Elysium Opus Art Gallery Grand Opening Review and Thank You

by BabypeaVonPhoenix Bikergrrl

Elysium Opus Art Gallery officially opened Wednesday, March 30th at 6pm SLT with a three-hour Grand Opening celebration.  This gallery has been a thought for more than three years.  Since The Empire Room opened in December of 2012, home of Elysium Cabaret, there has been an empty corner of the sim.  I have for years wanted something lovely there, something uplifting and inspiring, a place of peace and beauty where a person could visit and contemplate creativity, a place of imaginative pursuits.  A friend some time back said she wanted to have a show of her photography, so she dropped a building.  It sat empty for half a year.  I then replaced that building with one of my own.  It sat empty for half a year.  And then the stars and planets lined up just right, and Shiloh Emmons fell into my lap.  I found out she is an art curator in both lives, with years of real life gallery experience.  I was thrilled to learn she knows the names of my favourite artists.  I was thrilled to learn she knows so much more.  Her background in Southwest art astounds me.  I finally found my person… someone respectable and professional, dedicated and knowledgeable, someone who knows how to curate a show, someone who understands the subtle nuances of hanging an exhibit.  She has worked very hard to establish and open Elysium Opus Art Gallery, bringing our first artist to show, Ronin1 Shippe.  His show “Land of Enchantment” is hanging through April 30th.  It consists of inspired New Mexico landscapes with a touch of Native American Indian energy.

Our celebration started with a very special dance show, featuring five acts.  Each choreographer visited the gallery and selected one of Ronin’s artworks, using it as inspiration to create a dance.  DJ Gunner streamed Native American Indian music by Santa Fe musician Ronald Roybal as the audience was greeted.  Taking their seats until there was standing room only in the special outdoor venue right outside the gallery, Jilley opened the show.  Dancing to Sacred Spirit by Yeha Noha, she gave us a spiritual and emotional journey that was full of symbols, spiritual magic and hope.  Her set was vibrant and full of brilliant colour, giving off a sparkling energy.  This dance made me cry in real life, it was so beautiful and deeply touching.  I and Paul Woodrunner joined her on stage, in an act that was visually stimulating, a song that pulled at the marrow of the soul, choreographed with eloquence and grace.

Kyshra Rhiadra then took us to an ominous place of mystery and suspense.  The song was Bad Moon Rising by Mourning Ritual.  The set was the desert, layers of sandstone in the moonlight, a lone coyote like an omen overseeing a woman who seemed to dance with death.  Or was she death?  She looked like a woman to be wary of, dressed in revealing black leather.  And then in a burst of black and purple magic, she transformed into La Muerte.  But our audience had nothing to fear!  La Muerte is Spanish for Holy Death.  She is “a female folk saint venerated primarily in Mexico and the Southwestern United States.  A personification of death, she is associated with healing, protection, and safe delivery to the afterlife by her devotees.”  So she had only come to heal, protect, and take her followers home when the time comes.

Our next act started in the bedroom of a lonely woman who dreamed of running free where wild horses run.  Kellan (Kelika Dubrovna) was stunning in an aqua dressing gown as she danced with aching longing to follow her dreams.  Suddenly the set transformed, melting away to a glorious night in the desert, with moonlit sandstone formations, cacti, and an eagle soaring in representation of freedom.  She danced beautifully, diaphanous aqua billowing in the spirit of a wild horse ambling across the plains, which was so fitting as the song was Wild Horses by Natasha Bedningfield.  The set transformation was powerful, causing many in the audience to gasp in amazement.

Dancing to Call To Thunder, Ame (Amethyst Starostin) gave us a scene amidst green trees in the mountains.  Another moonlit night, this one in a downpour of rain with thunder and lightening as animals huddled nearby under a canopy of boughs.  The rain was symbolic, mirroring the spirit of the song, casting down blessings from the limitless sky, seeming to nourish rather than drowned the fire that burned brightly as Ame danced in Native regalia.  Ame’s animations in this dance were exquisite, and very unusual.  They were new to me, and I was mesmerised by how perfectly the intricate hand movements suited the hypnotic meditation of the music.

