Dancer #11 – Paypabak Writer & Lisa Hitchcock

1. Who goes dancing more often, your Avatar or your Typist?

My avatar. But I have a great dance partner in SL, while partners are much harder to come by in first life. I will dance by myself in both worlds, but it’s very different.

2. Why do you dance?

First of all, the couple dances out there are wonderful! It’s so great to watch our avatars dance close, then pull away and swing around and do impossible things in terms of what I could do in first life. Second, dancing is major Chat Time, whether just one on one with Lisa, or in a group at Skybound. Call me wild and crazy, but I would suggest that dancing is the most popular activity in SL after shopping and before sexting. I’ve seen it among nonprofit educational groups that weekly dances allow folks to let their hair down and vent and tease.
Dance = Therapy in Second Life.

Without question this typist could not make the moves or dance as long as her avatar. I don’t recall chatting while dancing, either. An entirely different kind of communication is going on in physical reality. In fact, lately most of my first life dancing is alone, at home and very much like an expression of prayer. I put on evocative music and just let my body find movements to go with it. It is contemplative. I find myself wondering why am I moving like this and how does this movement make me feel?

OMG! Dance = Therapy in First Life, too! But the difference is outer versus inner, social versus spiritual.

3. Do you login just to dance? Or do you go dancing before or after other activities? What are your three favorite places to dance?

Definitely on Tuesday nights, I will log on to dance at Skybound where many wonderful friends come together to chat and tease while listening to great sets by Vanni Cannoli, our DJ and hostess. Before Skydance it was whatever club Vanni was working, so this is a longstanding commitment over years.

I log on for many reasons besides dancing, however. When Lisa and I are inworld, we often find ourselves at Fogbound dancing. It’s a great blues club with great DJs, ambience, and it’s where Lisa and I became engaged.

Another wonderful place we found just this year but has been around awhile is the Mermaid Haven, a completely different and equally wonderful way to dance. We put on mesh mermaid tails and a bikini top to be decent and hop on dance balls generated by the dance machine there. As usual, we love to just choose Random and go through the paces.

4. Do you change your clothes to go dancing? How do you like to look? Do you think about how others will perceive you? Do you think about how other avatars look? Are there any particular looks that turn you on or off?

Usually there’s a theme at Skybound, so I will change clothes accordingly. The themes usually require leather or latex but again, it’s not a punishable offense to wear a dress. I let the mood of the evening and the opportunity to delve into my vast inventory decide what I wear. At Skybound I usually want to wear something I haven’t worn before which can be a challenge since it’s a weekly event and the themes tend to repeat.

When we dance at Fogbound, Lisa and I are more come as you are, although there are times when clothes have to be put back on to do that in common decency.

I love to see how the other avatars interpret the theme of the night, but when I’m at Fogbound everyone dresses pretty much to please themselves, so there’s an interesting difference. I like opportunities to try new clothes and I am never at a loss for something completely new to wear. My middle name must be Barbie because I love trying out new outfits and mixing all the various elements at my disposal for my appearance, including shape, along with hair, skin, and clothing.

5. What else should we know about you or about avatar life?

As much as I feel strongly about the immersive quality of living in Second Life, dancing kinda brings up how I am still a spectator rather than a participant. I think until we have the capabilities of translating our body movements – and these things are on their way – we still have not immersed ourselves as completely as we need to become participants in the virtual.