes on the subject of the presentation.
Question & Answer time at the end of the Presentation.
CLASS CHARGES - From our experience in previous years, when asking for donation only at classes, we now realise that it is imperative that we make a small charge to secure you a place at J A P A Workshops. This may go a long way in ensuring that those who sign up for classes value the preparation and teaching time for them, and turn up for classes.
We always have a large waiting list for J A P A class places, and it is unfair for those wanting a class to be unable to attend when places are full, and people do not honour their commitment to attend.
2020 CLASS CHARGES
WORKSHOPS - 250L PER EACH CLASS REGISTERED
ONE TO ONE TUITION - 1000L per hour
PRESENTATIONS - No charge - Donation only
If anyone has difficulty paying for classes then the Dance world may not be for you - Performance Dance IS expensive.
We have a few bursaries to offer for special circumstances.
____________________________________________________
ATTENDANCE
You are required to attend your class at least 10 mins before the start time, to enable you to settle on the sim, and enable group chat voice so you can hear instruction.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO USE VOICE DURING YOUR CLASS, you can type, but you MUST be able to hear your Tutor.
If English is not your first language and you have difficulty understanding, you will need to bring along an interpretor to assist you during the class.
If this proves still difficult to understand, a one to one session may be required with specific written notes for you to translate yourself.
CLASS REQUIREMENTS
Please read each class description thoroughly!
If you are required to have pre-requisites, ensure you do BEFORE registering for a class.
If you are required to purchase any tools, animations, or costumes, please do so BEFORE your class.
If you are required to prepare anything, please ensure you do this BEFORE your class.
You are required to be attentive at all times during the class and take your OWN notes, we do not give out class notes except under special circumstances, due to breach of copyright and plagiarism in the past in Second Life.
REGISTRATIONS - OPEN NOW FOR FIRST SEMESTER
ALL CLASS PAYMENTS ARE NON REFUNDABLE
DELANEY'S CLASSES - SIGN UP BOARDS AND CLASS PAYMENT - AT THE J A P A MAIN RECEPTION AREA
KLARK'S CLASSES - REGISTER DIRECTLY WITH A MESSAGE OR NCD AND PAYMENT DUE IF PLACE IS AVAILABLE
___________________________________________________
SPOT ON TOOLS CLASSES AVAILABLE -
*THE SMOOTH DANCER - BASICS - Must have Basic Edit Skills
- Must own the Smooth Dancer Hud.
- Own minimum 5 Dance Animations
*THE SMOOTH DANCER - HOT KEYS - As above plus must have Smooth Dancer Basics
*THE STAGE MANAGER - As above plus must own the Stage Manager Tool
*THE CHOREOGRAPHY DESIGN SYSTEM - As above plus must own the Choreography Design System
*THE PERFORMANCE DIRECTOR - As above must own the Performance Director Hud
SPOT ON EXTRAS -
*PRESENTATION - INTRO TO SPOT ON - PROGRESSIVE PRACTICE - No pre-requisites
*USING BACKSTAGE MOVERS - Must be able to confidently operate the spot on Choreography Design Mover System
*USING THE GLOW FADER - must have basic edit and set building skills
___________________________________________________
ALTERNATIVE DANCE TOOLS AND CLASSES -
*BASIC EDIT SKILLS - No pre-requisites
*BASIC SET BUILDING SKILLS - Must have Basic Edit Skills
*PACKING A SET USING MULTI-SCENE REZZER - Must have Basic Edit and Set Building Skills
*THE DANCE PAD CONTROLLER MOVER SYSTEM - DPC - Must have Basic Edit Skills
*EFFECTS - PARTICLES - LIGHTING - Must have Basic Edit Skills
____________________________________________________
PRESENTATIONS - ALL WELCOME NO PRE-REQUISITES
FIRST SEMESTER - MARCH / APRIL / MAY
*INTRODUCTION TO CHOREOGRAPHY
*PREPARATION FOR PERFORMANCE
*THE ART OF DANCE
*THE SECRET SCROLLS OF CHOREOGRAPHY
*CHOOSING MUSIC FOR DANCE
*COSTUMING A DANCE
___________________________________________________
SECOND SEMESTER - SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER / NOVEMBER
*ADVANCED PERFORMANCE SKILLS
*DIRECTING A DANCE PERFORMANCE
*MANAGING A DANCE TROUPE
*TEACHING PERFORMANCE IN A VIRTUAL WORLD
____________________________________________________
IMPORTANT NOTE!