Finally it was my turn to take the stage.  I chose a song that I found through a Google search on songs about moons, Moon and Moon by Bat For Lashes.  I had never heard this song before, and it has completely enchanted me.  For my set, I chose to create one of Ronin’s artworks in 3D, a blue midnight sky and trees alongside the Rio Grande River, all in shades of blue.  The simplicity of the set proved relaxing, lulling the eye and the soul into opening up to the bittersweet song.  I danced as the moon who longed for her love, the sun.  Though she is guardian of the same sky and reflects his light, she longs to feel his warmth but alas, she will never have her bear to lick her clean, feed her soul milk and honey.  Eventually, I rose into the sky to take my quiet place, overlooking the midnight blue land below.

After the dance show was finished, the audience had some time to enjoy the art exhibit as well as meet the artist himself, talk to him, and further explore his vision.  Ronin1 Shippe is a generous and complex individual filled with passion for isolating and focusing on the quintessence of his subjects.  A chat with him will guarantee a fascinating and enlightening conversation that will linger in your mind days later.  He is a person capable of giving another new thoughts that may help them grow in directions they have never before considered.  And from what I have seen, this is his approach to his art.

At 7pm, we were thrilled to have Redhawk (Camlach Gans) take the New Mexico night sky stage.  If you have not heard this man perform before, you have something powerful to look forward to.  He delighted the audience with original compositions, and WOW is he multi-talented!  There seems to be nothing he can’t do musically, no instrument he can’t play.  He sings, he writes, he composes, mixing traditional Native American Indian music with contemporary rhythm, producing a style he calls Tribal Funk.  It is fantastic!  Plus, he interjects humour and an easy-going banter with his audience that is engaging and will make you smile.

At 8pm, the magic of Second Life allowed us to journey to Argentina, where Joaquin Gustav performed for us.  His presentation tucked us into the most delicious blanket of romantic tangos, jazz, and a few eclectic cover tunes including Eric Clapton and Over the Rainbow, the audience just melting to the passion of his tunes!  A friendly and intriguing persona enhanced his performance, endearing him to the audience, and we can surely see why he is a favourite amongst live performance enthusiasts.  We were so pleased he came and performed for us.

It was an overwhelming event, attended by many friends, fans, and family.  How joyous and uplifting it is to share creative energy with one another.  It is Second Life at it’s best… art, dance, music… all coming together under one moonlit sky, promoting the bonding of the human spirit and healing the human soul.  I feel so privileged to have been a part of it.  I wish to thank Elysium Cabaret, such a wonderful, dedicated team of passionate dancers.  My partner in both lives, DJ Gunner, without whom I would be unable to do any of this… he is the foundation under my feet and the wind beneath my wings, the shroud of calm over my hysterics.  Shiloh Emmons, whom without I would still have an empty building in that little corner across the street from The Empire Room.  Lex and Misty (Oldlex and MistyRose Poindexter-Lex, owners of Pure Love Wedding venue) for their help in polishing the gallery build.  Ronin1 Shippe for generously sharing his spirited creations with us.  Redhawk for enchanting us with his infectious charisma and captivating music.  Joaquin Gustav for gracing us with the sweet passion of his soul and vibrant music.  And most of all, I want to thank every person who came out to attend our Grand Opening.  You are a huge part of this, and you are why we do it.  We reach out to you, embrace you with our warmth, and invite you in to share in our imaginative journey.  Without you, it would be very empty, so know that we greatly appreciate you.

To find out more about Shiloh Emmons, Ronin1 Shippe, Redhawk, and Joaquin Gustav, please refer to their bios here: http://showtimemagazine.net/?p=11643

Empire Easter Eggstravagana

For all you non-christians out there, it was Easter weekend this weekend, so if you noticed an awful lot of bunnies and eggs and were confused because you thought that Easter was about the resurrection of Jesus, well, clearly you didn’t get the memo that in the US, Easter is sponsored by the chocolate industry!  We were lucky enough to have sets that celebrated both that illustrious bunny AND the high holy day, because our dancers represented all aspects of the holiday.

