COMMUNITY AND REMEMBRANCE: June 2022
When I think of a community, I think of people who share interests in common rather than just locations. In Second Life not only do I have communities of friends and acquaintances in groups with similar interests, but I believe there is a greater “community” of Second Life residents who understand the fun, friendship, freedom and creativity that Second Life has to offer.
In a similar way, I believe there is a “community” of dancers in Second Life: people who love to dance to uniquely choreographed performances, whether or not they are the ones who created it. Regardless of the type of dance genre preferred, or which group the dancers are associated with, this love of the joy a special dance can bring is something that ties many of us together.
When we lose a member of our community through death, the loss of that person is felt deeply across each of the groups in which they were loved. Their presence is missed not only by their friends but by all who enjoyed their performances. For some of us it is important to keep them alive in our hearts through remembering. In the past several months, the dance community in Second Life lost a few more of its beloved and constant friends: Jolie Naire, Ivey Bling, and Gerty Taylor. Even though they danced in different “circles” and likely didn’t know each other, they belonged to a community of dancers, as well as being friends to all who knew them.
The first of this group to leave us recently was Jolie Naire in September, 2021. Jolie was part of JAPA and Virtuoso Performance Arts Dance Center ( http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VIRTUOSO/180/174/2499tly) and has a shrine in the Memorial Garden at the Fountain Theatre there. Additionally, her friend, Yifan Brandenburg, has created The Grace Haven Memorial in her honor. (http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Guthrie/244/56/101).
The next person to leave us was Ivey Bling in February, 2022. Ivey had been involved with dance productions for years and had danced in many troupes. It seemed at times as though she knew almost everyone! Most recently she was a regular in Queens of Burlesque and KiKi’s Burlesque dance troupes. She has a memorial bench at the lovely Malaika Park Memorial Gardens as a tribute from her friends at The Copa.
(http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Malaika%20Park/138/28/2002)
We received the sad news a few days ago that the famously funny Gerty (GertTaylor) of the "Bertie and Gerty" dance and comedy duo has just passed away. in RL She was much loved and will be missed by all..
The Dance Queens Remembrance Garden has added these three new benches and mediation areas for our newly departed friends. http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Hits%20Expert%20Island/219/185/24
Alongside them are the memorial benches and cairns of some of the other dancers that have left us too soon: Thea Dee; Sassy Vixen; Shadow Tarber; Cherri Banks; ZhaZa Zerbino; Cyan Magic; Winnie Snickerdoodle and Jill Mackenzie.
I hope that Jolie, Ivey and Gerty will have a good “catch up” with the other dancers in the garden and compare notes when no one is visiting….
By PussiGalore Hijinks