Each month we’ll be highlighting a new Dance Central fan in the Dancer’s Spotlight! These pieces will give us a chance to recognize some of our most dedicated and inspiring Dance Central community members, and give you a chance to meet your fellow dancers! We’ll talk with cosplayers, Fitness Challenge participants, artists, and more, so check back each month to see whose turn it is in the Spotlight. This month we have two Dancers in the spotlight, a Dancer’s Duet, if you will!
Heather: I'm Heather (or hexterah on numerous internet places), a geek with a penchant for glowing things, creepy twins, and any music I can dance to. I also like food. I mean, I love food.
Nate: Nate, Draelight, Draetheus, Derpface. I like computers, cats, and getting my groove on as long as there is some sort of point system.
Find them as a cos-playing duo on: Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and Deviant Art.
Heather: We were at a friend's house and he introduced us to the first Dance Central. We knew after that one night of playing that we had to get that game (and a Kinect, just for that game). I play it multiple times a week now and I will admit that one of the reasons I was so drawn to it that first night was because the character designs were absolutely awesome. I played with Aubrey for a while and then shifting through the character menu, I landed on Oblio and said to my friend "WHO IS THIS?" My friend and I both laughed nonchalantly at Oblio's perfection and I played as him for the rest of the night. I would not let go.
Nate: I have a long history with rhythm games, so I saw Dance Central and was like, "YEAH I'LL BE GOOD AT THIS!", than actually played and was like "YEAH I SUCK AT THIS!", but kept playing until "YEAH I'M OK AT THIS!"
I always found myself playing with Oblio in Dance Central just to see what he would say after a song. Now that's good character writing! And in general I thought it was awesome that Dance Central gave characters an actual personality instead of just having them be soulless faces. The Glitterati upped the ante by fifty kajillion in Dance Central 2 aka "How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love Smacktalk."
Photo courtesy of Sonja of Soulfire Photography.
In case you aren’t familiar with the term, “cosplay” is short for “costume play” and, at its most basic level, is when fans of a video game/movie/comic book/etc. dress up as a character.
Heather: I liked Miss Aubrey after we played the first game and already had some of her School Daze outfit and Nate liked Oblio and his Gearhead outfit so those were sort of a given that we wanted to make those. When DC2 came out, we were bathed in the sparkly and snarky light of The Glitterati and their fashion and attitude just got into our brain and wouldn't leave.
With Miss Aubrey, Oblio, and Icon Crew it was a matter of finding the right items and modifying them/painting them/etc. to make them work. With the Glitterati... well... the process is usually this (for me anyways): figure out what pieces we need, look for the right materials/fabric, sob endlessly over how fabulous the fabric of their outfits is and how it's impossible to find perfect matches, sob some more over how difficult making their outfits into actual pieces of clothing a human can wear can be, mock up some patterns, put together some of the smaller accessories, avoid cutting the wigs, avoid cutting the actual fabric, stare at all the pieces not put together yet, finally finish all the sobbing and start sewing things, avoid cutting the wigs, HOW DO THEY WEAR THESE SHOES?, stare at things some more, no just kidding not done with the freaking out, realize you need these costumes done in a week, finish sewing and making accessories, FINALLY cut the wigs, try everything on and go: "HOW DO THEY DANCE IN THESE?" DONE!
Nate does all that stuff in that process too except for the sobbing.
Nate: This totally depends on the character outfit. Marcos & Frenchy was about 30 minutes on eBay and inside Target/Walmart. The Glitterati: Haute Blooded was (too) many hours of scouring fabric stores and constructing the oddities of the costume. My process isn't terribly exciting: Can it be bought cheaply? Can it be altered cheaply? Can it be constructed cheaply? Seeing a pattern here? Cosplay makes my wallet cry.
Heather: I think the biggest thing to remember is have fun. Also, you don't need to be an expert at sewing to cosplay - check out thrift stores for things to modify! Another thing: start your costume early if you need it for a certain convention/event/time. I am the worst procrastinator and stressing out about it at the last minute is no fun.
Nate: Thrift stores are a cosplay goldmine. Be prepared to make mistakes, and have fun!
Because we’ve got a Dancer’s Duet this month, this playlist is extra long. Feel free to choose 10-12 songs, or add all 20 songs to a playlist for an extra challenge!
Heather: We know our lists aren't too challenging, but these are some of our absolute favorite songs/routines.
"Marry the Night" - Lady Gaga
"Maneater" - Nelly Furtado
"You're a Jerk" - New Boyz
"Body to Body" - Electric Valentine
"Ching-A-Ling" - Miss Elliott
"Oops (Oh My)" - Tweet ft. Missy
"I Am the Best" - 2NE1
"Lights" - Ellie Goulding
"Massive Attack" - Nicki Minaj
"Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" - C+C Music Factory
Nate's Picks:
"Commander" – Kelly Rowland
"DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love" - Usher
"I Am the Best" - 2NE1
"Like A G6" - Far East Movement
"Moves Like Jagger"- Maroon 5
"Rendez-vu" – Basment Jaxx
"S&M" - Rihanna
"Starships" – Nicki Minaj
"Technologic" – Daft Punk
"The Humpty Dance" – Digital Underground
Nate: Remember kids, it’s all fun and games until someone commits a dance crime.
Heather: I can't even attempt to top that final thought. I just can’t.
Check back with us the first week of each month to see who's turn it is in the Dancer's Spotlight! Think you know someone who deserves their moment? Drop us a line in the forums!