DJ Gunner once again went to his endlessly awesome playlist and Paul and Jilley were out to greet everyone, and I must day, everyone looked fantastic for the holiday.  The sim had been reset at 4:00 sharp and we were ready to see what the night would bring!

Jilley kicked off the weekend with Salt-n-Pepa’s “What a Man”.  This set was too fun for words…there were giant snails and frogs and trees as well as Jilley, Baby and Sus as three very sexy bunnies who were joined by Paul in his bunny-underwear.  You can see him sneaking up behind them 🙂  This set was sexy and fun and whimsical and the perfect opener for the Eggstravaganza!

Wiz joined in on the Easter fun with his set to “Egg Shaped Fred” by Mansun.  Wiz was an egg.  An adorable, ovoid egg.  His legs danced and his set was a tribute to some of his favorite sets from last year.  There was a quiz involved to see if we could match the items onstage to the song and artist…I got one…the book was Peter Pan for Ruth b. Lost Boys. The rest were Tractor – Kenny Chesney- She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy, Cannibal Pot – Tribal Fusion Drum Solo, Etch-a-sketch – Pentatonix – Papaoutai, Coal Cart – Jimmy Joe Lee – The Coal Miner Song, RV – Shooter Jennings – 4th of July, White Piano – Rolling Stones – She’s a Rainbow, Blue Glasses -Silento – Watch Me, Mausoleum – Zombie Love Song, Wallpaper – Crosby Stills Nash Young – Our House.  Happy Easter Eggwiz!

Kellan was up third and she was joined by Melvis, Baby, Jo, Ame, Me, Nevar, Storm and Ridley for Ellie Goulding’s “Lights”.  This set was amazing.  We all started out as statues and Kellan was in the GORGEOUS baroque gown.  She came around and hit us all with her lightning and voila!, we had turned into real life dancers in our own baroque outfits!  The costume assistant changes along gave me the willies and SL was great, we changed lickety split just like we should and there were awesome light effects too!  What a FUN set to be part of!

Ally was the mid-point and what a stunning and though provoking set.  She chose “See What I’ve Become” by Zack Hemsey.  Her set was spare, three crosses on a cloudy background.  She danced a heartbreaking dance to Jesus on the cross and at the end, his body turned to a shimmering light and floated off and Ally replaced him.  It was chilling and beautiful and reminded all of us what Easter means to those who believe, but even if you don’t believe, the idea of sacrificing everything for something you believe in is a concept we can all relate to.

Baby was up next and to say that she lightened the mood would be an understatement!  I’m pretty sure that when it comes to goofy and offbeat, Baby and I share some DNA, lol.    Full disclosure…Jo’s set was eaten by SL and she also should have been a chicky chick in this dance, but the amazing stuff that goes on with mover adjusting and music deleting…you wouldn’t believe how hard everyone was working both to help Jo and get Baby out onstage early.  Kudos to some of the most amazing staff anywhere!! Baby chose the Crazy Chicken song and sadly, I don’t have a reference for who wrote this lovely little song.  Baby chook, Jilley chook and Fuki chook were three of the cutest darned chickies ever and they were of course joined by a fox, Gunner, who would have loved to have gotten into that henhouse!

Ame was up next with an even cuter (yep) set to “I Want Candy” from the Hop Soundtrack.  She was joined by Kellan, Nadi, Zach, Nevar and Princess Tiana Suber and they all broke out their child avatars to hip hop their way around a candy paradise.  To say that they stole everyone’s candy hearts wouldn’t be too far from the truth.  It was just adorable and fun and I’ve learned a valuable lesson not to get between a kid (or Zach) and their Easter candy.

