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General | Posted 7 years agoFor those interested in my work, I now have a Telegram channel! Subscribe to get the first look at all of the latest announcements, updates, commission openings, sales, and more for my fursuits and art.
https://t.me/joinchat/UPRzXSW7SQPazSPf
https://t.me/joinchat/UPRzXSW7SQPazSPf
Regarding the Future of Fursuit Dance Competitions
General | Posted 7 years agoDon't worry! This isn't a journal where I say "I'm going to quit dancing." No, nothing like that! Rather, since Midwest FurFest just opened their dance competition auditions and announced their rule changes, I figured it'd be a good time to share my two cents on the operation of fursuit dance competitions, particularly how preliminaries work. As a disclaimer, I have not yet attended MFF or any convention of comparable size unless you count Further Confusion, nor do I plan on doing so in the near future, as I'll be graduating college and my convention attendance will likely slow down for the foreseeable future thanks to full-time adulting. I simply wanted to share my thoughts on the matter.
To kick off on a positive note, I’m happy that dance competition auditions have the dancers perform their choreography for their auditions. In the case of MFF, this year, they are making the switch from freestyle auditions (which, from my understanding, often had a group of fursuiters audition all at once to the same randomly-selected song to expedite the process of judging dozens of applicants) to having each dancer perform one minute of the (presumably, but not necessarily, choreographed) routine they plan to dance for in the finals. From a saving-time standpoint, especially for huge conventions like MFF, the freestyle audition method certainly helped, but on the other hand, it never made sense to me for people to audition with freestyle if they were going to perform with a (again, presumably, but not necessarily) choreographed dance in the finals. Ultimately, this was probably the result of a careful cost-benefit analysis to which the answer changed over time; in the past, dance competition organizers and judges determined it would be more beneficial to be able to run auditions for massive groups of people all at once with the relatively insignificant trade-off of judging a dancer's freestyle skill rather than what was often a well-prepared choreographed piece. Now, as the mentality around dance competitions has changed, they decide that accurately judging a dancer's experience and skill level is still possible to balance with a procedure that is somewhat more time-consuming, but less so than the full-choreography auditions conducted at smaller conventions.
However, I’m still skeptical about getting rid of the Novice and Veteran categories. This can be seen as a way to maximize the skill level, and hence the entertainment factor, of the pool of dancers who are selected for the final competition, but I’m also always worried about the less experienced dancers who may not be at a level to compete in the same division as seasoned veterans yet. It makes me feel better when there are separate divisions for that reason, because I know dancers at all experience and skill levels will have a shot at making the finals due to participating within their respective divisions. I’ve gotten a bad rap for mentioning this on Twitter last time the issue arose, since the audience (typically composed of a large number of attendees with little to no dance -- let alone fursuit dance -- experience) really enjoys seeing the best the fandom has to offer, but seeing that (in my opinion) fun is one of the most important aspects of fursuit dance competitions — that’s why everyone’s dancing in big fuzzy adorable animal costumes! — I feel like it would be unfair to turn bigger competitions into hyper-competitive environments that only really cater to people who have the time and experience to pack years and years into fitting themselves into the often narrow box that the fandom wholly describes as “good” dancing.
For example, I'm a college student. I have classes to attend in order to graduate, so I can only realistically attend conventions that fall over a school break, such as a long weekend or perhaps even summer vacation. However, these days I attend furry conventions first and foremost for the purpose specifically of participating in the fursuit dance competition. I have the (arguably, depending on how you look at it) good fortune of living in the Pacific Northwest, where the extant conventions are all fairly small; likewise, their dance competitions do not typically have enough entrants to warrant making cuts between preliminary rounds (if there is one) and the finals. As a result, despite the fact that I have NEVER to this day made it into the finals of any fursuit dance competition where preliminary round cuts were made (i.e. Rainfurrest 2014 and FC 2017), I have been lucky enough to be able to participate in many dance competitions over the past couple of years, and I have even placed in the top 3 fairly frequently. (Excitingly, this past summer at Furlandia, I placed first in a dance competition for the first time ever!!) So, while I still very much consider myself a newbie to fursuit dance (primarily due to my lack of self-confidence, as I've been dancing for roughly four years now), I have a wealth of opportunities to get on stage without too much stress available for me.
Imagine if I was a furry who lived on the east coast, and my schedule just so worked out that I could only attend one convention every year, and that convention turned out to be MFF. If I wanted to "break into" the fursuit dance scene, so to speak, I would be very concerned about my only real opportunity to experience performing on stage in front of an audience being a large convention with a highly competitive dance competition where I am judged against extremely experienced dancers who have been in finals countless times rather than solely those around my same skill level. I wouldn't be a lucky furry who had the spare time and money to travel to other conventions and gain experience at smaller conventions or those with novice divisions where I might actually stand a ghost of a chance at making it into the finals, and hence it would be very difficult for me to find any enjoyment in the in-person aspect of fursuit dance (beyond, for example, chatting online, or sharing videos to YouTube).
So, in my opinion, when attempting to judge how to make a dance competition "better" -- for instance, by removing the Novice and Veteran categories -- it is important to consider what aspect of the competition exactly you are improving and how that will affect your audience as well as the dancers who audition.
That being said, it is also important to consider that, within the furry fandom and even outside of it, the subjectivity of what can be considered "good" dance cannot possibly be overstated. Anyone who looks can find a general set of tendencies or consensus within the fursuit dance scene about what defines a "good" dancer, thus dictating where a fursuit dancer should focus their practice in order to maximize their odds at surviving preliminary cuts in a dance competition, or even placing in the finals. To summarize, from my experience, this image of an "ideal" dance tends to have a considerable emphasis on technicality, with occasional, but not often noticeable, inclusion of other aspects such as emotional expression, composition, and even pure fun. However, ask any other fursuit dancer or even audience member, and perhaps they will judge the importance of the many aspects of dance differently. For example, for me personally, dance is all about feeling. Both when I am dancing myself and when I am watching or even judging dance, performances that tend to leave a deep, lasting impression on me are those that both evoke an emotional response when I watch it, and where I can tell that the dancer was, likewise, feeling some sort of essence (be it an emotion or concept) as they were performing. I think it is extremely important to consider the interaction between the dancer and the audience, and the difference between dancing for a camera, or alone in your living room, versus for a live audience -- I put much less value in a mere recitation of movement vocabulary, or what others would consider impressive technical moves. But, as I've said, that's just me. Every dancer and audience member is going to have a different opinion.
Overall, the point I want to bring to the forefront with writing this journal is this: fursuit dance is a constantly changing aspect of the furry fandom that has hugely increased in popularity since its introduction with the first fursuit dance competition years ago, and hence a serious reconsideration of how fursuit dance competitions are run to cater to dancers as well as audiences is crucial. I believe it is important to step back from trying to have the "best" fursuit dance competition, and re-examine dance as an art form, a mode of expression, in addition to a fun way to meet like-minded furries as well as show off for an audience. When too much emphasis is put on conducting preliminary rounds purely with the intent of filtering out the dancers in the fandom who fit the highly artificial and often unnecessarily narrow definition of what is "best," the artistry and individuality of dance is lost, and both the audience and the dancers lose the opportunity to witness the many complex facets and interpretation of dance and what it means to the individual who performs it as well as the audience who experiences it. I fear that this mentality pervading the operation of dance competitions will further integrate the echoes of elitist attitudes I have started to see hidden in the corners of the fursuit dance scene that often sneak to the forefront, only to return to the shadows with little fanfare. I have experienced the fursuit dance side of the fandom largely (but not exclusively) as a very open, supportive and friendly environment that I can utilize to build my creative capacity while also witnessing impressive works of art in a much more easily accessible manner than, for example, paying to attend a dance class -- and, not to mention, I have made so many friends and good acquaintances with whom I can surround myself to further improve the welcoming atmosphere of fursuit dance, and, along with it, the furry fandom as a whole.
I think there is a passage from the manga Welcome to the Ballroom, which is about competitive ballroom dancing (and hence I find it incredibly relatable as a fursuit dancer), which relates wonderfully to this situation. Unfortunately, I do not have the particular volume with me at the moment, so I attempt to paraphrase -- it goes something like: "In reality, with dance, there is no such thing as 'better' or 'worse,' but for the sake of competition, we assign numerical values and hence presume to judge dance." With this in mind, it could easily be true that there is really no one "right answer" for how fursuit dance competitions should ideally be run. However, I think it is critical to keep in mind that, first and foremost, the primary goal of a fursuit dance competition should be to create a fun experience for everyone involved.
To kick off on a positive note, I’m happy that dance competition auditions have the dancers perform their choreography for their auditions. In the case of MFF, this year, they are making the switch from freestyle auditions (which, from my understanding, often had a group of fursuiters audition all at once to the same randomly-selected song to expedite the process of judging dozens of applicants) to having each dancer perform one minute of the (presumably, but not necessarily, choreographed) routine they plan to dance for in the finals. From a saving-time standpoint, especially for huge conventions like MFF, the freestyle audition method certainly helped, but on the other hand, it never made sense to me for people to audition with freestyle if they were going to perform with a (again, presumably, but not necessarily) choreographed dance in the finals. Ultimately, this was probably the result of a careful cost-benefit analysis to which the answer changed over time; in the past, dance competition organizers and judges determined it would be more beneficial to be able to run auditions for massive groups of people all at once with the relatively insignificant trade-off of judging a dancer's freestyle skill rather than what was often a well-prepared choreographed piece. Now, as the mentality around dance competitions has changed, they decide that accurately judging a dancer's experience and skill level is still possible to balance with a procedure that is somewhat more time-consuming, but less so than the full-choreography auditions conducted at smaller conventions.
However, I’m still skeptical about getting rid of the Novice and Veteran categories. This can be seen as a way to maximize the skill level, and hence the entertainment factor, of the pool of dancers who are selected for the final competition, but I’m also always worried about the less experienced dancers who may not be at a level to compete in the same division as seasoned veterans yet. It makes me feel better when there are separate divisions for that reason, because I know dancers at all experience and skill levels will have a shot at making the finals due to participating within their respective divisions. I’ve gotten a bad rap for mentioning this on Twitter last time the issue arose, since the audience (typically composed of a large number of attendees with little to no dance -- let alone fursuit dance -- experience) really enjoys seeing the best the fandom has to offer, but seeing that (in my opinion) fun is one of the most important aspects of fursuit dance competitions — that’s why everyone’s dancing in big fuzzy adorable animal costumes! — I feel like it would be unfair to turn bigger competitions into hyper-competitive environments that only really cater to people who have the time and experience to pack years and years into fitting themselves into the often narrow box that the fandom wholly describes as “good” dancing.