All Performance Tool classes will have an assignment this year in the form of a J A P A SHOWCASE PERFORMANCE.
So at the end of each month - March - April - May, for this Semester, you will be required to show what you have learned, at your own skill level. This will be a fun way for you to evaluate your own learning, and for us to evaluate the success of our teaching methods.
THIS IS NOT COMPULSORY BUT IS A VALUABLE AND FUN ADDITION TO THE PROGRAM.
All Students who decide to perform will achieve an Award for completion of the Showcase.
28th SATURDAY - 10AM SLT - SHOW CASE PRACTICE KLARK & DELANEY
**** 29TH SUNDAY - NOON SLT - J A P A SHOWCASE - *DANCE* LA FIESTA ****
Performers backstage at 11 am please
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
APRIL *** BUILD ***
*W* 5TH SUNDAY - 10AM SLT - BASIC SET BUILDING SKILLS - KLARK
*W* 8TH WEDNESDAY - NOON SLT - USING THE GLOW FADER - DELANEY
*W* 9TH THURSDAY - NOON SLT - BASIC SET BUILDING SKILLS - KLARK
Good news, everyone... Elayn has more classes for us!
For the month of September, I've had LOTS of people asking for Basics classes including the MST Show Tools now that the new updates are stable! So in September I'll be offering classes 2 nights a week; Tuesdays at the Dance Queens Classroom on the Spot On dance tools and Thursdays on the MST (MetaHarper) Show Tools, at the MST Immersive Theater & Stageworks Tech Platform. Both nights are 4 pm SLT till 5 pm SLT with time after for help and chat.
Please NOTE: You don't need to be an experienced dancer BUT you should be confident in basic building skills such as rezzing prims, resizing prims, link/unlink, and adding, deleting in the content tab and editing notecards in Contents. If you don't have these skills now, please speak with Elayn about learning them BEFORE class.
If you do not have the suggested tools before class, you are still welcome to come and observe.
** All Classes are LiveCast using Zoom. This is optional to participate in class.
The Zoom conference is here: https://zoom.us/j/257329098
Tuesdays: Spot On
-->Sept 3 4 - 5 pm SLT http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Hits%20Expert%20Island/186/36/1500
Spot On Stage Manager - We will look at the uses of the stage manager and learn how to pack, rez and travel with our show set. We will also learn how to set up our practice site to make traveling even easier!
-->Sept 5 4-5 pm SLT http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Eyefliez/106/67/1500
Performance Engine - We will learn to set the stage location at your practice area and at the dance venue quickly and easily. Then we will learn to pack the stage and set in the rezzer for easy set up at the show.
-->Sept 12 4-5 pm SLT http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Eyefliez/106/67/1500
Dance Choreo HUD Solo - We will learn how to create an animation sequence using the Solo HUD. Please have some dance animations ready to load and play with!
-->Sept 26 4-5 pm SLT http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Eyefliez/106/67/1500
Pulling it all Together - Let's pull all the parts together to create a great Show Set! We will use the Performance Engine to play our Event Timeline including rezzing the set, playing the Mover sequence, playing our Animation Sequence and setting off our special effects!
Can you hear my inventory creaking and groaning as I log into SL? At 206,046 items, that's a lot of inventory cache for my system to load and sort through. Sure, I have enough outfits for the next three years but will I ever wear that system dress created in 2009 again?
For me, an inventory this size can create delays when logging in, after crashing (because it often needs to rebuild the inventory cache), and freezing while changing outfits. My dancing alt with a slim trim inventory? It's like comparing Olympic runners to those laps I had to do in high school gym class.
Size does make a difference when it comes to inventory! SL's general recommendation is an inventory under 100,000 items. As a choreographer I tend to accumulate a lot of stuff - costumes, textures, set props, animations, etc., and don't forget SL counts folders in your inventory count too. My goal is to at least reduce my inventory and be able to find the great stuff I have and forgot about!
Clothing Mesh Models & Sizes - Do you really need to keep them all?