Our final act was an Empire Debut.  Amari joined us and she chose “Pyromania” by Cascada. The scene was set with some uber hip cavemen; Keko Heckroth, Thyr Galt, Seb and Diamonte Thomas.  They were on “earth” just sort of grooving when a spaceship comes overhead and beams down four super hot space alien chicks, Amari, Monavie, Chantal Galt and Nadi….who may have intended to “probe” our earthbound men, but who ended up being tossed over the men’s shoulders in the end.  It was a great set, and we look forward to Amari and her friends  popping in and dancing with us more 🙂

Well, the only reasonable thing left at this point was to hop up on stage and enjoy the crowd dance.  Baby was our captain to help us ride off into the sunset on a day that many of us had off all over the globe (best Good Friday tradition….kite flying in Bermuda…I’ve done this, it’s a blast…the whole island picnics and flies kites)…so there were many relaxed avatars to enjoy dancing to Bawitdaba, Atomic Dog and Retired.  We were so glad to see you all and spend our time with you!  Thanks to Paul, Jilley, Baby and Gunner for keeping the show on task despite a few SL hiccups that were trying to knock us down but failed miserably.  We’ll catch you next Friday night, same bat time, same bat place!

 

Elysium Opus presents: “Land of Enchantment” :: Landscapes of New Mexico”by Ronin1 Shippe

Thank you to the esteemed Windlight Magazine for posting the Grand Opening of Ronin Shippe’s art show!

Kultivate Arts

Elysium Opus presents: “Land of Enchantment” :: Landscapes of New Mexico”,

Artwork by Ronin 1 Shippe.

March 25 – April 30, 2016. Curated by Shiloh Emmons

Please join us for a very special creative journey, a short but meaningful mini-dance show, influenced by the art of Ronin Shippe, heralding the Grand Opening of his exhibit “Land of Enchantment,” inspired landscapes of New Mexico. The dance performance is an intimate, powerful show, featuring three emotionally-charged acts. It will be followed by music and open dancing, with live entertainment provided by the esteemed Joaquin Gustav. This show will hang for five weeks for your enjoyment. Please visit and share the spirit of Ronin’s art with those you care for. It is also the Grand Opening of Elysium Opus, an art gallery loosely focused on native-themed art and indigenous artists in SL and in RL.

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Video Highlights – Sheep and Angels!

With much thanks to Mr. Lex, we have video highlights of Winnie’s “Somebody to Love” sheep dance, and Babypea’s “Run” angel dance.  THANK YOU SO MUCH LEX!!  XXOOs

O.M.G! Review for 03.18.16

 

*Note:  Fuki is working on pictures for Eva and the crowd dance, but I want to get this up before the weekend is over. Will add them as soon as we have them*

The fans of Empire Room were out in droves on the heels of St. Patrick’s Day.  Gunner was busy setting the mood with his great playlist, and people were wandering in, browsing the buffet tables, grabbing a cocktail and settling in to the comfy chairs to welcome the weekend in with us.  Thankfully, none of them seemed too hung over after a day with green milk shakes, green bagels, green beer and drunken parades…well, that’s how we celebrate where I live and we do all have a little irish in us on March 17th, no matter where we live 🙂

Kyshra was the opening act…and WOW what an opener.  If you were still chatting, or not paying attention, or nursing a hangover, well, that beautiful red set should have gotten your attention. Barring a coma, the strains of “I Feel A Sin Comin’ On” by the Pistol Annies should have been your second clue. Finally, it’s Kyshra, did you not expect that she would be emoting, smoldering and in general riling up the audience as her clothes magically evaporated before our eyes?  Everyone was really, really awake by time she was done.

This brings us to the sheep dance.  I saw this crazy ad while I was watching the superbowl.  It had some singing sheep.  I have no idea what is was for, but those little buggers stuck in my head and a set was born.  I chose Queen’s “Somebody To Love”, and I was joined by Seb, Baby, Jilley, Queenie, Jo, Beebs as sheep and Pan as our wolf.  We were very well accesorized, from rolling pins, to fancy boas to Pan’s hat that was replete with squirrels.  It wasn’t meant to be anything more than ridiculously funny, and I hope I made you laugh.

Our fearless dance manager, Wiz, chose Alice Cooper’s “Teenage Frankenstein”.  I love Alice Cooper, and I desperately want to go play golf with him.  Wiz cracked me up when he told me that he thought that his green skin sort of went with the fact that it was the day after St. Patrick’s Day.  He created an awesome evil scientist lair and worked his Frankenmoves 🙂 Check out those platforms ladies!  Two big smiles in a row!!