For example, I'm a college student. I have classes to attend in order to graduate, so I can only realistically attend conventions that fall over a school break, such as a long weekend or perhaps even summer vacation. However, these days I attend furry conventions first and foremost for the purpose specifically of participating in the fursuit dance competition. I have the (arguably, depending on how you look at it) good fortune of living in the Pacific Northwest, where the extant conventions are all fairly small; likewise, their dance competitions do not typically have enough entrants to warrant making cuts between preliminary rounds (if there is one) and the finals. As a result, despite the fact that I have NEVER to this day made it into the finals of any fursuit dance competition where preliminary round cuts were made (i.e. Rainfurrest 2014 and FC 2017), I have been lucky enough to be able to participate in many dance competitions over the past couple of years, and I have even placed in the top 3 fairly frequently. (Excitingly, this past summer at Furlandia, I placed first in a dance competition for the first time ever!!) So, while I still very much consider myself a newbie to fursuit dance (primarily due to my lack of self-confidence, as I've been dancing for roughly four years now), I have a wealth of opportunities to get on stage without too much stress available for me.
Imagine if I was a furry who lived on the east coast, and my schedule just so worked out that I could only attend one convention every year, and that convention turned out to be MFF. If I wanted to "break into" the fursuit dance scene, so to speak, I would be very concerned about my only real opportunity to experience performing on stage in front of an audience being a large convention with a highly competitive dance competition where I am judged against extremely experienced dancers who have been in finals countless times rather than solely those around my same skill level. I wouldn't be a lucky furry who had the spare time and money to travel to other conventions and gain experience at smaller conventions or those with novice divisions where I might actually stand a ghost of a chance at making it into the finals, and hence it would be very difficult for me to find any enjoyment in the in-person aspect of fursuit dance (beyond, for example, chatting online, or sharing videos to YouTube).
So, in my opinion, when attempting to judge how to make a dance competition "better" -- for instance, by removing the Novice and Veteran categories -- it is important to consider what aspect of the competition exactly you are improving and how that will affect your audience as well as the dancers who audition.
That being said, it is also important to consider that, within the furry fandom and even outside of it, the subjectivity of what can be considered "good" dance cannot possibly be overstated. Anyone who looks can find a general set of tendencies or consensus within the fursuit dance scene about what defines a "good" dancer, thus dictating where a fursuit dancer should focus their practice in order to maximize their odds at surviving preliminary cuts in a dance competition, or even placing in the finals. To summarize, from my experience, this image of an "ideal" dance tends to have a considerable emphasis on technicality, with occasional, but not often noticeable, inclusion of other aspects such as emotional expression, composition, and even pure fun. However, ask any other fursuit dancer or even audience member, and perhaps they will judge the importance of the many aspects of dance differently. For example, for me personally, dance is all about feeling. Both when I am dancing myself and when I am watching or even judging dance, performances that tend to leave a deep, lasting impression on me are those that both evoke an emotional response when I watch it, and where I can tell that the dancer was, likewise, feeling some sort of essence (be it an emotion or concept) as they were performing. I think it is extremely important to consider the interaction between the dancer and the audience, and the difference between dancing for a camera, or alone in your living room, versus for a live audience -- I put much less value in a mere recitation of movement vocabulary, or what others would consider impressive technical moves. But, as I've said, that's just me. Every dancer and audience member is going to have a different opinion.
Overall, the point I want to bring to the forefront with writing this journal is this: fursuit dance is a constantly changing aspect of the furry fandom that has hugely increased in popularity since its introduction with the first fursuit dance competition years ago, and hence a serious reconsideration of how fursuit dance competitions are run to cater to dancers as well as audiences is crucial. I believe it is important to step back from trying to have the "best" fursuit dance competition, and re-examine dance as an art form, a mode of expression, in addition to a fun way to meet like-minded furries as well as show off for an audience. When too much emphasis is put on conducting preliminary rounds purely with the intent of filtering out the dancers in the fandom who fit the highly artificial and often unnecessarily narrow definition of what is "best," the artistry and individuality of dance is lost, and both the audience and the dancers lose the opportunity to witness the many complex facets and interpretation of dance and what it means to the individual who performs it as well as the audience who experiences it. I fear that this mentality pervading the operation of dance competitions will further integrate the echoes of elitist attitudes I have started to see hidden in the corners of the fursuit dance scene that often sneak to the forefront, only to return to the shadows with little fanfare. I have experienced the fursuit dance side of the fandom largely (but not exclusively) as a very open, supportive and friendly environment that I can utilize to build my creative capacity while also witnessing impressive works of art in a much more easily accessible manner than, for example, paying to attend a dance class -- and, not to mention, I have made so many friends and good acquaintances with whom I can surround myself to further improve the welcoming atmosphere of fursuit dance, and, along with it, the furry fandom as a whole.
I think there is a passage from the manga Welcome to the Ballroom, which is about competitive ballroom dancing (and hence I find it incredibly relatable as a fursuit dancer), which relates wonderfully to this situation. Unfortunately, I do not have the particular volume with me at the moment, so I attempt to paraphrase -- it goes something like: "In reality, with dance, there is no such thing as 'better' or 'worse,' but for the sake of competition, we assign numerical values and hence presume to judge dance." With this in mind, it could easily be true that there is really no one "right answer" for how fursuit dance competitions should ideally be run. However, I think it is critical to keep in mind that, first and foremost, the primary goal of a fursuit dance competition should be to create a fun experience for everyone involved.
Wrapping up FurDU!
General | Posted 7 years agoI went straight from my semester in the Australian rainforest to Surfers Paradise for the ninth annual Furry Down Under convention! It was an amazing experience after going 3 months without so much as seeing a fursuit, with limited internet access, and a space no wider than my armspan to practice dancing in! Overall, it was a great con.
As usual, I attended primarily for the dance events but also to get my fuzzy fix after being separated from my own fursuits and furry friends for so long. FurSTep, FurDU’s version of Floor Wars, was on Friday night, and the dance competition was Sunday night after the closing ceremonies.
Unfortunately the details of these events are closely intertwined with my one and only complaint about the con (aside from, probably as a result of its 18+ rating, the unsolicited views of art depicting visible genitals), which was the lack of consistent and effective communication and organization. This started in January when I was preparing to go abroad; knowing that I wouldn’t have great Internet access, I e-mailed the con asking if I could sign up and submit my music for the dance competition early. The response was that FurDU would not be hosting a dance comp this year. Darn!
Of course, I figured I should check the website and social media occasionally just in case. Sure enough, in February, hidden at the bottom of a longer post about the Dealers Den was one line of “Stay tuned for more information on the dance comp.” That was when I started checking the website, Facebook and Twitter as much as possible given my situation, which turned out to be about once a day. All throughout March, I didn’t hear another peep, and was starting to worry about whether the competition was even going to be organized on time. Then suddenly, in April, there’s a post that signups are now full and will close.
So apparently the several posts they made about dance comp signups opening didn’t show up for me, and I know at least one or two other people who had similar problems. So that was a shame. But I went ahead and signed up for the waitlist, and ended up getting into the final competition (no prelims here). Very forunately, the post about FurSTep signups did show up for me, so I signed up for the nonsuit division, figuring I didn’t want to bother whoever lent me a fursuit for the dance comp too much.
Fast forward to Friday night, and I’m told I’m going to be thrown in with the seven other fursuiters who signed up to make an even bracket of eight for the tournament. I had my qualms about this from the beginning ... when is it ever fair for a nonsuiter to compete against someone basically wearing a full-body carpet?! I did end up winning, but not exactly happily due to my unfair advantage, so despite how long I’ve gone wanting to win my first dance competition, I’d say it doesn’t count.
Watching the other dancers in the dance competition on Sunday night was great, and getting to peform was great, but I was not a fan of the rushed aspect. Apparently the charity auction that occurs right beforehand always goes overtime, but the organizers should plan accordingly to properly accomodate the participants as well as the audience. The whole thing felt very rushed, with no introduction or commentary on the dancers aside from their name. (Also I didn’t like that we weren’t told what order we were going in, since it meant I had to keep my head on in case I was next. I ended up being last, but perhaps that was ameliorated by the fact that the competition went so fast.)
Despite my paragraphs of complaints, I promise that’s just me blowing my concerns out of proportion. The convention as a whole was a wonderful experience. Given that I can afford it, I am excited to return next year as a FurSTep judge!
Special thanks again to
Aussiedragon who lent me his adorable fox fursuit, Citrus for the fursuit walk/parade and the dance competition. Getting to perform as Citrus was such a treat!
I should also mention that the Thursday before con was my 21st birthday, so FurDU was an extra special birthday con!
All righty, I’m off to explore Sydney for a few days before I return to the U.S. on Saturday and conclude my hiatus. I have lots of exciting costume and performance things planned for when I get back, so stay tuned!
As usual, I attended primarily for the dance events but also to get my fuzzy fix after being separated from my own fursuits and furry friends for so long. FurSTep, FurDU’s version of Floor Wars, was on Friday night, and the dance competition was Sunday night after the closing ceremonies.
Unfortunately the details of these events are closely intertwined with my one and only complaint about the con (aside from, probably as a result of its 18+ rating, the unsolicited views of art depicting visible genitals), which was the lack of consistent and effective communication and organization. This started in January when I was preparing to go abroad; knowing that I wouldn’t have great Internet access, I e-mailed the con asking if I could sign up and submit my music for the dance competition early. The response was that FurDU would not be hosting a dance comp this year. Darn!
Of course, I figured I should check the website and social media occasionally just in case. Sure enough, in February, hidden at the bottom of a longer post about the Dealers Den was one line of “Stay tuned for more information on the dance comp.” That was when I started checking the website, Facebook and Twitter as much as possible given my situation, which turned out to be about once a day. All throughout March, I didn’t hear another peep, and was starting to worry about whether the competition was even going to be organized on time. Then suddenly, in April, there’s a post that signups are now full and will close.
So apparently the several posts they made about dance comp signups opening didn’t show up for me, and I know at least one or two other people who had similar problems. So that was a shame. But I went ahead and signed up for the waitlist, and ended up getting into the final competition (no prelims here). Very forunately, the post about FurSTep signups did show up for me, so I signed up for the nonsuit division, figuring I didn’t want to bother whoever lent me a fursuit for the dance comp too much.
Fast forward to Friday night, and I’m told I’m going to be thrown in with the seven other fursuiters who signed up to make an even bracket of eight for the tournament. I had my qualms about this from the beginning ... when is it ever fair for a nonsuiter to compete against someone basically wearing a full-body carpet?! I did end up winning, but not exactly happily due to my unfair advantage, so despite how long I’ve gone wanting to win my first dance competition, I’d say it doesn’t count.