I have a Maitreya body, which has become the unofficial standard for female mesh bodies in this dance world. I have -582% intention to switch to another mesh body. This by far isn't the only one though and creators wanting to make their outfits available to everyone will often send a Maitreya size, Freya, Slink, Belleza, TMP, standard sizes and more! Instead of 1 dress, I get 12 - only 1 which I can use.
Not only does this bloat my inventory, it makes it harder for me to find the one I need to wear.
I must admit it was a bit scary at first - especially being a natural hoarder here in SL but I bit the bullet and have been deleting the sizes I'll never wear. For this one folder alone I deleted twelve items. Twelve, leaving just five items.
If you're looking to reduce your inventory, this may be something to consider. Do it as soon as you unpack a new outfit and you'll find your inventory easier to maintain.
Well, the LiveStream classes are going GREAT so far -at least as far as my growing but novice skills at using the applications will allow it. :-) The comments from students about the format allowing them to actually see my screen during class have all been terrific. I'd like to expand a little and consider many topics that have been previously difficult due to the reliance of the edit, inventory and viewer windows. Considering, I'd like to make a couple of points and request some feedback!
- During the LiveStream experience, you 'may' have both screens open at once but it is by not means required. Computer capabilities vary and so can this experience. If you wish to watch only in SL or YouTube that is FINE! Currently, I only follow chat in SL but as my skills increase, I will open up the Stream chat and follow it at the same time allowing you to fully participate as an observer in YT only.
-Please choose to listen to either the SL voice OR the YT stream voice, but not both. Not only is it computer resource heavy but you will hear an echo. Choose which works best for you.
-I am trying to come up with a seating arrangement that will allow those who do not wish to be seen on camera to remain out of camera range. However, I do show the local chat, so if you don't wish your name to appear there, keep that in mind. I do turn off nametags (at least I try).
-Consent to appear on video is required in SL by the TOS. (FYI to all of those who enjoy videotaping shows). So attendance at the class, which is announced as LiveStreamed, will be considered consent. I will always strive to comply with the wishes of those who prefer to remain off camera.
-I will post the recordings of the LiveStream on my Blog Website and Channel as long as the recording quality is reasonable. There are never any guarantees. Please consider the recordings as a reminder while you practice what we did in class.
-This medium allows some great opportunities for expanded classes! What would YOU like to see that has been difficult before? Building classes, Particle creation classes, Wardrobing tool classes, Inventory management classes, What ideas do YOU have?
Coming in July... MetaHarper Show Tool Classes! That's right folks. Finally open classes in using the MetaHarper (MST) family of show/choreography tools. Watch the Calendar for dates and class descriptions! As always, at the DQ Classroom.
Live Streaming Dance Classes!
Have you ever attended a class to learn to use a tool such as Spot On Choreography Designer, or building where the edit screen is a big part of the process but you can’t see the instructor’s edit screen! How frustrating is that? Well, I’d like to offer a solution! I am going to be offering a limited selection of classes which will SIMULCAST in Second Life and Live YouTube Stream! * Now you can see the instructor’s screen live and the class may also be recorded to refer back to later! What a great opportunity!
The first class offering for this new platform will be:
Support Dancers: What you need to know !
Monday May 20 @ 4pm SLT
This class will cover :
-What is expected of Support (Backup) Dancers
-How to prepare Fit Folders and prepare for the show
-Routines to help reduce lag and improve performance of your viewer
-What can you do to be an even more valuable member of the show team!
*Note: you may participate in the class by observing the Live Stream only if you like, however the best experience may be to have the ability to attend the class in SL and use the Live Stream video for your actual participation. I will be using the voice and chat in the live stream feed so that the recording will contain all of the conversation.
Let's Dance Class! May 14, 2019 - 4pm - 5pm SLT - Choreography Design and mover systems - creating a movement route. This class will introduce the process of creating a movement route to move your dancers around the stage area. Spot On Choreography Design will be the tool used in class but you may use an other brand of tool if you have a working knowledge of it's use.
So now you can wiggle in place to the music by using your animation hud, but how can you move around the stage, alone or in a group, to make the performance more professional and realistic? We will learn the basics of using a mover system including moving to and from the stage, synchronizing animations with movement, notecard management and smooth, realistic movements. This class will focus on the basics of making the system work while in future weeks we learn more and more of the tricks and tools to make the system work BEAUTIFULLY.