Nay and Maia put together a collaborative set that was just wonderful.  They chose P!nk’s “Perfect”.  The two of them started out in a dance studio, black and white, mirroring each other and that was really cool enough.  Then, they drew down a curtain and these amazing boxes zoomed out….with dancers in them!  They chose scenes from some of their favorite Empire sets so out came Kellan, Baby, Kyshra, Jilley, Wiz, Jo, Gunner and Seb.  SL was a huge bugger the first time and we had to kill the set and come back to it, but oh it was sooooooooooo worth it!  My favorite part was when the song slows to a dripping faucet and the floating animation transitioned everyone to the stage floor and the boxes flew up and away.  This may be the single best transition I have ever seen in a set, it was brilliant!  A fantastic job ladies and what a wonderful tribute to our dancers!  Yes I’m all !!!! because it was fecking perfect!!!!

JenzZa and the misfits hit the boards next with a Michael Jackson version of “Hit The Road Jack”.  Laughter would once again fill the theater.  First, we had Rumor lurking about as Jack Skellington, when he comes across a patch of beans and waters them.  Up goes the beanstalk, Jack crawls up and ends up in a land filled with…..cupcakes???  Hey, I’m totally ok with anything that involves cupcakes and the girls, Dulcikate, Phoebe and JenzZa were adorable to the point of sugar overload with great outfits and makeup and particles…it was a dazzler.  I had a great time watching this set, JenzZa has a great style and design sense and I am always thrilled when she is going to perform.  She also has a firm grip on whimsy, which is my favorite thing about her 🙂

Baby picked Ludivico Einaudi’s “Run”  I love this composer…love as in….I have downloaded just about every song he has ever done.  Baby found this amazeballs outfit at Gizza (yep, I checked they don’t have anything else even vaguely like it….damnit!) and she was a beautiful angel in love with a man (Gunner) who had no idea that she existed.  She danced a heartbreakingly beautiful dance where she begged to become human so that she could be with him, when out came Gerty and she stole his heart away.  Baby ended up human and seething in red on a park bench, and though I love Gerty dearly, I was ready to get up there and knock her over myself! (Sorry Gerty)

Eva found a great mix of Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters”.  Ok, I’m a closet Metallica fan as well.  I love metal, but rarely find a way to do a set to it.  Eva knocked this thing out of the park.  Her costume was this awesome torn dress, the set was spare the the animations were out of this world.  Not sure where she got them, but I guarantee I’m asking!  They were powerful and strong, just like the song, and she did a great costume change to a strong and slightly intimidating red and firey lade who was even more empowering to watch dance.  Loved it!

Jilley took us out for the end of the evening and holy craptoast what a cool set it was.  She danced with Paul and Seb to Opiou’s “Robot Booty”.  This set was cool and smooth…it was smooth like Skippy peanut butter smooth.  They wore these really great robot like costumes and were armed with light saber type weapons and it was just so damned magnificent and wild and visually stunning…I couldn’t get enough of it!

Drat!  Like that the show was over…except for the crowd dances that Ames put together for us.  God bless her (or any deity of your choice) because it was the night before her wedding, the end of Fashion for Life and she still came through for us all to boogie our way into the weekend! Ame chose Pitbull’s “Run”,  Duran Duran’s “Change The Skyline” and Adam Lambert’s “Pop That Lock” to get our fabulous fans up out of their seats and on some poseballs to welcome the weekend.

 

Thank you our wonderful fans, and thank Fuki for amazing pictures and Paul, Jilley, Gunner and Baby for our fantastic venue to dance at week after week.  It’s a group effort and we couldn’t do it without you all!  Catch you next Friday at the best place to kick off the weekend in all of SL 🙂

 

 

Elysium and Friends Dance for a Cause!

Elysium and Friends from Phoenix and The Misfits, will be dancing at 1 PM SLT on Sunday March 13, 2016 for Fashion for Life!  Some new dances and old and MUST SEES come alive to raise funds for the first major Relay for Life event this year!  All donations go to the American Cancer Society.  Come and check it out!