Watching the other dancers in the dance competition on Sunday night was great, and getting to peform was great, but I was not a fan of the rushed aspect. Apparently the charity auction that occurs right beforehand always goes overtime, but the organizers should plan accordingly to properly accomodate the participants as well as the audience. The whole thing felt very rushed, with no introduction or commentary on the dancers aside from their name. (Also I didn’t like that we weren’t told what order we were going in, since it meant I had to keep my head on in case I was next. I ended up being last, but perhaps that was ameliorated by the fact that the competition went so fast.)
Despite my paragraphs of complaints, I promise that’s just me blowing my concerns out of proportion. The convention as a whole was a wonderful experience. Given that I can afford it, I am excited to return next year as a FurSTep judge!
Special thanks again to
Aussiedragon who lent me his adorable fox fursuit, Citrus for the fursuit walk/parade and the dance competition. Getting to perform as Citrus was such a treat!I should also mention that the Thursday before con was my 21st birthday, so FurDU was an extra special birthday con!
All righty, I’m off to explore Sydney for a few days before I return to the U.S. on Saturday and conclude my hiatus. I have lots of exciting costume and performance things planned for when I get back, so stay tuned!
Going to FurDU!
General | Posted 8 years agoFurDU 2018 isn't for another several months, but I just confirmed my travel and accommodations and can say for sure I will be attending FurDU in May 2018!
I live in the United States, but I'll be studying abroad in Australia for three months prior to the con, and it just so happens that the first day of the con is the very next day after my classes end -- in other words, I'll be there anyway, so literally why not!
I'm going to do my best to get my fursuit there on time and in good shape. I can't take it with me in my luggage (initially) since those three months I mentioned earlier will all be spent in the rainforest, where the humidity can easily damage many articles, including fursuits. So I'm going to try to basically mail it to myself so that it spends the smallest amount of time in the rainforest possible. Don't fail me now, surface freight!!
That being said, I'm crossing my feathers for being able to participate in the fursuit dance competition, but between that situation and my complete lack of reliable internet for all of those three months, I can't make any guarantees.
I'm hoping I can have an unforgettable time in a foreign country and make lots of new friends!
Last but not least, my birthday is on Thursday, May 3rd, 2018 - the first official day of the con -- so BIRTHDAY CON! YAY!
I live in the United States, but I'll be studying abroad in Australia for three months prior to the con, and it just so happens that the first day of the con is the very next day after my classes end -- in other words, I'll be there anyway, so literally why not!
I'm going to do my best to get my fursuit there on time and in good shape. I can't take it with me in my luggage (initially) since those three months I mentioned earlier will all be spent in the rainforest, where the humidity can easily damage many articles, including fursuits. So I'm going to try to basically mail it to myself so that it spends the smallest amount of time in the rainforest possible. Don't fail me now, surface freight!!
That being said, I'm crossing my feathers for being able to participate in the fursuit dance competition, but between that situation and my complete lack of reliable internet for all of those three months, I can't make any guarantees.
I'm hoping I can have an unforgettable time in a foreign country and make lots of new friends!
Last but not least, my birthday is on Thursday, May 3rd, 2018 - the first official day of the con -- so BIRTHDAY CON! YAY!
Yu Puffin's Dance Competitions!
General | Posted 8 years agoAs of October 2020, this list is now a continuously updated spreadsheet! https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet.....it?usp=sharing
Last updated: June 19, 2020
Inspired by Owen Shepard (
silverfangfluffball), here's a list of all of my costume performances and dance battles to date!
Click on the name of an event or round to watch the dance!
CONVENTIONAL DANCE COMPETITIONS
Rainfurrest 2013
Furlandia 2016 -- 3rd
Vancoufur 2017
Furlandia 2017 -- 2nd
Anthro Northwest 2017 -- 3rd
RAIn Holiday Party 2017 -- 1st
Furry Down Under (FurDU) 2018
Furlandia 2018 -- 1st
Alamo City Furry Invasion 2018 -- 1st
Anthro Northwest 2018
Furvana 2019 - 2nd
Down Home FurCon 2020 - 1st
Furry Weekend At-Home 2020
Dance competition appearances: 13
Dance competition placements: 8
Dance competition 1sts: 4
FLOOR WARS AND TOURNAMENTS
Vancoufur 2017 Floor Wars -- 2nd
ANW 2017 Pacific Rim Rumble Round 2 ("bye" to round 2)
ANW 2017 Pacific Rim Rumble Semifinals
ANW 2017 Pacific Rim Rumble Finals
ANW 2017 Pacific Rim Rumble Finals Tiebreaker -- 2nd
FurDU 2018 FurSTep -- 1st
ANW 2018 Pacific Rim Rumble Round 1
ANW 2018 Pacific Rim Rumble Quarterfinals
ANW 2018 Pacific Rim Rumble Semifinals -- eliminated
Floor Wars appearances: 4
Floor Wars placements: 3
Floor Wars 1sts: 1
FUR GROUNDS ONLINE DANCE TOURNAMENT (previously Kerfluffle)
Kerfluffle 3 Round 1
Kerfluffle 3 Round 2
Kerfluffle 3 Round 3
Kerfluffle 3 Quarterfinals
Kerfluffle 3 Semifinals
Kerfluffle 3 Finals -- 2nd
Kerfluffle 5 Round 1
Kerfluffle 5 Round 2 -- eliminated
Kerfluffle 6 Round 1 -- eliminated
Kerfluffle 7 Round 1
Kerfluffle 7 Round 2 -- eliminated
Kerfluffle 8 Round 1 -- eliminated
Fur Grounds 1 Round 1
Fur Grounds 1 Round 2
Fur Grounds 1 Quarterfinals -- eliminated
Fur Grounds 2 Round 1
Fur Grounds 2 Round 2 -- eliminated
Kerfluffle appearances: 7
Kerfluffle placements: 1
Kerfluffle 1sts: 0
COSPLAY EVENTS
Kumoricon 2014 Skit Contest -- 1st (Best Novice Skit)
Newcon PDX 2016/2017 Skit Contest
SakuraCon 2017 Skit Contest
Kobe-Kon 2017 Impromptu Lip Sync Battle
Kobe-Kon 2017 Skit Contest
Anime PDX 2017 Lip Sync Battle
KuroNekoCon 2018 Lip Sync Battle -- 1st
KuroNekoCon 2018 Cosplay Skit Contest
Kumoricon 2018 Cosplay Skit Contest
Kumoricon 2018 Cosplay Lip Sync Showdown
Kumoricon 2018 Cosplay Lip Sync Showdown -- Final Showdown -- 1st
Aki Con 2019 Cosplay Showdown -- 1st
Chibi Chibi Con 2019 Lip Sync Contest
Sakura-Con 2019 Cosplay Skit Contest
Anime Oasis 2019 Cosplay Challenge
Kumoricon 2019 Cosplay Skit Contest
Cosplay event appearances: 16
Cosplay event placements: 4
Cosplay event 1sts: 4
Total event appearances: 39
Total in-person appearances: 31
Total placements: 16
Total 1sts: 9
EVENTS JUDGED
Anime Oasis 2019 Cosplay Lip Sync Showdown
Kumoricon 2019 Cosplay Lip Sync Showdown
Anthro Northwest 2019 Fursuit Dance Competition
Anthro Northwest 2019 Pacific Rim Rumble
Last updated: June 19, 2020
Inspired by Owen Shepard (
silverfangfluffball), here's a list of all of my costume performances and dance battles to date!Click on the name of an event or round to watch the dance!
CONVENTIONAL DANCE COMPETITIONS
Rainfurrest 2013
Furlandia 2016 -- 3rd
Vancoufur 2017
Furlandia 2017 -- 2nd
Anthro Northwest 2017 -- 3rd
RAIn Holiday Party 2017 -- 1st
Furry Down Under (FurDU) 2018
Furlandia 2018 -- 1st
Alamo City Furry Invasion 2018 -- 1st
Anthro Northwest 2018
Furvana 2019 - 2nd
Down Home FurCon 2020 - 1st
Furry Weekend At-Home 2020
Dance competition appearances: 13
Dance competition placements: 8
Dance competition 1sts: 4
FLOOR WARS AND TOURNAMENTS
Vancoufur 2017 Floor Wars -- 2nd
ANW 2017 Pacific Rim Rumble Round 2 ("bye" to round 2)
ANW 2017 Pacific Rim Rumble Semifinals
ANW 2017 Pacific Rim Rumble Finals
ANW 2017 Pacific Rim Rumble Finals Tiebreaker -- 2nd
FurDU 2018 FurSTep -- 1st
ANW 2018 Pacific Rim Rumble Round 1
ANW 2018 Pacific Rim Rumble Quarterfinals
ANW 2018 Pacific Rim Rumble Semifinals -- eliminated
Floor Wars appearances: 4
Floor Wars placements: 3
Floor Wars 1sts: 1
FUR GROUNDS ONLINE DANCE TOURNAMENT (previously Kerfluffle)
Kerfluffle 3 Round 1
Kerfluffle 3 Round 2
Kerfluffle 3 Round 3
Kerfluffle 3 Quarterfinals
Kerfluffle 3 Semifinals
Kerfluffle 3 Finals -- 2nd
Kerfluffle 5 Round 1
Kerfluffle 5 Round 2 -- eliminated
Kerfluffle 6 Round 1 -- eliminated
Kerfluffle 7 Round 1
Kerfluffle 7 Round 2 -- eliminated
Kerfluffle 8 Round 1 -- eliminated
Fur Grounds 1 Round 1
Fur Grounds 1 Round 2
Fur Grounds 1 Quarterfinals -- eliminated
Fur Grounds 2 Round 1
Fur Grounds 2 Round 2 -- eliminated
Kerfluffle appearances: 7
Kerfluffle placements: 1
Kerfluffle 1sts: 0
COSPLAY EVENTS
Kumoricon 2014 Skit Contest -- 1st (Best Novice Skit)
Newcon PDX 2016/2017 Skit Contest
SakuraCon 2017 Skit Contest
Kobe-Kon 2017 Impromptu Lip Sync Battle
Kobe-Kon 2017 Skit Contest
Anime PDX 2017 Lip Sync Battle
KuroNekoCon 2018 Lip Sync Battle -- 1st
KuroNekoCon 2018 Cosplay Skit Contest
Kumoricon 2018 Cosplay Skit Contest
Kumoricon 2018 Cosplay Lip Sync Showdown
Kumoricon 2018 Cosplay Lip Sync Showdown -- Final Showdown -- 1st
Aki Con 2019 Cosplay Showdown -- 1st
Chibi Chibi Con 2019 Lip Sync Contest
Sakura-Con 2019 Cosplay Skit Contest
Anime Oasis 2019 Cosplay Challenge
Kumoricon 2019 Cosplay Skit Contest
Cosplay event appearances: 16
Cosplay event placements: 4
Cosplay event 1sts: 4
Total event appearances: 39
Total in-person appearances: 31
Total placements: 16
Total 1sts: 9
EVENTS JUDGED
Anime Oasis 2019 Cosplay Lip Sync Showdown
Kumoricon 2019 Cosplay Lip Sync Showdown
Anthro Northwest 2019 Fursuit Dance Competition
Anthro Northwest 2019 Pacific Rim Rumble
Anthro Northwest 2017 Con Report
General | Posted 8 years agoHey, all! It's been a little while since I wrote a full report on a convention, but I feel the need to outline all of the great stuff that happened at Anthro Northwest this past weekend so that anyone who was on the fence about attending can be convinced not to miss it next year, so here we go! XD
I arrived on Friday morning at about 9:00 so I had time to pick up my badge before opening ceremonies, and lo and behold, my hotel room was all set for me despite check-in not being until 3:00, so that made moving all of my luggage up to my room easy and convenient! There was no line at registration, either, so I had some time to wander around and scout out the space (as Dynamite, who miraculously made it back to Seattle with me after all due to clever carry-on luggage arrangement by yours truly) before the opening ceremonies started. They were very brief, but that didn't mean they didn't pump me up for the rest of the weekend!
