Freestyling is:

a.  jumping outta bed, running your fingers through your hair, and racing to work.

b.  that thing those skateboarder kids do, where you know you’d break your neck.

c.  when your favorite hair salon has open house and offers free services

d.  loading dance animations into a dance hud, kicking on some music, and choosing animations that fit the song – dancing like nobody’s watching!  Hopefully with a few friends too.

Well, I’ve done all those things (except b) but the one we’re talking about today is…. <drumroll>

d.  loading dance animations into a dance hud, kicking on some music, and choosing animations that fit the song – dancing like nobody’s watching!  Hopefully with a few friends too.

But wait…there’s more:

• In freestyling, you play the animations manually be selecting them from your hud, really dancing you and your friends as you do it.  It gives you a chance to really feel the animations, feel the music, just let go.  No deep thinking, no worrying about recording or anything.  Just simply dancing to whatever music comes on.
• You don’t know what song may play next.  You do your best, go with it, and have fun!  It’s a great way to loosen up as your mind makes the connection between the animations you play and the music.  Sure, some may work, some animations may look silly, but have a laugh and change it again!  I love tossing that Napoleon Dynamite move in unexpected places!
• Break out of the mold and enjoy the ride!  When freestyling it’s about having fun!  Try animations and combinations you never thought would work to that Latin music!  You may be very surprised.  No stress, it’s not a performance, and when the song is done it’s done, a new one to start!

Besides having fun and really letting loose, there is one MAJOR benefit:

As you dance you are learning your animations.  It gives you the opportunity to become familiar with them, to see how they move, how they transition from one to the next, how certain animations work with different types of music, and you’re having fun while you’re doing it!

It can really give a boost to your confidence as you let go, relax, take a deep breath.  You’ll find that you start surprising yourself with some very slick moves!

It’s a great way to become extremely comfortable with your dance hud as you invite people, reinvite people, reinvite people, and reinvite people again if they keep missing the invite.  Don’t forget caching your dances too and knowing how to remove them when they decide to head to the punch bowl or pass out in exhaustion…

The more you freestyle, and the more you work with your animations, the easier and more natural it becomes to choreograph a dance.  Focus on feel, and rhythm, and all those other things that bring a dance to life, make it “feel real”.

So, how do you freestyle?  It truly is easier and less intimidating than you might think!

First – you need to load an animation hud with mix of animations.  I love the Smooth Dancer hud for this.

• you choose what animations you want to load.  I always recommend a good mix of animations and a few fun/surprise ones.  Think about where you’re freestyling.  Is a friend streaming?  Are you going to a club?  What kind of music do they play?  *note: just because you’re going to a club, don’t load up on just “upbeat” dances.  Add in some variety!  it’s amazing how different genres of animations can work in a song.  Toss in a few ballet, slow contemporary, and sensual.  Even add a few poses in there for a dramatic finish to a song!  Variety adds interest!
• if this is your first time freestyling, start with 1 hud.  When you become comfortable, you can wear multiple huds on your screen letting you see more animations at one time and making it easier to flip back and forth!  Don’t forget to invite your friends to all the huds you’ll be using.
• know the basics of the hud, how to invite people, reinvite, and remove, how many people you can have on your hud.

Second – where will you be freestyling, how are you getting the music?

• you can literally freestyle anywhere:
  • go out to a club
  • get together with some friends, maybe someone wants to stream music
  • turn on a radio station, on your own sim or even somewhere else
• I’ve even gone to a beautiful sim where I felt inspired, tossed one of those text titlers over my head that said ‘dancing to the music in my head’, and did just that (well, music only i could hear)

Third – it’s more fun with friends!

• Invite a friend to go with you, or five, or even more if you’d like.  Go out to a club, have a freestyling party, go to a freestyling party!  It’s fun to do on your own, but also lots of fun when you have others to laugh with when you do the funky chicken to the Beastie Boys…
• Personally, I wouldn’t go to a club and invite random strangers to my hud, but if you’re a regular and know some of the people or feel comfortable, why not?

Fourth – just do it and have fun!

Periodically we have freestyling parties at Ravens House.  Come and dance, or wear a HUD and freestyle the group as we alternate who’s going to lead!  IM me in world (EvaHarley resident) if interested in future invites.

Freestyle on your own, especially with any new animations you buy.

Have your own freestyling party or drag some friends out to a club.  Add costumes to make it even more fun!

as Nike says “Just do it!”

Happy dancing!
~ Eva