Fantastical Friday Fun

Oh…the birds are singing, the air is warmer, the sun is shining and little green shoots of the promise of spring have started to push their way up out of the warming soil.  There is a feeling of hope and renewal where I live and I was so happy that it seems to have found its’ way to the Empire Room where all sorts of spring optimism was present onstage last night.

DJ Gunner, bless his rock N roll soul had the best music rolling to get everyone in the mood for the show.  I was personally so happy to hear Janis Joplin, I could barely contain myself.  That man has an epic collection of music and it in all the years I’ve been going to the Empire Room on a Friday, I’ve never noticed the same playlist…way to start off the weekend Gunner!

Monavie was our opening act and with her set, brought all the hope of spring to stage as she was joined by Jo and Ame dancing to a version of “Our Song” sung by Ewan MacGregor.  That’s right …Obi-wan can belt out a tune! The lovely ladies were in birdcages, but they flew down to the stage in very pretty flowered dresses which had wonderful skirts that whirled about as they danced.  There were also some spectacular particles to accent the dance and a cool…pinkish background texture that I loved.  Lovely Ms. Monavie…just lovely!

Ally took the stage next in a set that is now one of my favorite Ally sets ever.  You had to have the advanced lighting model enabled, otherwise you missed out on one wildly amazing set.  Ally chose “Have You Seen The Stars Tonight” by Jefferson Starship.  She wore a reflective latex (?) suit that had lighting enabled that reflected off of it.  She also had amazing effects on her star studded set and particles.  I missed half of the coolness going on because I was mesmerized by the outfit with the colors….shiny….pretty!  Loved this set. These photo is courtesy of Seb because Fuki was having one of those SL nights last night.  And I can’t stretch them out…and I am soooooo sorry!

Myth is back in SL, in case you missed her!  I haven’t seen her dance since she’s made it back, so I was excited that she was on the docket last night.  She chose a song called “Eden” by Sarah Brightman.  It was an ethereal song..vocals and harmonies…very smooth and relaxing (words I don’t normally associate with Myth, lol).  Royal, Gunner and Paul were decked out with suits and mics on the second story of a red and gold stage.  The ladies rose up from below…Myth, Diiar and Babypea and they swayed and sashayed in some beautiful dresses while some great particles floated…roses, little orbs of light, lught rays…it was pretty and sultry and smooth as peanut butter!

Corri came out red hot…or black and white…to Amanda Jenssen’s “Dry My Soul”.  She wore a great goth skin and some really wild hair that I need to own and one smokin’ hot latex outfit that was smexy as can be.  She danced on her dock in front of her little swamp shack and I have to say, with her out front….even that swamp shack looked amazing!  Ok…there was the minor issue of the dead body, but hey, when you look that good, and have alligators to take care of the evidence, well, why not kill the bastard?!?

We had a debut next…the lovely Imrhien, and god bless Gunner, he had to pronounce it, I just have to type it!  This set was hands down fantastic.  With debuts like this, who needs us old farticles out there on stage?  Holy….cow!  Immi was in a museum and danced to Regina Spektor’s “All the Rowboats.”  Her ballerinas, who came dancing out of their frame were Jo, Lily and Daze.  Kellan was a dancing violin and Seb, Baby, Tray and Ame were the period costumes that danced without any bodies.  It was freaking cool!  I want to see it again and again and again.  Well done Immi!! (please excuse the overuse of !!)

Wiz took the stage with his darling Sus to Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young’s “Our House”. They were a toy soldier and doll in a dollhouse set in a much larger bedroom.  It was so nifty.  Yet again I love the stuff that lives in the Wizard’s brain.  They were adorable, with Wiz marching around and Sus coming to life and then they danced together and collapsed into a cute back to back sit at the end. Wiz restores my faith in humanity every time I see his sets 🙂 ps…note the two cats!!