I think I chilled in the convention space for a little while after that before the next panel I attended, which was on designing an anthropomorphic character. The panelist introduced us to a neat website called Coolors (https://coolors.co/) that helps you come up with color schemes! I really appreciated this, as a puffin whose brain doesn't understand colors very well (which is why I rarely do traditional art, and when I do, it's with simple Crayola colored pencils -- I've used Copics and Prismacolor pencils before, but I had to downgrade because blending and layering so many color options didn't make sense to my brain). We also got neat ref sheet bases to cut out and paste together to make our own ref sheets in case we had a character idea we wanted to take to the Dealers' Den and get some art commissioned!
After that was a quick lunch, and then it was time to change into Gundahar, because the rest of the day was dancing panels and events that I didn't want to miss! The first was a Dancing in Suit Workshop with the wonderful
wolflumin, who was present continually throughout my convention weekend (as you'll read later), where we took some time to groove in suit, think about the advantages and limitations of our particular costume and share with the rest of the group.
There was a break in dance panels after that, so I used that time to check out the Dealers' Den for some window shopping. Then I had to arrange room access and things with my roommates, so I ended up having to skip most of Rinn's Finding Your Groove panel, aside from a random 10 minutes in the middle, which had me dashing in and out like a crazy iguana. Next was
Hogwash-Husky's "Dance Comp Gone Mental," which was a very helpful and encouraging talk about how even the most confident-looking dancers get jittery about performing in front of people, and how everyone who has ever performed in a dance competition (or wanted to) can conquer those jitters and take that hardest first step out onto the dance floor. It was very well-timed, because the next event in that room was the dance competition preliminaries!! which had my stomach upset for an entire two days beforehand due to nerves. (Hence why I always make sure to sign up for the first slot... minimizing stomach upset time!) But it was over quickly and the prelim judges Rinn and 
PhorPhaux gave me helpful tips to work on my performance for the following day. As it turned out, I didn't have much reason to be anxious, since there were 10 no-shows to the preliminaries (including one of my younger friends, who had to drop out due to anxiety, :c ), and the remaining 11 dancers were composed of the peeps who either did show up or signed up to perform at the door. That nervousness sure is no fun, isn't it? I wish I could make it go away by waving a magic wand or absorbing some stage fright like a sponge (since I typically don't get anyway), but I can't so... hopefully next time! ;u;
I was going to attend another dancing panel later in the evening, but I ended up going to sushi with some friends, which was okay because I needed to save my energy for the finals the following day XD
The first panel I wanted to attend wasn't until 11:30,and I'm an early bird who wakes up no later than 7:00 or 7:30 even on my most tired days because my sleeping schedule is hardwired into my brain, so I spent about an hour and a half in the morning finding a relatively empty space to go over my routine in suit, clean it up, and take breathers by talking to friends who happened to pass by. I mostly focused on the 20-second breakdancing section in the middle, because that was the part I flubbed up the most at the preliminaries. Overall I think I probably went over it 20-25 times, and I didn't quit until I followed the rule I learned in orchestra and other activities in junior high school: you can only be confident that you'll do it right later if you can do it correctly now 3 times in a row!
After a quick shower (so I wasn't stinky already!!) I attended
apoxon's AMAZINGLY helpful handpaw design and construction panel. I'm not terrified to make Lobo's hands anymore! XD
Then lunch (a cheeseless pizza and half of a milkshake between my sensitive stomach and inability to eat large quantities) before I headed to the main ballroom for the dance competition pre-meeting. The excitement was real!! I made sure to check out the dance floor, mark my routine, and talk with and encourage all of the other dancers who were there.
There were a good number of first-time performers, and everyone did an amazing job. It was a treat to watch everyone and share the floor with them. Two of my dancers who have been my favorites since my first dance comp back at Rainfurrest 2013,
Rahne and 
Zoomba, were also present, and they won hard-earned 2nd and 1st places, respectively, which was awesome to witness! As a result, it was a bit surreal getting 3rd place right behind them. The honorable mentions (Libby the Lynx, Splinter, and Glacier) were also well-deserved. You know me, though -- if I could, I'd give an honorable mention to everyone who performed!
Needless to say, after that I was pretty sore and tired, but it wasn't the end of the day yet. I still had the fursuit parade to attend, which was a job for none other than my fursona, Yu!
By the end of that it really was time to shower and get dinner to be on time for hanging out (as Dynamite) with Rinn for a quick video project and then attending the evening dance! Unfortunately I couldn't stay long (due to aforementioned soreness and tiredness), but I still had fun, of course!
Since I had to check out of the hotel on Sunday, I spent most of the morning packing up the room so that I had everything I needed for the rest of the day (especially since I had to be in suit). I attended
Matrices's Costume Maintenance and Refurbishing panel. On top of the numerous helpful tutorials on her website, it's useful to watch her demonstrate techniques in person to keep your costume looking like new even after a fun outing! (Unless you're me and you destroy it by dancing in it almost constantly XD ) I did unfortunately have to duck out a few minutes early to make it to the pre-meeting to the Pacific Rim Dance Battle.
I decided to sit by the dance floor with my head on until my first dance round because I didn't realize it would be almost an entire hour until I got to take the stage -- I was just about ready to head backstage and de-head. But once again I had fun watching and hanging out with all of the other dancers, who once again all performed phenomenally. It was an honor to win runner-up in my first in-person floor wars against more than 2 opponents, and it was certainly not easy either. The disadvantage to getting farther in the competition is that you have to dance more and with progressively shorter breaks in between - the effects of which you may have seen right after my dance rounds XD After an intense tie-breaker, first place went to
SiberHamster, who displayed excellent attitude and cleanliness even though he was also doubtlessly very, very tired (as his costume expressed).
That was my last big event planned for the day, aside from Closing Ceremonies, which was a heartfelt and very nice wrap-up to what was probably the best convention I've ever attended. (But that didn't mean I skipped out on last-minute shopping at the Dealers' Den and quick hangout sessions with more friends beforehand!)
Of course I was sad the con had to come to a close, but I was so exhausted and sore from all of the dancing I did that I don't think I would have survived another day even if I wanted to.
Extra special thanks to my room- and floor-space sharers (i.e. roommates) Errubin and
Kevlar01 for being chill and friendly and making it an even better convention! 10/10 would recommend.
My overall impression of the convention may not be that reliable since I tend not to be a very critical person, and I'm pretty laid-back/chill/okay with a lot of stuff. But I thought the atmosphere was very nice, friendly, and relaxing, and I am very glad I did not have to miss it in the end. If at all possible (i.e. if senior year exams don't conflict) I will definitely be making the effort to attend again next year!
I arrived on Friday morning at about 9:00 so I had time to pick up my badge before opening ceremonies, and lo and behold, my hotel room was all set for me despite check-in not being until 3:00, so that made moving all of my luggage up to my room easy and convenient! There was no line at registration, either, so I had some time to wander around and scout out the space (as Dynamite, who miraculously made it back to Seattle with me after all due to clever carry-on luggage arrangement by yours truly) before the opening ceremonies started. They were very brief, but that didn't mean they didn't pump me up for the rest of the weekend!
I think I chilled in the convention space for a little while after that before the next panel I attended, which was on designing an anthropomorphic character. The panelist introduced us to a neat website called Coolors (https://coolors.co/) that helps you come up with color schemes! I really appreciated this, as a puffin whose brain doesn't understand colors very well (which is why I rarely do traditional art, and when I do, it's with simple Crayola colored pencils -- I've used Copics and Prismacolor pencils before, but I had to downgrade because blending and layering so many color options didn't make sense to my brain). We also got neat ref sheet bases to cut out and paste together to make our own ref sheets in case we had a character idea we wanted to take to the Dealers' Den and get some art commissioned!