For this next season of Let's Dance Classes, we are going to dive a bit deeper into actual performance creation. Once the series starts, the classes will build on each other progressively. Please consider plans to attend all the classes as they will not be intended to stand alone each week and you may miss some important instruction if you miss a week. The primary focus of the classes is the Spot On tools and their use. You may attend and work with us if you prefer another system but it's use will not be instructed specifically. Please have a working knowledge of your preferred tools prior to class. Recommended tools to own for this class are:
Spot On Performance Director
Spot On Choreography Designer
Spot On Smooth Dancer is highly recommended but not essential
You should have a collection - 8-10 animations at least - of your choice that you own and want to work with. Dance animations should be copy versions. Suggestions for novice choreographers is Abranimations dance sets.
April 30, 2019 -4pm - 5pm SLT - Introduction to Dance in SL
So you think you can dance?
What does a dancer do?
What does a Choreographer do?
What tools do I need?
How much does it cost?
How much can I make?
What kind of dancing do I want to do?
How much time can I invest?
*Note: this class is an introduction to Performance Dance in SL in general and is responsive to the experience level of those in attendance. All are welcome whether you have experience or not.
May 7, 2019 - 4pm - 5pm SLT - Animation Huds and creating an animation sequence
This class will focus on recording by hud or manually, an animations sequence in a dance hud. Spot On Smooth Dancer and Performance Director will be the primary focus. If you wish to use another brand tool in class, please have a working knowledge of it's use before class.
May 14, 2019 - 4pm - 5pm SLT - Choreography Design and mover systems - creating a movement route.
This class will introduce the process of creating a movement route to move your dancers around the stage area. Spot On Choreography Design will be the tool used in class but you may use an other brand of tool if you have a working knowledge of it's use.
May 21,2019- 4pm - 5pm SLT -Putting it together - Creating an animation sequence that moves around the stage
Now that you can dance on a hud and move around a stage, how do you put the two together to DANCE around the STAGE? Spot On Performance Director and Choreography Designer will be the tools used in class. If you choose to use another brand of tools, please have a working knowledge of their use before class.
May 28, 2019- 4pm - 5pm SLT - Putting it together - Avoiding Bumps, Slides and Jerks
Let's look at dancing around the stage smoothly and realistically. We'll discuss methods to avoid bumping into (and through) each other, sliding across a space Hint: it's not a good thing unless you are wearing skates. and those awful jerks and tugs that happen when animations aren't transitioning correctly.
Spot On Performance Director and Choreography Designer will be the tools used in class. If you choose to use another brand of tools, please have a working knowledge of their use before class.
June 4, 2019- 4pm - 5pm SLT - Putting it together - Options, Tricks and Alternatives
Now that we have a smooth and pleasing dance routine, let's look at some of the tips and tricks that raise it to the next level; fixing and avoiding unrealistic transitions or points in the set, optimizing the set to reduce and avoid lag, moving the avatars around from backstage to on-stage. Lots of troubleshooting in this class too!
Spot On Performance Director and Choreography Designer will be the tools used in class. If you choose to use another brand of tools, please have a working knowledge of their use before class.
All are welcome and no registration is required. Come and participate or observe!
Workshops are presented in voice, please make sure you can hear voice before arriving. If you prefer not to participate – feel free to come listen! Comfy chairs and class notes provided.
Please arrive early to prepare. To allow for greater focus and to minimize distractions, the sim may be closed when the workshop begins.
5 pm slt - Spot On Smooth Dancer – Tips, Tricks, and Using Sequences within Sequences to Create Choreography LM My goal? Push the tools as far as they'll go! Find new and efficient ways to use them, and share what I learn. Come join this informal discussion as we review tips and ideas for making the most of your Smooth Dancer HUD. (60 mins, dance studio) Being familiar with using and recording with the Smooth Dancer Animation and Choreography HUD is preferred. All are welcome to attend and listen!
Saturday, Jan 26th
9 am slt - Spot On Synchronization – Starting Your Dancers Backstage LM Use the Performance Director? Wish your dancers could get on their movers early? That you could just create your route for a dance on stage and not have the first way point backstage and hope you press play fast enough to get them on stage before the curtain opens? If you use the Performance Director, Stage Manager, and Choreography Design System you CAN do this – easily. We will review how you can create backstage notecards, understage notecards, and other things that will take the stress from getting your dancers in position! I will also share how I easily incorporate this into all my new dances – within minutes and across venues! (90 min - 45 min demonstration and explanation, 45 min creating together held in the Training Theatre) Requirements to participate: Must own and have used the Performance Director, Stage Manager, and Choreography Design System in performance, and be comfortable in using them. All are welcome to attend and listen!