Seb hit the planks…or trash cans…then the planks to “Start a Fire”.  Sorry, not sure who sings this, I need to dig out the youtube link, but in the interest of time….. The dudes…Seb, Tray, Zach and Storm started out playing their cans in an urban setting while Ame, Jo, Salonge and Monavie danced in some great hip hop outfits.  Then…the gents vaulted over their cans ( a VERY cool animation) and joined the ladies and out came the fire pois!  This was inventive and visually stunning.  Another set I need to see about 4 times to take in everything that was going on.

Babypea danced to Jacquie Lee’s “Broken Ones”.  This set was originally done when Kat Feldragonne asked a group of us to all create a set to this song.  I got to be part of this project and it was so fun and interesting to see what we all came up with.  Baby chose a great outfit from Rag Dollz which is a doll with cracked skin and she started out alone and then faded in an attic with Jilley, Kellan, Jo and Gertie and they all danced to this very pretty song.  I adore Baby’s set and take on the song.  I am one person who has no issue with people choosing to dance to a song that someone else has used because I am fascinated by how differently every dancer sees the same song.

This brings us to Tray.  Tray, Tray, Tray…what can I say?  Tray chose David Lee Roth’s “Just A Gigolo” and “California Girls” and well, I’m still laughing hysterically at what he did last night.  We started our journey with Tray clomping across the floor of the avatar rest home with his walker….he then disappears into his mirror and shows up on the beach where he is suddenly a “hunk-o-rama” boogeying to DLR.  He gets eaten by a shark (yep…ouch!) and reappears in a tuxedo where he dances again, until he sprouts wings and the elegant staircase he’s been dancing on transforms into the pearly gates.  A day later, I’m still giggling.  My personal favorite part was the shark 🙂  Epic…if I can quote Baby!

And there it was…the end of the show, except for the crowd dance *cheers wildly*.  Kellan set us up with Pitbull’s “Timber”, Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way”, and Daft Punk’s “One More Time”.  The server was a little laggy, but we kicked it a couple of times and before we knew it, we were all off and dancing like old pros.  It was another fun ending to another great show.  This is another of Seb’s pictures (again…soooooo sorry for the size)

Thank you lovely fans and Paul, Jilley, Gunner and Baby for giving us a home to dance at and a place to spend our Fridays with friends!  Catch you all next Friday night at the Empire Room!!

Myth Raven Returns to the Elysium Stage!

Elysium Cabaret takes you there every Friday at 6pm. Let your imagination come out to play! In The Empire Room at Copperhead Road, we strive to bring you an eclectic mix of music genres, dance styles, elaborate staging and dazzling costumes. At the end of our shows, we invite you on stage to dance with us and celebrate the simple joy of dance! Welcome to the weekend!

This Friday!  Myth Raven returns to the Elysium stage!  YAAAAAAAAY welcome back Myth!

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Copperhead%20Road/74/64/2754

DJ Gunner: Showtime’s “Meet the DJ”

Hey it is our very own DJ!  Featured in Showtime!  YAAAAAAAAAY!

http://showtimemagazine.net/?p=10436

 

Friday Night Was More Than Alright!

As another Friday came upon us, the excitement of another show was easily felt with the crowd and dancers at Elysium this past Friday. Paul, Jilley and Ally were out in force to welcome our guest and offer some refreshments as they found a perfect seat to see all the goodies that would shortly be heading their way from the talented Elysium team!

DJ Gunner was killing it with some fabulous music to get everyone’s weekend off to a great start as the choreographers and dancers were backstage stretching their limbs and being sure any costume changes were close at hand. You could tell from the rehearsal that it was going to be a hellva show if the SL gods were kind! I was even whispering in an ear how much I was lovin a song that Gunner was playing and how I should do that to a dance! Great tunes Gman!

Music – Fleur East – Sax
Melvis with Nevar, Andy, Kellan, Mona, Salonge

 First up was the astonishingly talented Melvis! Melvis always brings dances to the stage that I love and this week was no exception! He and the boys were rocking it with some stylin jackets in Pink, Blue and Green while the ladies were in a matching color short dress and heels. The set was just as colorful with rotating acidelic textures. The animations were SO FUN! While it opened with the girls on stage once the guys duck walked and then moon walked on stage, all bets were off! Costumes, set, animations were mind blowing and went perfectly with the song! I hope he does this one again!