After that was a quick lunch, and then it was time to change into Gundahar, because the rest of the day was dancing panels and events that I didn't want to miss! The first was a Dancing in Suit Workshop with the wonderful
wolflumin, who was present continually throughout my convention weekend (as you'll read later), where we took some time to groove in suit, think about the advantages and limitations of our particular costume and share with the rest of the group.There was a break in dance panels after that, so I used that time to check out the Dealers' Den for some window shopping. Then I had to arrange room access and things with my roommates, so I ended up having to skip most of Rinn's Finding Your Groove panel, aside from a random 10 minutes in the middle, which had me dashing in and out like a crazy iguana. Next was
Hogwash-Husky's "Dance Comp Gone Mental," which was a very helpful and encouraging talk about how even the most confident-looking dancers get jittery about performing in front of people, and how everyone who has ever performed in a dance competition (or wanted to) can conquer those jitters and take that hardest first step out onto the dance floor. It was very well-timed, because the next event in that room was the dance competition preliminaries!! which had my stomach upset for an entire two days beforehand due to nerves. (Hence why I always make sure to sign up for the first slot... minimizing stomach upset time!) But it was over quickly and the prelim judges Rinn and 
PhorPhaux gave me helpful tips to work on my performance for the following day. As it turned out, I didn't have much reason to be anxious, since there were 10 no-shows to the preliminaries (including one of my younger friends, who had to drop out due to anxiety, :c ), and the remaining 11 dancers were composed of the peeps who either did show up or signed up to perform at the door. That nervousness sure is no fun, isn't it? I wish I could make it go away by waving a magic wand or absorbing some stage fright like a sponge (since I typically don't get anyway), but I can't so... hopefully next time! ;u;I was going to attend another dancing panel later in the evening, but I ended up going to sushi with some friends, which was okay because I needed to save my energy for the finals the following day XD
The first panel I wanted to attend wasn't until 11:30,and I'm an early bird who wakes up no later than 7:00 or 7:30 even on my most tired days because my sleeping schedule is hardwired into my brain, so I spent about an hour and a half in the morning finding a relatively empty space to go over my routine in suit, clean it up, and take breathers by talking to friends who happened to pass by. I mostly focused on the 20-second breakdancing section in the middle, because that was the part I flubbed up the most at the preliminaries. Overall I think I probably went over it 20-25 times, and I didn't quit until I followed the rule I learned in orchestra and other activities in junior high school: you can only be confident that you'll do it right later if you can do it correctly now 3 times in a row!
After a quick shower (so I wasn't stinky already!!) I attended
apoxon's AMAZINGLY helpful handpaw design and construction panel. I'm not terrified to make Lobo's hands anymore! XDThen lunch (a cheeseless pizza and half of a milkshake between my sensitive stomach and inability to eat large quantities) before I headed to the main ballroom for the dance competition pre-meeting. The excitement was real!! I made sure to check out the dance floor, mark my routine, and talk with and encourage all of the other dancers who were there.
There were a good number of first-time performers, and everyone did an amazing job. It was a treat to watch everyone and share the floor with them. Two of my dancers who have been my favorites since my first dance comp back at Rainfurrest 2013,
Rahne and 
Zoomba, were also present, and they won hard-earned 2nd and 1st places, respectively, which was awesome to witness! As a result, it was a bit surreal getting 3rd place right behind them. The honorable mentions (Libby the Lynx, Splinter, and Glacier) were also well-deserved. You know me, though -- if I could, I'd give an honorable mention to everyone who performed!Needless to say, after that I was pretty sore and tired, but it wasn't the end of the day yet. I still had the fursuit parade to attend, which was a job for none other than my fursona, Yu!
By the end of that it really was time to shower and get dinner to be on time for hanging out (as Dynamite) with Rinn for a quick video project and then attending the evening dance! Unfortunately I couldn't stay long (due to aforementioned soreness and tiredness), but I still had fun, of course!
Since I had to check out of the hotel on Sunday, I spent most of the morning packing up the room so that I had everything I needed for the rest of the day (especially since I had to be in suit). I attended
Matrices's Costume Maintenance and Refurbishing panel. On top of the numerous helpful tutorials on her website, it's useful to watch her demonstrate techniques in person to keep your costume looking like new even after a fun outing! (Unless you're me and you destroy it by dancing in it almost constantly XD ) I did unfortunately have to duck out a few minutes early to make it to the pre-meeting to the Pacific Rim Dance Battle.I decided to sit by the dance floor with my head on until my first dance round because I didn't realize it would be almost an entire hour until I got to take the stage -- I was just about ready to head backstage and de-head. But once again I had fun watching and hanging out with all of the other dancers, who once again all performed phenomenally. It was an honor to win runner-up in my first in-person floor wars against more than 2 opponents, and it was certainly not easy either. The disadvantage to getting farther in the competition is that you have to dance more and with progressively shorter breaks in between - the effects of which you may have seen right after my dance rounds XD After an intense tie-breaker, first place went to
SiberHamster, who displayed excellent attitude and cleanliness even though he was also doubtlessly very, very tired (as his costume expressed).That was my last big event planned for the day, aside from Closing Ceremonies, which was a heartfelt and very nice wrap-up to what was probably the best convention I've ever attended. (But that didn't mean I skipped out on last-minute shopping at the Dealers' Den and quick hangout sessions with more friends beforehand!)
Of course I was sad the con had to come to a close, but I was so exhausted and sore from all of the dancing I did that I don't think I would have survived another day even if I wanted to.
Extra special thanks to my room- and floor-space sharers (i.e. roommates) Errubin and
Kevlar01 for being chill and friendly and making it an even better convention! 10/10 would recommend.My overall impression of the convention may not be that reliable since I tend not to be a very critical person, and I'm pretty laid-back/chill/okay with a lot of stuff. But I thought the atmosphere was very nice, friendly, and relaxing, and I am very glad I did not have to miss it in the end. If at all possible (i.e. if senior year exams don't conflict) I will definitely be making the effort to attend again next year!
Why Being a Twin in the Fandom is Hard(er than it should be)
General | Posted 8 years agoI'll preface this journal with the warning that this won't be the happy-go-lucky spread of positive energy I usually focus on, because I'm hoping other furs can learn from my experiences and think critically about what kind of experience they want from the fandom, with the end result being that the furry fandom is a happier and more fun and welcoming place for everyone.
As you may know (and if you didn't, you do now), I am an identical twin. Throughout most of life this has had its ups and downs. I assumed it would be different when I stepped into the furry fandom several years ago, but I wasn't really sure what I was expecting. I guess I was hoping this would be the place where I could finally start being my own individual person and developing my own separate personality and lifestyle and everything. You can probably guess by the fact that I'm writing this that this isn't really what happened.
As you may know, (and if you didn't, you do now), I LOVE fursuit dancing. I first tried it in 2013 at Rainfurrest, because that was the last year they were going to not have preliminaries (i.e. everyone who tried out would get in) and I had seen some dance comp videos on Youtube before, so I thought, why the heck not?! And I had a blast. I haven't been able to quit since then (despite multiple attempts due to reasons that will be addressed later in this journal) - I love being on the stage and being the center of attention (exclusively when I'm on stage, I might add), I love getting to show off my character and my favorite music, and I love bringing my character to life for 120 seconds. It's a magical experience to perform as well as to watch.
Here's the catch: my twin has won 1st place at three different dance competitions. I've won a 2nd place at one, and a 3rd place at another, but never a 1st.
So you're probably asking: Hey Yu! You said you love fursuit dancing, so why do you care about who places?
And your answer is: I don't. Myself, I couldn't care less about random numbers the judges assign. Heck, I more often than not disagree with the judges, and my favorite dancer(s) in the group will be not one who did the cleanest tutting and popping and what have you, but the one who did something a little different from the rest, or the one who showed some personality that the other dancers didn't necessarily have. I like forming my own opinions about the dances and encouraging my favorites who, on the inside, might be at least a little bummed that they didn't place.
But apparently I'm one of the few who think this.
There are a select few people I regularly talk to who are genuinely supportive of my dancing as an individual, but unfortunately as it stands the furry fandom as a whole is still very much a popularity contest where your worth as a person is defined by arbitrarily-assigned numbers; there's a worryingly large number of furs who put far too much weight on dance competition placements. There are competitive dancer furs out there who would probably kill just to win 1st in a dance comp once, let alone three times. Stack this on top of people assuming identical twin = identical dancing = identical dance comp placements, and in my case, you get a recipe for disaster.
It wouldn't bug me so much if it was just a few people. At least nowadays, I don't believe I'm the type of person to give up doing something I love just because one or two voices telling me there's something about it they don't like. However, it's not just a few people. It's a lot - to the point where, when I go to a convention or meetup, "I hope nobody asks me 'so, have you won a dance comp yet?'" is a legitimate worry, and something along those lines invariably happens at least once at every outing. From people I thought were friendly furs with common interests trying to strike up a conversation about dancing, only to promptly turn around and leave without another word once I answered "none" to "how many dance comps have you won?," to people shouting "That dance comp was rigged!!" or "I totally called that win!!" when I am clearly standing right there and I am not the person who won (hint: it's my twin), I get all variations of the above you can possibly imagine. It's like, thanks, I really needed to hear that you thought I was a visibly worse dancer....
In case I wasn't clear, the general expectation seems to be that My twin has won a given number of dance competitions, therefore I should have won an equal number of dance competitions, or else I'm a bad dancer who isn't living up to expectations.
As you can imagine, it's really discouraging and not fun. Especially with the sheer number of people who behave this way.
There was actually one recent event I attended where I decided to wear Dynamite instead of Yu. Despite me announcing ahead of time that I would be fursuiting as Dynamite, I actually got a few compliments on the random moves I busted while I was hanging around at the event because people didn't know it was me (since they didn't recognize the fursuit). It was good. But as soon as they know it's me (which is unfortunately a lot of people), it's back to the whole "When are you going to start winning dance comps too?" spiel.
The scale of the issue can be hard to imagine when you're not the one experiencing it. From what I can tell, being a twin in the fandom is a pretty rare thing, and an identical twin even rarer.
My main goal here is to make other furs aware that this is a thing that happens. A lot of people in the fandom have this mindset, and I'm not even sure it's intentional -- which doesn't make it better, since a) that makes it harder to change, and b) people will say hurtful things (as in the above examples) without even realizing that they could potentially be hurtful because they perpetuate the erroneous stereotype that twins have to basically be perfect copies of each other, and if they aren't, it's because the one that performs less well is defective somehow.
If you've read this far, I ask that you really think about your experience in this fandom and how you interact with other members. Do you put more time or effort into interacting with someone if their numerical accomplishments (dance comp wins, Youtube subscribers, etc.) are higher? Do you pay more attention to trends on social media involving furs with more followers? If so, I invite you to reconsider, and to pay more attention to the individual behind the account or behind the fursuit. Don't base their worth on some arbitrarily-assigned number. Maybe they only have a few Youtube subscribers, but you like a lot of the same video games. Maybe they're a dancer who's feeling discouraged because they can't tut or pop, but something about their movements just makes you feel a lot of emotion. I encourage you to reach out to and encourage other furs simply for being individuals, not just for having certain numbers attached.
If you didn't answer "yes" to either of the above questions, great! Keep doing what you're doing. The fandom needs more people like you and it's only because of people like you that I'm still dancing.
As you may know (and if you didn't, you do now), I am an identical twin. Throughout most of life this has had its ups and downs. I assumed it would be different when I stepped into the furry fandom several years ago, but I wasn't really sure what I was expecting. I guess I was hoping this would be the place where I could finally start being my own individual person and developing my own separate personality and lifestyle and everything. You can probably guess by the fact that I'm writing this that this isn't really what happened.
