Ballet Pixelle
(formerly Second Life Ballet)
Newsletter

 

January 2008

 

GROUP NEWS

We are now 593 strong in the Second Life Ballet group.

Our web site is at http://www.slballet.org/

Find the Second Life Ballet Group at Search > Group > Second Life Ballet

NEW BLOG!

Pyper Dollinger (also dancer and costume mistress) has created a new Blog for Second Life Ballet! Check it out at http://slballet.blogspot.com. News on "The Nut", photos, and videos are all available there. Watch for news!

"THE NUT" News

?? "The Nut" opened to a capacity audience on Sunday, December 16 at 5pm SLT. In a bid to reduce lag, some ballet devotees were even switching their prim-heavy haircuts for newbie styles.

?? The entrance of the Arabian Dancers via flying carpets from above was one of the many highlights, as the audience broke all the normal rules about restricting talk to IM or whispers with a collective "Wow!"

?? "The Nut" is our retelling of the beloved holiday ballet "The Nutcracker". Join us for a magical evening of dolls transforming into princes and snowflakes dancing in this three-act story ballet. Bring your partner for a holiday date or a group of friends for your holiday party.

"The Nut" will run through January 2008 on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays 5pm SLT at ??

COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE

"lovely, lovely, lovely"

"fantastic, really gets you into the festive spirit"

"awesome!!"

SLBALLET IN THE NEWS

THE LOOKING GLASS

The Looking Glass (www.slookinglass.com) featured SL Ballet's "The Nut" as one of their three unmissable events for the week Dec 17-Dec 23: http://www.slookinglass.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=150&Itemid=132

Cienega Soon, Music Columist for The Looking Glass has a great article, including some beautiful pictures: http://www.slookinglass.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=159&Itemid=119

2ND TRAVEL

German blog Second Travel has featured the premiere of "The Nut": http://2ndtravel.blogspot.com/2007/12/ballettpremiere.html

DANCING WITH AVATARS

The Wall Street Journal's correspondent Kara Swisher gives us a mention in the All Things Digital blog. Despite not being a Second Life fan she says: "this is oddly riveting and works well in the avatar medium" http://kara.allthingsd.com/20071218/dancing-with-the-avatars/

REZ MAGAZINE

Rez magazine has reviewed us, watch out for an interview in the New Year too: http://www.rezmagazine.co.uk

SL'ANG Life

"The Nut" premiere got a mention in SL'ANG Life: http://www.slanglife.com/

GREAT DANCE LOG

Second Life Ballet was discussed in this blog again -- this time there's a video of "Olmannen" as well: http://greatdance.com/danceblog/archives/software/002107.php

SL GAMES

"The Nut" featured as a great way to "jump-start your Christmas spirit", with some lovely photos too: http://slgames.wordpress.com/2007/12/21/the-nut/#more-745

PHOTOS BY OSPREY THERIAN

http://bogus.com/pics/071221.nutcracker/

INTERVIEW WITH INARRA SAARINEN

Q1. Congratualations on the spectacular new ballet "The Nut" Inarra, how long has it taken you to turn it from initial idea to the actual performance?

Thank you. Our first ballet, "Olmannen", took about 4 months. "The Nut" took about two months. Although the idea was lurking about earlier.

Q2. "The Nutcracker" has so many classic parts from the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy to the Waltz of the Snowflakes. In an abridged adaptation like "The Nut" how did you decide what to keep and what to leave out?

I rewrote the story a bit by reading the original E.T.A. Hoffmann story "The Tale of the Mouse King". Some of the original story has strange plot lines and the ballet's take was morphed over the years. Once the ballet made sense to me, it was easier to keep Clara's solo as a Princess, for example. I had choreographed the Russian dance earlier. Also, it was very important to me to use unique SL attributes -- hence the Arabians on flying carpets. And you just have to have the snowflakes!

Q3. Do you have any plans to do any other famous ballets? Swan Lake for example?

Well, my intent is to explore the intersection of physical and virtual dance and develop an aesthetic. So, classical ballets are not really the focus. However, we did do "The Nutcracker" and if we can get real swans...

Q4. Can ballet fans buy their own flying carpet in-world?

Our dancer, Tik Merlin, made the carpets we use.

Q5. Can you tell us what the Second Life Ballet Company have in store for us after "The Nut" finishes?

A surprise different dance in February. And a new ballet in February. You will just have to join the group "Second Life Ballet" to see!

"WINDOWS" MUSIC

The original score composed for our ballet, "Windows", by Louis Volare is available at cdbaby.com.

SPIRIT CITY OPENS

Our costume designer for "The Nut" is also the proud owner of Spirit City...the city for dance and cheer. Spirit City opens this weekend. You can even buy replicas of the costumes! ??

NEW CAST & COMPANY MEMBERS

Halden Beaumont
Lehua Lamington
Mo Hax
Nicole Myhre

SECOND LIFE BALLET COMPANY

Alina Mikadze
Amelie Dibou
Boaz Sands
Calia Cachin
Cyanide Seelowe
Deyna Broek
Espresso Saarinen
Inarra Saarinen
Jie Loon
Kaia Blachere
Lain Rimbaud
Lina Lageos
Mark Cassini
Misty Gentil
Neena Botanical
Nicole Myhre
Pyper Dollinger
SavannahAnn McMillan
Tatiana Kurri
Tik Merlin
Vivienne Darcy
Willis Rossini

 

–Inarra Saarinen


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