Music – Mr. PInstripe Suit by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.
Gunner with Wiz, Ridley, Paul, Pandy and Nayer

Gunner took us back in time to the roaring 40’s with some big band music that made you tap your foot and wiggle your head and fingers as he took the stage. The scene was one of waiting in line for what I took to be some food with some nuns handing it out; this all along a street and before you can blink an eye, the men are dancing in the rain! I loved this set cause it was just fun and the dancing took us back to the roots of jazz! Great animations and the men looked snazzy and hot as hell with their fedoras!

Music – Beethoven vs Chemical Brothers – Symphony No. 5 Vs Galvanize
Kyshra with Corri, Moni, Kellan, Jo, Queenie, Daze and RUS

Next up was Kyshra, and I LOVED LOVED LOVED this dance!   She really outdid herself this week! The scene started with a replica of the Empire Room with the famous sign and all, and all the girls on the floor were dressed in various baroque style modern dance clothes, doing some ballet moves. Soon enough the tempo changed to an electric dupstep sort of beat and they were joined by post apocalyptic girls that joined the “stage” with a massively awesome jump! Set change and some fierce dancing animations left you breathless with the pulsating music and backdrop! Great stuff Kysh!

Music – Georgie Fame – The Ballad Of Bonnie And Clyde 
Jilley with Paul

Jilley was up next and as the song begins you can’t help but smile! The banjo playing illicit a feel of old time, and yet it was mixed with modern as Jilley looked punked out and Paul had on a sweatshirt with a hood! Cop cars entering the scene, and crashing, fire hydrants spewing water, and all the while they were on the run and dancing and shooting folks. They were after all Bonnie and Clyde! Blood splattered the ground as in the end, they were shot down in their prime of life! We loved it and laughed the entire time as it truly told a story!

Music – 7 Years – Lukas Graham
Wiz

Following Jilley was our one and only stage manager Wiz! Wiz did a FANTASTIC job with his set, mimicking the growth of a boy throughout decades by using pictures that were on a mantel. The symbolic clock ticking time, added to the idea that time goes by so fast. I loved the child like spinning that he started with as he told the story through animations that matched his set and song perfectly. He can really bring some emotion in his dance I tell ya!

Music – Let It Rock – Kevin Rudolf & Lil Wayne
Kellan with Ridley, Nevar, Zach and Ayita (Naybabe)

I was up next with one of my favorite songs. The set was a cavern with particle gems that each of the characters arrived by climbing down a rope. The men were dressed as Indiana Jones and the females of Lara Croft in Tomb Raider. Each wore particles on their hands of cyan for some color and up in the air they all started to dance! I think I did a pretty good job with the animations on this and I really enjoyed the concept and it was fun to do!

Music – Kasabian – Re-wired
Babypea

Babypea closed the show with a THRILLING solo! I swear when I grow up I wanna be like her! The scene opened with a giant computer and screen and she wore this freakin awesome electric outfit that laid the work that she was indeed part of the wiring! The scene changed to a giant mother board and the inside of the computer where she danced around on hands before the giant brain came out! How does she come up these cool ideas! Particles added to giving her, in my mind, programming before the set ended with her litterly part of the wiring. Great concept, music and animations made this a definite closer! Loved it!

Crowd Dance Music – Walk the Moon – Shut Up and Dance
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy – Diga Diga Doo
Maroon 5 – Moves Like Jagger
Jilley

As the night came to a close, we invited the audience members to come up and dance with us. As Paul says “There is an Elysium dancer in every avatar!” Jilley delivered a MIND BLOWING trio of music that left everyone excited to get on stage! I loved the music and the animations were perfect! Sometimes the crowd dance can get lost, but a lot of effort goes into finding the perfect music and animations for three songs, and trying to not repeat, keeping it up beat and something that the audience knows, and Jilley always brings us those things!

That was the end of another thrilling show. Please join us this coming Friday and every Friday at 6 pm SLT, and the last Saturday of the month, at 1 pm SLT for our special matinee show for our Euro friends! This Kellan, over and out!