As you may know, (and if you didn't, you do now), I LOVE fursuit dancing. I first tried it in 2013 at Rainfurrest, because that was the last year they were going to not have preliminaries (i.e. everyone who tried out would get in) and I had seen some dance comp videos on Youtube before, so I thought, why the heck not?! And I had a blast. I haven't been able to quit since then (despite multiple attempts due to reasons that will be addressed later in this journal) - I love being on the stage and being the center of attention (exclusively when I'm on stage, I might add), I love getting to show off my character and my favorite music, and I love bringing my character to life for 120 seconds. It's a magical experience to perform as well as to watch.
Here's the catch: my twin has won 1st place at three different dance competitions. I've won a 2nd place at one, and a 3rd place at another, but never a 1st.
So you're probably asking: Hey Yu! You said you love fursuit dancing, so why do you care about who places?
And your answer is: I don't. Myself, I couldn't care less about random numbers the judges assign. Heck, I more often than not disagree with the judges, and my favorite dancer(s) in the group will be not one who did the cleanest tutting and popping and what have you, but the one who did something a little different from the rest, or the one who showed some personality that the other dancers didn't necessarily have. I like forming my own opinions about the dances and encouraging my favorites who, on the inside, might be at least a little bummed that they didn't place.
But apparently I'm one of the few who think this.
There are a select few people I regularly talk to who are genuinely supportive of my dancing as an individual, but unfortunately as it stands the furry fandom as a whole is still very much a popularity contest where your worth as a person is defined by arbitrarily-assigned numbers; there's a worryingly large number of furs who put far too much weight on dance competition placements. There are competitive dancer furs out there who would probably kill just to win 1st in a dance comp once, let alone three times. Stack this on top of people assuming identical twin = identical dancing = identical dance comp placements, and in my case, you get a recipe for disaster.
It wouldn't bug me so much if it was just a few people. At least nowadays, I don't believe I'm the type of person to give up doing something I love just because one or two voices telling me there's something about it they don't like. However, it's not just a few people. It's a lot - to the point where, when I go to a convention or meetup, "I hope nobody asks me 'so, have you won a dance comp yet?'" is a legitimate worry, and something along those lines invariably happens at least once at every outing. From people I thought were friendly furs with common interests trying to strike up a conversation about dancing, only to promptly turn around and leave without another word once I answered "none" to "how many dance comps have you won?," to people shouting "That dance comp was rigged!!" or "I totally called that win!!" when I am clearly standing right there and I am not the person who won (hint: it's my twin), I get all variations of the above you can possibly imagine. It's like, thanks, I really needed to hear that you thought I was a visibly worse dancer....
In case I wasn't clear, the general expectation seems to be that My twin has won a given number of dance competitions, therefore I should have won an equal number of dance competitions, or else I'm a bad dancer who isn't living up to expectations.
As you can imagine, it's really discouraging and not fun. Especially with the sheer number of people who behave this way.
There was actually one recent event I attended where I decided to wear Dynamite instead of Yu. Despite me announcing ahead of time that I would be fursuiting as Dynamite, I actually got a few compliments on the random moves I busted while I was hanging around at the event because people didn't know it was me (since they didn't recognize the fursuit). It was good. But as soon as they know it's me (which is unfortunately a lot of people), it's back to the whole "When are you going to start winning dance comps too?" spiel.
The scale of the issue can be hard to imagine when you're not the one experiencing it. From what I can tell, being a twin in the fandom is a pretty rare thing, and an identical twin even rarer.
My main goal here is to make other furs aware that this is a thing that happens. A lot of people in the fandom have this mindset, and I'm not even sure it's intentional -- which doesn't make it better, since a) that makes it harder to change, and b) people will say hurtful things (as in the above examples) without even realizing that they could potentially be hurtful because they perpetuate the erroneous stereotype that twins have to basically be perfect copies of each other, and if they aren't, it's because the one that performs less well is defective somehow.
If you've read this far, I ask that you really think about your experience in this fandom and how you interact with other members. Do you put more time or effort into interacting with someone if their numerical accomplishments (dance comp wins, Youtube subscribers, etc.) are higher? Do you pay more attention to trends on social media involving furs with more followers? If so, I invite you to reconsider, and to pay more attention to the individual behind the account or behind the fursuit. Don't base their worth on some arbitrarily-assigned number. Maybe they only have a few Youtube subscribers, but you like a lot of the same video games. Maybe they're a dancer who's feeling discouraged because they can't tut or pop, but something about their movements just makes you feel a lot of emotion. I encourage you to reach out to and encourage other furs simply for being individuals, not just for having certain numbers attached.
If you didn't answer "yes" to either of the above questions, great! Keep doing what you're doing. The fandom needs more people like you and it's only because of people like you that I'm still dancing.
Anthro Northwest Meme
General | Posted 8 years agoANW is less than a week away and it turns out I am going (despite numerous claims earlier this year that it wouldn't work with my schedule) so it's about time I try one of these! Conglomerated and arranged from a few different ones to match what's appropriate.
Staying at:
The main con hotel!
Arriving/Leaving:
I'm arriving in Seattle from school on Thursday night, but I won't be at con until Friday morning, and I'll stay all the way through Sunday evening.
Rooming with:
I'm not sure whether they have a FA, but I'm rooming with a local acquaintance!
Find me:
Participating in the dance panels, at the dance competition, wandering the con space in suit, or participating in Rinn's video project.
Gender:
Agender [they/them]
Height:
5'6" (medium-tol)
Look for these fursuits:
Yu and Gundahar. I was going to try to bring Dynamite but I don't think he'll fit in my suitcase so he's stuck at school.
How you can get my attention:
Shouting "Hey, Yu!" usually works, especially when I'm in fursuit since the resolution of my vision is not always that good and I sometimes have a hard time telling who's talking to me. That being said, if I don't recognize you, it's likely not because I don't remember you, it's simply because I can't see you well enough. I'm always up for a chat unless I'm hurrying or I need to go to the headless lounge right this second (both of which are rare), even if a "chat" entails me nodding a lot since I don't always talk in suit.
Furcons I've attended:
Too many to count - a lot in and around the Pacific Northwest, plus lots and lots of When Furballs Strikes.
Can I snuggle you?:
I'm a really bad cuddler but I will usually accept a hug as long as you ask first (whether verbally or by holding your arms out).
Drink/smoke/party/etc.:
I do not do any of the above.
Can I look in your sketchbook?:
I just started a new sketchbook so my current one is not very full, especially since I'm a mostly digital artist and I've been working hard on a digital manga project for the last several months, but if you ask first I can let you take a peek (just don't expect much haha)
Can I take your picture?:
Absolutely! I'd love to see it if you do, so be sure to tag me and/or send it to me.
Do you take art commissions?:
Technically my commissions are not open right now, but we might be able to work something out if we talk in person ;3
What's your goal for the con this year?:
I just want to enjoy it since it's a first year con and it's in my hometown. Doing well in the dance competition would be nice, too!
Staying at:
The main con hotel!
Arriving/Leaving:
I'm arriving in Seattle from school on Thursday night, but I won't be at con until Friday morning, and I'll stay all the way through Sunday evening.
Rooming with:
I'm not sure whether they have a FA, but I'm rooming with a local acquaintance!
Find me:
Participating in the dance panels, at the dance competition, wandering the con space in suit, or participating in Rinn's video project.
Gender:
Agender [they/them]
Height:
5'6" (medium-tol)
Look for these fursuits:
Yu and Gundahar. I was going to try to bring Dynamite but I don't think he'll fit in my suitcase so he's stuck at school.
How you can get my attention:
Shouting "Hey, Yu!" usually works, especially when I'm in fursuit since the resolution of my vision is not always that good and I sometimes have a hard time telling who's talking to me. That being said, if I don't recognize you, it's likely not because I don't remember you, it's simply because I can't see you well enough. I'm always up for a chat unless I'm hurrying or I need to go to the headless lounge right this second (both of which are rare), even if a "chat" entails me nodding a lot since I don't always talk in suit.
Furcons I've attended:
Too many to count - a lot in and around the Pacific Northwest, plus lots and lots of When Furballs Strikes.
Can I snuggle you?:
I'm a really bad cuddler but I will usually accept a hug as long as you ask first (whether verbally or by holding your arms out).
Drink/smoke/party/etc.:
I do not do any of the above.
Can I look in your sketchbook?:
I just started a new sketchbook so my current one is not very full, especially since I'm a mostly digital artist and I've been working hard on a digital manga project for the last several months, but if you ask first I can let you take a peek (just don't expect much haha)
Can I take your picture?:
Absolutely! I'd love to see it if you do, so be sure to tag me and/or send it to me.
Do you take art commissions?:
Technically my commissions are not open right now, but we might be able to work something out if we talk in person ;3
What's your goal for the con this year?:
I just want to enjoy it since it's a first year con and it's in my hometown. Doing well in the dance competition would be nice, too!
Vancoufur 2017 Con Report
General | Posted 9 years agoI don't usually write reports on the conventions I go to because everything goes by so fast, but I had a good experience at Vancoufur this past weekend! It was my first time going to Vancoufur and it was also a very last-minute decision (didn't know for sure I was going until about 3 weeks ago). Despite that, I thoroughly enjoyed myself and will definitely return in 2019 if at all possible! (Can't make 2018 because I'll be elsewhere in the spring.)
I arrived at a hotel down the street late Thursday night and woke up on time on Friday so I could get to Registration (planning my trip was so last-minute I didn't make the pre-reg window!). After that I checked out the Dealer's Den and Artist Alley for a while before it was time to suit up for the Fursuit Dance Competition rehearsal and check-in. It was my first time being in a performance environment since last Furlandia, so I was very hyped. Including multiple run-throughs of my dance and hanging out with all of the other friendly dancers (including
fazar), that took until lunchtime. Since there was nothing in particular I had planned out in the afternoon, I figured I would try my hand at volunteering for a couple hours! It was fun and chill and I got a cool "Helping Buck" wooden charm, which I believe was worth a dollar at the convention store, but I thought it was too neat to just spend, so I kept it. I have an idea of how I'm going to permanently incorporate it into Yu's design as a charm later!
I was too excited for the dance comp to eat dinner, so I just had a snack before suiting up and walking over to the con space.
We drew numbers to determine performance order back in rehearsal, and as it turned out I was first!! So I opened the show after Duke (who was a wonderful MC) introduced our judges, and I was really happy with my dance because I didn't mess up at all (at least not that I could tell). Pretty great considering I only had about 3 weeks to prepare, with only around half of my routine choreographed! It also made me happy that my critique from the judges hit all of the points I like to focus on (freshness, musicality and expressiveness, use of the stage space and the floor, and doing a few tricks they didn't expect in such an awkward fursuit).
