Neato Mulligans: Dance Edition

Once upon a time in a vast world called The Asset Server there were ways to make avatars move. These limited, though still entertaining animations were used widely by SL residents. Noobs and Oldbies alike all danced in similar fashion without a care in the world. We even jump-kicked around like a Redneck Lord of the Dance. No one could escape the call of rating parties while dancing, chatting, and passing out random things to one another.

Times were simpler then. Prim hair was attached to system hair bases, folks had figured out how to build shoes with prims instead of using the previous method of putting a texture on a template - and the first prim skirt was not yet 'invented'. Yes, those were the days.

The days when 'dancing sexy' meant taking off your clothes while doing dance14 and no one cared what you wore. Everyone looked like shit - but we all thought we looked awesome. Our dances looked like shit but we all thought they were the coolest thing since 90210.

Although the rating system is gone, as well as the parties - those days are not forgotten. Even though the freebies being passed around are the same freebies which made their rounds back in 2005 - noobs are still appreciative. And even though these 'old' dances have lost their top seat in chimeras and dance machines in every club in SL - some of us remember.

Owenimations had created the then cutting-edge of club necessity when the Chimera was released. Finally you could dance in sync with other club goers! Long before the Dance Foo, and not long after dance bracelets-we celebrated our synchronized dancing with MORE dancing. Yes the times have changed.

The way folks flock to Sine Wave Island now days is how we had all once flocked to Owenimation vendors. There were so many dances to choose from! The floor in front of the clicky-wall to demo the dances was always packed with all the girls wearing Washu wigs, the men wearing the same Lost hair (all hair was pretty much either blonde or black - those were your only choices back then) and we thought we were badasses.

Dancing in only the past 3 years has gone from jerky movements where your arms randomly flail about and your joints break to smooth, realistic, almost artistic movements of fluidity. There is more to gain from those 'old' dances than mere nostalgia though, my friends. Oh yes! If you don't have at least 4 of these dances somewhere in your inventory then you're probably an alt - funded by your better known, richer self.

Once a means of entertainment, now some sort of 'chic' thing ... dancing is one thing that will evolve for the better in SL. Fashion may bomb into nothing but tank tops, blue jeans and neko ears - but dancing has and always will be an art of self expression that will never go out of style. I still say that Dance14 is the ONLY dance that can be recognized (by resident majority) in a snapzilla snapshot NO MATTER where the snap was taken during the animation loop.

I present: The Evolution of Second Life Dance