A series of posts sharing my own beliefs, methods, and suggestions for the new dancer. As with anything I say or teach - QUESTION EVERYTHING! There are many different approaches and methods to dance. From all you learn, all you experience, strive to create your own methods, ideas, and knowledge. Unique and in your own voice.
Disclaimer: The author of this article wishes to point out, in case it was not already embarrassingly, ridiculously obvious, that the opinions expressed belong solely to the author and they do not represent in any way those of Dance Queens, Dance Queens members, any affiliations, friends, non-friends, the guy in the 3rd row, or management. If you must...EvaHarley bio
Welcome, welcome, welcome to the wonderful, crazy, consuming and thrilling adventure called dance here in Second Life! Perhaps you've been bitten by the bug or wonder what all the hullabaloo is about? Step-by-step I will share what I know of creating a dance performance and self-expression. The stage is your canvas, the dancers your paint. What story will you tell through your creation?
As we explore the process of creating your own dance performance, you will find that I follow a certain flow and focus heavily on building a strong foundation. I love tools, gadgets, particles, and anything else that gives that extra bit of oomph which enhances my dance. In time, these will also be introduced in this blog series. I believe strongly that choreography is the core element in creating a dance - the animations chosen, how they are linked together, and those infinitesimal changes, transitions, pauses, and poses that express the music. Amazing choreography can be performed in front of nothing more than a black screen and still draw the audience in and take their breath away.
If you've been following along, you should now have a piece of music selected and have a number of animations from a variety of stores and dance packs loaded into a fresh choreography HUD.
Getting the Party Started - Freestyling
I've mentioned freestyling here and there. What is it? Freestyling is kicking on the music, slipping on your animation HUD(s), and selecting animations in the moment - just dance! It's spontaneous - completely based on feel, rhythm, gut instinct, and knowledge of your animations. No focus on animation names, no recording, no taking notes. It's just dancing and going with it! If an animation doesn't work, go to the next one! If a transition is rough - that's ok, make a mental note and just dance!
Whyyyyy? (I can hear you asking that now - btw) Freestyling your chosen animations to your song gives you the opportunity to relax into the music, play with your animations, get a feel for how the animations flow and how they look as you really dance to the music. This is your time to see the big picture, really feel and move to the music all the way through before you focus on the individual pieces.
Spend some time freestyling - at least 4 or 5 times all the way through. As you do, you may find pieces starting to come together naturally - an animation that looks great for the chorus, or an animation that just fits the start of the music, even a couple animations that look great together. The more often you freestyle as part of your creativity process or just for fun, the more natural it will become to find animations that "hit" the music and add interest.
Key Concepts to Consider When Putting Together Your Choreography
Once you've started to get a general feel for how your dance can flow, it's time to start choreography. At this stage, you are ready to start selecting individual animations to play during specific parts of the music. This will become your sequence.
Key Concept #1: Hits
A hit is when your movement emphasizes a specific point in the music. This could be a stomp when the bass drum kicks, pressing your hands to your heart when the song says "heartbeat", clapping your hands during clapping in the music, etc. The audience can see the hits and feel the emphasis.
Key Concept #2: Holds
Don't discount poses within your choreography! A hold is when you hold a pose and don't move within the music. This can be very powerful when there is a pause within the music, a change to instrumental, etc. It gives the feeling of waiting, of anticipation. Using a starting pose and ending pose is pretty much a standard for choreography. A hold is using a pose within the dance, or holding your starting pose after the music starts.
Key Concept #3: Transitions
A transition is the point of changing from one animation to another, switching from animation A to animation B. You generally want a smooth transition, for the audience to see your choreography as seamless and flowing. Transitions can be a challenge because we are pretty much limited to the animations available, but smooth transitions can be done! Watch the performances of different choreographers. Can you pick out when they transition? See how they flow from one to the next. My personal goal when it comes to transitions is for the audience not to notice, that the body flows naturally from one animation to the next. More on transitions below.