After that it was time to watch all of the other spectacular dancers and cheer them on from the side of the stage. Seriously, they were all so good! Every time someone performed I thought, 'okay, that person for sure is going to place.' And of course, by the time everyone had danced, I was well out of places. :P
After the dance competition I did more hanging out and talking in the fursuit lounge with the not only spectacular, but also super friendly, dancers! (such as Popsicle, Delightfully Odd, and
Reo_Grayfox) I love this community because everyone is so nice and supportive and I always feel welcome talking to other dancerfurs.
Since I was awake anyway, I decided to stay up for the Friday night dance, and I managed to shake my tail feathers for about an hour before I got too tired and headed back to the hotel to go to bed. XD
Next up was Saturday! I got up bright and early to prepare for Floor Wars, which started at 10:00. I dance battled against Munchkin, Dori and Drift and had an awesome time even though it was a really small, chill event :D Now I can say I've done FW before so I can be ready for when I do it at a bigger con!
FW ended early enough that I had time for a quick break before the fursuit parade lineup started. As usual, I walked with a flock of other birds and we took a group photo afterwards, followed by an impromptu practice session for the choreography for the filming of Duke's music and dance video later that afternoon! I managed to fit in lunch before I went to that. The filming session was a lot of dancing in a short amount of time, so I got really hot being in suit the whole time, but it was super fun and totally worth it! I can't wait to see how the video turns out. It's going to be awesome :D
Later that evening I attended the panel on Running a (Successful) Furry Business. I've been to similar panels before in hopes of upping my commission game, and a refresher from a different panelist at a different convention is always helpful!
I was a little sleep-deprived on Saturday and I didn't want to ruin my con by getting sick or something, so I went to bed early and got a full night's sleep.
But I guess I was the only one, since I went back to the con relatively early on Sunday morning hoping to get pictures of fursuits (which I lacked because I was in fursuit for most of the day Saturday), but it was mostly deserted. XD
After lunch I ended up being in fursuit for most of the rest of the con as well. I hung out until Shadowsmyst's Making Comics panel, which was very helpful and informative! Then more hanging out until closing ceremonies (which I had a hard time understanding because of all of the space lingo), and then dinner before I headed to the Dead Dog dance - my first! Again, I only made it about an hour before I got too tired, but I still had a fun time.
I think my only complaints about the whole experience had absolutely nothing to do with the con itself! xD My feetpaws are falling apart on the inside and made it hard to waddle, so I need to cut into them and fix them before next con. Next rant to my stomach for being so sensitive I can't eat most seafood (except for specific kinds of sushi) because it's either too raw or too fried, since the majority of the restaurants in the immediate area are seafood restaurants, and I can't eat at those :x
I might upload some pictures to FA, but for now, keep an eye out on my Twitter! http://twitter.com/YuPuffin
I arrived at a hotel down the street late Thursday night and woke up on time on Friday so I could get to Registration (planning my trip was so last-minute I didn't make the pre-reg window!). After that I checked out the Dealer's Den and Artist Alley for a while before it was time to suit up for the Fursuit Dance Competition rehearsal and check-in. It was my first time being in a performance environment since last Furlandia, so I was very hyped. Including multiple run-throughs of my dance and hanging out with all of the other friendly dancers (including
fazar), that took until lunchtime. Since there was nothing in particular I had planned out in the afternoon, I figured I would try my hand at volunteering for a couple hours! It was fun and chill and I got a cool "Helping Buck" wooden charm, which I believe was worth a dollar at the convention store, but I thought it was too neat to just spend, so I kept it. I have an idea of how I'm going to permanently incorporate it into Yu's design as a charm later!I was too excited for the dance comp to eat dinner, so I just had a snack before suiting up and walking over to the con space.
We drew numbers to determine performance order back in rehearsal, and as it turned out I was first!! So I opened the show after Duke (who was a wonderful MC) introduced our judges, and I was really happy with my dance because I didn't mess up at all (at least not that I could tell). Pretty great considering I only had about 3 weeks to prepare, with only around half of my routine choreographed! It also made me happy that my critique from the judges hit all of the points I like to focus on (freshness, musicality and expressiveness, use of the stage space and the floor, and doing a few tricks they didn't expect in such an awkward fursuit).
After that it was time to watch all of the other spectacular dancers and cheer them on from the side of the stage. Seriously, they were all so good! Every time someone performed I thought, 'okay, that person for sure is going to place.' And of course, by the time everyone had danced, I was well out of places. :P
After the dance competition I did more hanging out and talking in the fursuit lounge with the not only spectacular, but also super friendly, dancers! (such as Popsicle, Delightfully Odd, and
Reo_Grayfox) I love this community because everyone is so nice and supportive and I always feel welcome talking to other dancerfurs. Since I was awake anyway, I decided to stay up for the Friday night dance, and I managed to shake my tail feathers for about an hour before I got too tired and headed back to the hotel to go to bed. XD
Next up was Saturday! I got up bright and early to prepare for Floor Wars, which started at 10:00. I dance battled against Munchkin, Dori and Drift and had an awesome time even though it was a really small, chill event :D Now I can say I've done FW before so I can be ready for when I do it at a bigger con!
FW ended early enough that I had time for a quick break before the fursuit parade lineup started. As usual, I walked with a flock of other birds and we took a group photo afterwards, followed by an impromptu practice session for the choreography for the filming of Duke's music and dance video later that afternoon! I managed to fit in lunch before I went to that. The filming session was a lot of dancing in a short amount of time, so I got really hot being in suit the whole time, but it was super fun and totally worth it! I can't wait to see how the video turns out. It's going to be awesome :D
Later that evening I attended the panel on Running a (Successful) Furry Business. I've been to similar panels before in hopes of upping my commission game, and a refresher from a different panelist at a different convention is always helpful!
I was a little sleep-deprived on Saturday and I didn't want to ruin my con by getting sick or something, so I went to bed early and got a full night's sleep.
But I guess I was the only one, since I went back to the con relatively early on Sunday morning hoping to get pictures of fursuits (which I lacked because I was in fursuit for most of the day Saturday), but it was mostly deserted. XD
After lunch I ended up being in fursuit for most of the rest of the con as well. I hung out until Shadowsmyst's Making Comics panel, which was very helpful and informative! Then more hanging out until closing ceremonies (which I had a hard time understanding because of all of the space lingo), and then dinner before I headed to the Dead Dog dance - my first! Again, I only made it about an hour before I got too tired, but I still had a fun time.
I think my only complaints about the whole experience had absolutely nothing to do with the con itself! xD My feetpaws are falling apart on the inside and made it hard to waddle, so I need to cut into them and fix them before next con. Next rant to my stomach for being so sensitive I can't eat most seafood (except for specific kinds of sushi) because it's either too raw or too fried, since the majority of the restaurants in the immediate area are seafood restaurants, and I can't eat at those :x
I might upload some pictures to FA, but for now, keep an eye out on my Twitter! http://twitter.com/YuPuffin
Three Years Ago Today...
General | Posted 9 years ago...I entered my first fursuit dance competition! But I haven't been dancing since then. The only other competition I've been in was at Furlandia this past May. I've actually only been dancing for around a year. x'D
But I made a video in celebration of it anyway, so you can go check that out here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jT3afZ3xLv4
But I made a video in celebration of it anyway, so you can go check that out here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jT3afZ3xLv4
Visit my Youtube channel for fursuit dances!
General | Posted 9 years agoI upload at least once dance or dance snippet every Friday for a combination of Fursuit Friday and Freestyle Friday.
Here's this week's dance to the Hatsune Miku song "Constellation:" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIIbAmpDHx4
Here's this week's dance to the Hatsune Miku song "Constellation:" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIIbAmpDHx4
Do you follow my Twitter?
General | Posted 9 years agoIf not, you should check it out for updates with doodles, dance snippets (including Fursuit/Freestyle Fridays), and other random thoughts!
https://twitter.com/YuPuffin
https://twitter.com/YuPuffin
Happy Fursuit Friday!
General | Posted 9 years ago...and Freestyle Friday, for that matter! I guess this is a thing, so I'm going to start practicing dancing in my fursuit a lot more xP Also just, you know, getting better at fursuit dancing in general... This week I found out I'm not at all used to dancing in my big, heavy suit, so I'm not too proud of my dance! But practice will help!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1QLdRryqLw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1QLdRryqLw
Dance Video! Whoo!
General | Posted 10 years agoMeh, I really wanna go to a con right now... or at least sew something... but I am separated from my sewing stuff and I have to wait until Furlandia, so... I'll just keep drawing and watching tons of con videos T3T
Anyway, I was in a dance-y mood today! I don't normally post pictures or videos of myself outside of fursuit (or cosplay) but I was happy with the freestyling I did to Ocelot's "Be Furious (feat. Hatsune Miku)!" Someday I wanna be a good fursuit dancer so I figured I might as well start somewhere and put something out there ^u^
https://youtu.be/8QTe0Ao2Mlw
Anyway, I was in a dance-y mood today! I don't normally post pictures or videos of myself outside of fursuit (or cosplay) but I was happy with the freestyling I did to Ocelot's "Be Furious (feat. Hatsune Miku)!" Someday I wanna be a good fursuit dancer so I figured I might as well start somewhere and put something out there ^u^
https://youtu.be/8QTe0Ao2Mlw
Vacation!
General | Posted 10 years agoHey, everyone! This is just a heads-up that I'm going on vacation tomorrow morning and I won't be back until the evening of July 1st. I may have internet while I'm gone to check up on things, but I probably won't be able to view or respond to things in a timely manner, nor will I be submitting art. Sorry for the inconvenience, and thanks for your patience!
RF 2014 Dance Comp: Awesome!
General | Posted 11 years agoFirst off, no, I didn't make it past the preliminaries, but I don't care. :D
Just got back from the dance competition, and it was amazing! All of the dancers were so great and cute and fluffy and inspiring and I hope you all continue to do awesome things. :D
My camera is mediocre but I tried to get at least one decent picture of everybody. I'll post what I can after the con~
Keep being awesome, everyone!
Just got back from the dance competition, and it was amazing! All of the dancers were so great and cute and fluffy and inspiring and I hope you all continue to do awesome things. :D
My camera is mediocre but I tried to get at least one decent picture of everybody. I'll post what I can after the con~
Keep being awesome, everyone!
I saw a couple people do this and it looks fun
General | Posted 12 years agoWhat made you choose the species of your main fursona?
