It was time to dress up to the nine and slip into your limo for the ride to the elegant Empire Room, high in the sky of Copperhead Road. Friends and family gathering, looking forward to seeing you, Paul and Jilley waiting to greet you and welcome you with the finest champagne, DJ Gunner’s infectious tunes getting the blood in your veins throbbing with the beat… what a night as you wait for the show to start!
But this does make me wonder. What exactly does it mean to get dressed up to the nines? I mean, I know what it means, but where did that expression come from? Let’s find out.
“To the nine” is an English idiom meaning “to perfection” or “to the highest degree” or to dress “buoyantly and high class”. In modern English usage, the phrase most commonly appears as “dressed to the nine” or “dressed up to the nine”.
The phrase is said to be Scots in origin. The earliest written example of the phrase is from the 1719 Epistle to Ramsay by the Scottish poet William Hamilton:
The bonny Lines therein thou sent me,
How to the nines they did content me.
Robert Burns’ “Poem on Pastoral Poetry”, published posthumously in 1800, also uses the phrase:
Thou paints auld nature to the nines,
In thy sweet Caledonian lines.
The phrase may have originally been associated with the Nine Worthies or the nine Muses. A poem from a 17th century collection of works by John Rawlet contains the following lines:
The learned tribe whose works the World do bless,
Finish those works in some recess;
Both the Philosopher and Divine,
And Poets most who still make their address
In private to the Nine.
Well there is a bit of trivia for you. Now let’s look at the show!
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Eva
Come Sail Away
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Nara
With Diawa
‘Fall on Me’ by Andrea Bocelli
1. Why did you choose this song to create a dance to? What was your inspiration?
The words, the melody, the inspiration that came to me. I knew when I first heard it that I had to create an act to it. Took a while.
2. What were the particular challenges you dealt with when creating this dance?
To create the emotions that the song evokes so people also feel it within. Finding the right animations, timing them was indeed challenging. I hope I succeeded.
3. What does this dance mean to you? Is it a bit of fun, or is there a deeper meaning?
I think it is mainly purely inspirational. When you are perhaps down or want to share something., There is always that special person you can ‘fall on’.
4. Is there anything you would like others to know about your dance?
I knew, right from the start, only one person I could dance this with, my partner of almost 2 years, Diawa. She is my inspiration one that I know I can ‘fall on’.
5. What advice would you give to new dancers?
So important to me is to first ‘feel’ the song. Then everything else will come to you. Choose a song that inspires ‘you’ .
6. Share the love! Who is ONE OF your favorite SL dancers other than yourself?
I think that may be pretty obvious haha.
I hope everyone enjoys my act as much as I am in presenting it to you.
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Mikiko
With Zena, Eva, Kelly, Grazie and Sarah
(Dance Version) Tokyo Bon
1. Why did you choose this song to create a dance to? What was your inspiration?
OMG it was the funniest and cutest song I found about Japanese people learning English words lol. I just felt I had to do it.
2. What does this dance mean to you?
I love the Japanese culture and this just made me laugh.
3. Is there anything you would like others to know about your dance?
It was just the desire to bring this funny little song to life its so much fun to be able to do that with songs we enjoy.
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Jo
With Kelly, Corri, Queenie and Nadi
No one knows who I am – Deborah Cox from Jekyll & Hyde
1. Why did you choose this song to create a dance to? What was your inspiration?
I’ve wanted to do this song for a long, long time but couldn’t come up with a meaningful concept. Finally I had an idea which I hope works.
2. What were the particular challenges you dealt with when creating this dance?
Finding dances to fit the tempo of the song was very difficult, especially with two different styles going on at the same time. I think sometimes I didn’t succeed completely in that but hopefully no one minds.
3. What does this dance mean to you? Is it a bit of fun, or is there a deeper meaning?
It’s means a great deal to me actually. It’s very emotional. I think a lot of of people often feel that no one really knows who they are or even cares. It’s about being different, not fitting in, but trying so hard. For a few moments the dancer breaks away and stops pretending. She dances her real feelings, her longings, her dreams. But in the end she falls back into line and puts on her mask again.
4. Is there anything you would like others to know about your dance?
I think I’ve said it all above, probably way too much.
5. What advice would you give to new dancers?
Take it seriously. Have fun but be “professional” about it. Learn as much as you can about the “how to” from others but also observe carefully, especially your own dances. Cam back as if you were the audience. Does your costume fade into the set? Is there something jarring on stage? Check the “big picture” as well as the details.
6. Tell us about any pets you have in real life.
Sadly none at the moment. I’ve had dogs my whole life but it’s not possible right now.
7. What are your other interests in SL outside of dance?
I’ve been involved in the SL Art scene for many years as a gallery owner and curator. Currently I curate the Men in Focus Gallery on the Men in Motion Campus and I’m a longtime member of the Linden Endowment for the Arts Committee. I take photos although not as much as before I took up dancing. Then there’s shopping! Sighs.
8. Share the love! Who is one of your favorite SL dancers other than yourself?
There are so many I could name but for now I’m going to say Jilley Resident. I find her creativity extraordinary and extremely varied, from arty to just plain fun. A very talented woman indeed! Queenie and I often mutter to each other when we see Jilley dance, why do we even bother.
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Diawa
With Nara
TBD
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Jilley
With Antonio, Hailie, Evangelina, Blay, Web and Rotianch
Imagine Dragons – Natural
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Dear
With Everyone
Chained to the Rhythm – Katy Perry
The Chainsmokers & kygo ft. Halsey – Call On Me
Hey look, it’s Kelly’s hunky beau, Oz Uncle!
The Weeknd – Can-t Feel My Face