Key Concept #4: Tempo
Tempo is the number of beats per minute, basically the "speed" of the song. A high energy song will have a high number of beats per minute (bpm), a slow song will have a lower number of bpm. Beats are the pulse of the music. Different styles of dance will generally have a different standard tempo. Example: notice that hip hop movements generally won't work for latin music, the tempo is different and the movements just don't hit at the right time. (Note: this doesn't mean hip hop animations can't or shouldn't be used for latin music choreography, it just means you may have to dig a little deeper to hit gold)
Key Concept #5: Changes
Within the music there can be various kinds of changes. For the purpose of choreography and this post, we will focus on "speed' changes and musical changes. An example of a speed change would be when the music is upbeat then changes to soft and melancholic for a brief time. Many songs are stories within themselves, and this change may reflect struggle, sadness, introspection, etc. In the reverse, the song could have a standard speed then BAM! you're hit with a high intensity, knock your socks off moment in the music. Other types of changes include transitioning from singing to instrumental in part of the music, or the change in instruments for that section - such as an orchestra in the background in addition to the guitars and drums. Consider these changes in music when you choreograph your dance. You will generally want to use these to change your choreography also - transition to soft flowing movements, or hit the audience with sudden big and powerful moves, or add a hold (see key concept #2). Using changes in your dance adds interest, it re-focuses the audience attention, adds excitement, and helps convey the emotion of your dance.
You're having flashbacks to your music theory class in high school now aren't you? Wondering what you've got yourself into? Don't worry! Be aware of what these concepts are, listen to your music, study your animations. Using these concepts will become natural considerations as you continue to choreograph. You'll know it, you'll feel it. These same concepts apply when you dance around your kitchen in the real world - you just do it! See? Not so scary.
The Next Step - Breaking Down the Music and Putting Together a Sequence
So, you have a choreo hud with animations you think might work well for your dance. You've freestyled to the music to get a feel for it, you have an idea of the message you'd like to convey, and you're familiar with the key concepts above. Now is the time to get to work - aka "playing". Playing is always so much more fun and relaxed - and this should be fun right?
Every choreographer has their own method for creating choreography. I will share mine to consider, adapt, and even toss out the window. Do what works for you!
When I create choreography, I break the song down into sections. Some may do this on paper, some do it in their heads, I prefer to do it using a music program such as TROFF or Audacity. TROFF is a free Chrome extension that was designed for learning music and creating choreography. It allows you to add markers to the song timeline (think of a Facebook timeline, same thing basically - get married, get a dog, go on vacation, those are markers). For music, I mark when the chorus begins and ends, when there's an instrumental piece in the middle, maybe special sounds like big drums. I also mark groups of phrases.
What is a musical phrase? A musical phrase is a short section of the music that has a musical sense of its own. It basically sounds like a sentence or thought is being completed. It is usually 4 measures, 4 counts of eight beats. Let's look at the song "Let it Be"
[Phrase group] When I find myself in times of trouble Mother Mary comes to me Speaking words of wisdom Let it be
[Phrase group] And in my hour of darkness She is standing right in front of me Speaking words of wisdom Let it be
I've alternated the colors so that you can see the phrases. Each phrase is like a sentence, a breath. Two phrases together form a phrase group. For more info on phrases, this is a great page: http://irenejackson.com/songblog/phrasing-what-is-it/
Sounds a bit technical doesn't it? It's not really. I think most of us naturally feel and understand these sections of the music without thought. The natural rhythm of the music. I recommend creating your choreography in sections, generally a phrase group or two, the chorus, the instrumental piece, etc. If I try to choreograph the entire song at once, I become overwhelmed. To me, it's like a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle. If I try to solve the whole puzzle with a glance, after 10 minutes I give up and turn on the TV. If I focus on putting together the border, I can solve it section by section.
My Flow:
Break the song down into sections - chorus, special changes, and phrase groups.
Notice any possible hits in the music - is there a cymbal, a distinct drumbeat, a special word? keep these in mind as you test and select animations.
Use music playing software that allows you to repeat a section of the music. TROFF and Audacity are two that I highly recommend and both are free.
Play the section of music, generally on repeat, and play the animations from your choreo HUD. Watch and feel. Does the animation fit that section of the music, convey what you want it to? Does it have a special tip of the head that looks great and adds emphasis? Does it feel right to you?
