This is the first in a series of articles on the entertainment offered throughout Second Life. I should begin by introducing myself and telling you a little of my background in this area. I have been in Second Life for many years. I have always been drawn to the various theaters that offer live entertainment, but found it very difficult to be hired as a dancer or showgirl.
A few clubs offered to let me work as a stripper or on a dance pole, but I always thought that was a lazy way to dance and rather sleezy so I stayed clear of those clubs.
About a year ago I stumbled upon the Moulin Rouge quite by accident. At the street level it didn’t appear to be any different than other places I had visited, but once I stepped into the club itself, I was simply awed. The interior is a recreation of the original Moulin Rouge in Paris. The dancers were immediately kind and welcoming. There were no dance poles at all and I knew I had found a home.
I was introduced to the owner Kris Harmison and the theater director Xanthia Lisle. I was told by both that I would have to demonstrate my ability as a dancer and be able to connect with the audience. The Moulin Rouge Club kept the flavor of a 1920s burlesque theater which meant that the music was typically jazz or from an earlier era. This only added to the ambiance.
My break came when there was a show and one of the dancers who had a solo act wasn’t able to perform. I was offered the act, but had to choreograph a routine. It was horribly frightening to step onto the stage and dance that night. It didn’t matter that I had rehearsed my number countless times. It didn’t matter that my act was just one small part of a greater show. I was trembling until it was over. When it was over I wanted to do it again.
That routine led to others such as the part of Matron Mama Morton in the Moulin Rouge's production of Chicago and Christina Aguilera’s role in the tribute to the Moulin Rouge. These were all Broadway level productions with endless hours of rehearsal, elaborate stages, complicated choreography and amazing costumes. Each show averaged an hour in length and many times we presented it two or three times in a row to accommodate the many patrons who came to see us.
The money we earned in tips was usually less than what we paid to buy our costumes. That didn’t really matter. Every dancer, man or woman was there for the love of the theater. We would have done those shows for free. We loved our audience and they loved us.
Those days are gone now. Xan Lisle had to step down as theater director and choreographer. That fantasy world called real life that we all hear about took her from us. She will be missed dearly. In her wake there is a void.
I have danced at perhaps the most amazing club in Second Life, but maybe I can find another. That is my mission. I will span the vastness of this; the world we call Second Life to search for and report on clubs that offer the best live entertainment and on occasion, those that fall short.
~Kiushu Rau
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