Don't forget the key concepts above! Hits, Holds, Tempo, and Changes.
Have a notecard open, make a note of the animations that feel right for that section of music. In that notecard, make a note of what section it's for. I do this so I can remember when I go back. (or I'm wondering "what was I thinking?????") I usually have in my notecard:
Times of Trouble animation A animation B animation C
Hour of Darkness animation D animation E animation C
Remember, you are still narrowing down your animations for each section. You won't be using this many animations in your final dance! Depending on the animation and phrase groups, I may end up using animation B for both phrase groups - let it play. I generally rough out my choreography first, then refine it. First looking at it as individual sections then slowly piecing it together.
After you've narrowed down the animations, our next step is creating an "untimed" sequence - a list of animations in a specific order. This is when you'll begin really refining the animations you use and how you transition. Taking individual dance steps and making it into a single cohesive choreography piece.
Remember, every choreographer has their own method for creating choreography. This is by far not the only way! Learn all you can, follow the steps that work for you, observe many different choreographers, and develop your own methods.
Next post will focus completely on transitions and links.
A series of posts sharing my own beliefs, methods, and suggestions for the new dancer. As with anything I say or teach - QUESTION EVERYTHING! There are many different approaches and methods to dance. From all you learn, all you experience, strive to create your own methods, ideas, and knowledge. Unique and in your own voice.
Disclaimer: The author of this article wishes to point out, in case it was not already embarrassingly, ridiculously obvious, that the opinions expressed belong solely to the author and they do not represent in any way those of Dance Queens, Dance Queens members, any affiliations, friends, non-friends, the guy in the 3rd row, or management. If you must...EvaHarley bio
Welcome, welcome, welcome to the wonderful, crazy, consuming and thrilling adventure called dance here in Second Life! Perhaps you've been bitten by the bug or wonder what all the hullabaloo is about? Step-by-step I will share what I know of creating a dance performance and self-expression. The stage is your canvas, the dancers your paint. What story will you tell through your creation?
As we explore the process of creating your own dance performance, you will find that I follow a certain flow and focus heavily on building a strong foundation. I love tools, gadgets, particles, and anything else that gives that extra bit of oomph which enhances my dance. In time, these will also be introduced in this blog series. I believe strongly that choreography is the core element in creating a dance - the animations chosen, how they are linked together, and those infinitesimal changes, transitions, pauses, and poses that express the music. Amazing choreography can be performed in front of nothing more than a black screen and still draw the audience in and take their breath away.
If you've been following along, you should now have a piece of music selected, own a number of animations that fit the music you chose that are from a variety of stores and dance packs, and be comfortable using your Dance Animation HUD.
In this post, we will be focusing on beginning to create choreography.
Creating Your Own Choreography Now is the time we jump in and start creating! Ready to jump down the rabbit hole? Beware - there is no turning back! <insert maniacal laugh here> Once the ability to express yourself through dance here in SL is in your soul, there's no escape...
Key component #1 - Mix Up Your Animations
I am going to be blunt here. Anyone can buy a single pack of animations (like Abranimations Ballet pack), play them in a different order and call it choreography. Abranimations designed the animations, the movement, and created a pack of animations that would flow well from one animation to the next, even when played out of order. Technically, there is nothing unique about this, the challenge and self expression minimal. It looks good, but the choreography was created by Abranimations. This is like mixing up the tracks of a Rolling Stones album and calling it your own mix. It's still just the Rolling Stones album.
Introduce animations from different animation packs, different stores, different styles to create your choreography. This is unique, your own mix, and something no one could recreate this unless they purposely copied you. This is the challenge, the self-expression, and what transforms a dance into something that is yours alone.
I always encourage questioning everything. As you follow this series, take from it what you will, what connects with you. Every choreographer has their own style and methods, which is just as it should be. Mixing up your animations is one of the few things I am adamant that every choreographer should do.
Key component #2 - Listen to Your Music, Feel It, What Do You Want to Express?
Starting to choreograph a new dance can feel a bit overwhelming, whether a new choreographer or a seasoned one. It's like looking at a blank canvas, wondering where to begin, and hoping that your vision comes through. This is one of those times you have to just jump in, do your best, and enjoy the process. That's why we do this right?
Before you start selecting your animations for this particular piece of music, listen to it. Feel it. Visualize thoughts, feelings, ideas in your head. Will your dance be high energy with bold moves? Soft? Funny? For your first dance keep it simple. Choreograph one set of animations. You can dance it alone or perhaps with a couple others, but focus on one set of animations for all of you, one sequence. Build your foundation and expand on it later. You will never regret learning to walk with style and artistry before running a triathlon.
Dream. Feel. Listen to the music again and again. Make notes. Scribble. Doodle. What do you see? This process is invaluable, helping to guide your overall vision. It also helps you get into that "creative space" where the rest of the world disappears for a while. Just you, movement, and the music.
Key component #3 - Choose Animations that you MIGHT use in your final dance. No Limits.
A finished dance is generally around 15-30 animations (including poses). As you begin to choreograph for a new dance, you should select a much larger number of animations to work with. Think of yourself as that artist with a blank canvas. You want to have plenty of colors to choose from to create your painting. You are brainstorming, coming up with ideas and possibilities. Be open to bold animation choices that you think might work. Don't over-think or be too discriminating at this point! You will find out as you create if the animation will fit or not - and very often you may be surprised! At this stage, I usually pick about 100 animations to play with - and often several from the same dance packs so I can see which ones are just right.
This is my general process:
Consider all of your animations. You may have chosen a high energy rap song, but you may be surprised that a contemporary or ballet movement fits perfectly in part of the song. This also adds interest.
As you listen to the music (I set mine on a loop), play each of your animations. I generally only need about 10-15 seconds of the animation to feel if it fits. Listen to the beat of the music, watch the flow of the animation. I work on "feel" more than anything. Does the animation seem to fit with the movements, if there is hand clapping or repetitive moves, does it fit the beat of the song? Your music has a tempo, beats. ba..ba..ba..ba ** ba..ba..ba..ba ** ba..ba..ba..ba.** ba..ba..ba..ba. Four notes usually, 4 upbeats, 4 downbeats. Fast animations, slow animations - they can all work but should generally follow the rhythm of the music. Watch videos on contemporary dance. See how their movements mesh with contemporary, upbeat music. Watch a variety of youtube dance videos! They are wonderful inspiration.
Choose a variety of "big move" and "subtle move" animations. I define a big move as an animation that is more dramatic - moves you across the floor, dramatic spins, large hand and/or feet movements. Naturally draws attention. Subtle moves to me are ones that don't pull as much attention, perhaps a subtle shuffle, a step, a gradual single spin or soft moves. You will want both for your dance.
As you test your animations and listen to the music - make a quick decision. If it feels like the animation may work with the music, write the animation name down - select it, put a copy into a folder. However you organize, sort, and select your animations.
Kevin Bacon demonstrates tempo and beats so much better than I could! Let's hear it for the boy!
Do this now. Narrow down the animations to work with for your dance. Put a copy of these animations into a fresh copy of your animation HUD and name it "Choreo - Dance name" or something similar. You now have a manageable number of animations to create a dance with. Your next step will be freestyling these animations to the music and creating a flow of animations - a sequence! Tips:
Have you ever been to a wine tasting and noticed they generally have crackers or something similar they encourage you to eat between tastings? If you taste wine, after wine, after wine, not only will you get tipsy but you won't be able to appreciate each wine individually - they begin to blend together. Selecting animations for a dance can be exactly the same! Take breaks periodically, plan short blocks of time to select your animations. When you feel yourself starting to rush through just to get the selection done - it's time to STOP for a while! When all the animations seem to be the same - TAKE A BREAK! Enjoy the selection process. You are creating a piece of art. Most painters don't create a painting in one session, it evolves over time. They let their creativity breathe, let it speak to them. Don't rush this process, enjoy the ride.
For women especially, animations can appear differently depending on our costume. Try it! Wear an "innocent" floaty dress, then wear a very skimpy sexy leather number with spikes. I bet the same exact animations will feel different to you! When selecting animations for a dance, I try to wear the costume for the dance or something similar to what I want my costume to be. It's hard to choreograph a classic ballet dance wearing a leather thong and pasties. (Unless that's my planned costume!) For me, what I wear helps me get into that mindset - like an actor diving into their character.
Next post we're going to be digging deep into transitions, movement changes, making an impact, hits, tempo changes, and expression through your choice of animations - with examples. Be prepared!