I decided Yu should be a puffin because I like birds and swimming, and the puffin combines those two factors quite well. (I would have chosen a penguin, but penguins can't fly.) Within that, I chose the tufted puffin because I liked its tufts. And I think it has a cute face.
Is your fursona just like you, or how you want to be?
She's pretty much just like me! Except she can fly and I can't. And she's only a foot (ish) tall (as a normal bird). But personality-wise she basically is just me.
Does your fursona have the same personality you have?
Yep! Kind of shy but very excited.
Does your fursona have the same dislikes and likes as you do?
Yes to that too! She loves dancing, swimming, gyoza and dessert. Although she might be able to tolerate annoying boys better than I can...
Does your fursona look like you at all?
Considering she has blue feathers, tufts, and a beak, not really! |D But we have similar eye color. That's pretty much where the resemblance ends, though.
Is your fursona the same gender as you, if not why?
Yes, although I've considered swapping her out for a gender-neutral fursona.
Do you have more then one main fursona?
Not officially. When the situation calls for a dog or a cat I sometimes use Reithe as a fursona, but I use Yu whenever possible.
Do you have a back story for your fursona, if so does it have anything to do with your own history?
I wouldn't say it's a back-story as much as it is a front-story! |D I have a little idea in mind about Yu interacting with a lot of other birds that I might turn into a manga eventually. It's not really related to my own backstory, but it does reflect my frequent disgust with actions of the human race as a whole.
Is your fursona mated, if so is it to your real life significant other?
Nope! Yu doesn't like boys all that much ^^;
If not are they looking for a mate, or are they a swinger so to speak?
Yu's perfectly fine single. C:
Is there something special about your fursona that you think sets them apart from others?
Not really. I haven't noticed very many other tufted puffin sonas, though, so I think her species in itself is pretty special.
Do you have much art of your main fursona/s?
Unfortunately, no. I would like to draw her a lot more than I currently do, but I just have so much stuff I want to draw and so little time! |D
Would you ever consider parting with your main fursona, if so why?
I probably wouldn't, since I've been pretty much dedicated to Yu since I made her up in 2011. She fits me better than I think any other character would. The only reason I would set her aside is if I wanted a gender-neutral sona, and even then I imagine I'd still use her a lot just for fun.
If you suit, do you have a suit of your main fursona?
Yep! The whole reason I learned how to make fursuits was to make myself a suit of Yu, although now I want to make suits of my other characters too. (Hint, Gundahar is next in line!)
Have you ever roleplayed with your main fursona, or do you prefer not to?
I haven't tried it, but it might be fun. It would probably just be like roleplaying as myself, though, except as a bird. That might still be fun.
Do you consider your main fursona to be a part of you in any way?
She kind of is a representation of me as a whole! Not really a part or anything, but just... a special little figment I made up for myself. C:
I decided Yu should be a puffin because I like birds and swimming, and the puffin combines those two factors quite well. (I would have chosen a penguin, but penguins can't fly.) Within that, I chose the tufted puffin because I liked its tufts. And I think it has a cute face.
Is your fursona just like you, or how you want to be?
She's pretty much just like me! Except she can fly and I can't. And she's only a foot (ish) tall (as a normal bird). But personality-wise she basically is just me.
Does your fursona have the same personality you have?
Yep! Kind of shy but very excited.
Does your fursona have the same dislikes and likes as you do?
Yes to that too! She loves dancing, swimming, gyoza and dessert. Although she might be able to tolerate annoying boys better than I can...
Does your fursona look like you at all?
Considering she has blue feathers, tufts, and a beak, not really! |D But we have similar eye color. That's pretty much where the resemblance ends, though.
Is your fursona the same gender as you, if not why?
Yes, although I've considered swapping her out for a gender-neutral fursona.
Do you have more then one main fursona?
Not officially. When the situation calls for a dog or a cat I sometimes use Reithe as a fursona, but I use Yu whenever possible.
Do you have a back story for your fursona, if so does it have anything to do with your own history?
I wouldn't say it's a back-story as much as it is a front-story! |D I have a little idea in mind about Yu interacting with a lot of other birds that I might turn into a manga eventually. It's not really related to my own backstory, but it does reflect my frequent disgust with actions of the human race as a whole.
Is your fursona mated, if so is it to your real life significant other?
Nope! Yu doesn't like boys all that much ^^;
If not are they looking for a mate, or are they a swinger so to speak?
Yu's perfectly fine single. C:
Is there something special about your fursona that you think sets them apart from others?
Not really. I haven't noticed very many other tufted puffin sonas, though, so I think her species in itself is pretty special.
Do you have much art of your main fursona/s?
Unfortunately, no. I would like to draw her a lot more than I currently do, but I just have so much stuff I want to draw and so little time! |D
Would you ever consider parting with your main fursona, if so why?
I probably wouldn't, since I've been pretty much dedicated to Yu since I made her up in 2011. She fits me better than I think any other character would. The only reason I would set her aside is if I wanted a gender-neutral sona, and even then I imagine I'd still use her a lot just for fun.
If you suit, do you have a suit of your main fursona?
Yep! The whole reason I learned how to make fursuits was to make myself a suit of Yu, although now I want to make suits of my other characters too. (Hint, Gundahar is next in line!)
Have you ever roleplayed with your main fursona, or do you prefer not to?
I haven't tried it, but it might be fun. It would probably just be like roleplaying as myself, though, except as a bird. That might still be fun.
Do you consider your main fursona to be a part of you in any way?
She kind of is a representation of me as a whole! Not really a part or anything, but just... a special little figment I made up for myself. C:
Rainfurrest 2013
General | Posted 12 years agoI got this directly from 
exdraghunt so I have no clue how similar it is to the original, or where the original is for that matter...
Arrival and Departure:
I'll get there in the evening on Friday the 27th, and I'll stop going on Sunday when it's over! \o/
Staying at:
Home because I have school; I'll do homework and photo processing and stuff in the mornings before I leave.
How are you traveling?
Driving to the airport.
Who are you rooming with?
I'll just be in my room at home, with my parrots.
Where will you be? How is best to find you?
I'll be in the Fursuit Dance Competition as Yu, and the fursuit parade if at all possible. Other than that I'll be going to a few fursuit panels and walking around a lot, so you can try to find me or just meet up by luck if you want!
Who will you be with?
I'll be wandering around with
aki-rain and my mom, except for when Aki goes to her life-drawing panels (I'll be doing other fursuit things at those times).
Which suit(s) will you be bringing?
Yu the puffin for me, and Aki the barn owl for Aki!
Do you do free art?
I'm generally a too-friendly person so if you ask me for a request of a PG-rated character and give me a reference I'll most likely do free art for you. :la:
What is your gender?
I'm a she-puffin!
How tall are you?
5'7" out of suit, a few inches taller in suit because of my big fluffy head.
Can I talk to you?
Yeah! As long as you're nice and not, you know, a creepy person.
Can I hug and/or snuggle you?
I love hugs, snuggles, appropriate pets, etc. while in fursuit, so sure! But I dislike being touched when not in costume, so if you catch me then, not unless I ask you first.
Are you nice?
I'm too nice. As in I can't say no to reasonable requests. o^o
Are you cliquey?
I don't think so, I'm a really laid-back and accepting person. at least I like to think I am ^o^
If I see you, how should I get your attention?
Just say "Hey, you." It sounds exactly like "Hey Yu!" and will get my attention either way. C:
Are you fursuiting?
I'll be fursuiting on and off depending on how my stamina holds up. I just started fursuiting over the summer so my stamina still doesn't let me stay in suit for much longer than half an hour to an hour before I have to take it completely off for a break.
Can I ask ya to dance with me during the dances?
The only dance I'm planning to go to is the competition, and it would be nice if I had the stage clear for that... but if you want to do a couple of random appropriate moves in the hallways, that's fine with me too! just don't hit anybody with your paws or wings or arms or whatever appendages you have o^o
Can I buy you drinks?
Only if it's water or hot chocolate. C:
Do you attend parties?
Depends on the kind of party. I usually don't stay up late. I would go to the Dead Dog Party if it wasn't past my bedtime and/or if I didn't have school the next day. .u.
Can I take your picture?
Sure! I love being on camera so even candid no-permission pictures are fine with me. just make sure I can see them when you're done!
What's your goal(s) for the con this year?
To... Make friends, get experience performing and generally being in fursuit, have an AWESOME time dancing at the competition, and enjoy my first ever fur con. and find out how much different it is from kumoricon and sakuracon!
exdraghunt so I have no clue how similar it is to the original, or where the original is for that matter...Arrival and Departure:
I'll get there in the evening on Friday the 27th, and I'll stop going on Sunday when it's over! \o/
Staying at:
Home because I have school; I'll do homework and photo processing and stuff in the mornings before I leave.
How are you traveling?
Driving to the airport.
Who are you rooming with?
I'll just be in my room at home, with my parrots.
Where will you be? How is best to find you?
I'll be in the Fursuit Dance Competition as Yu, and the fursuit parade if at all possible. Other than that I'll be going to a few fursuit panels and walking around a lot, so you can try to find me or just meet up by luck if you want!
Who will you be with?
I'll be wandering around with
aki-rain and my mom, except for when Aki goes to her life-drawing panels (I'll be doing other fursuit things at those times).Which suit(s) will you be bringing?
Yu the puffin for me, and Aki the barn owl for Aki!
Do you do free art?
I'm generally a too-friendly person so if you ask me for a request of a PG-rated character and give me a reference I'll most likely do free art for you. :la:
What is your gender?
I'm a she-puffin!
How tall are you?
5'7" out of suit, a few inches taller in suit because of my big fluffy head.
Can I talk to you?
Yeah! As long as you're nice and not, you know, a creepy person.
Can I hug and/or snuggle you?
I love hugs, snuggles, appropriate pets, etc. while in fursuit, so sure! But I dislike being touched when not in costume, so if you catch me then, not unless I ask you first.
Are you nice?
I'm too nice. As in I can't say no to reasonable requests. o^o
Are you cliquey?
I don't think so, I'm a really laid-back and accepting person. at least I like to think I am ^o^
If I see you, how should I get your attention?
Just say "Hey, you." It sounds exactly like "Hey Yu!" and will get my attention either way. C:
Are you fursuiting?
I'll be fursuiting on and off depending on how my stamina holds up. I just started fursuiting over the summer so my stamina still doesn't let me stay in suit for much longer than half an hour to an hour before I have to take it completely off for a break.
Can I ask ya to dance with me during the dances?
The only dance I'm planning to go to is the competition, and it would be nice if I had the stage clear for that... but if you want to do a couple of random appropriate moves in the hallways, that's fine with me too! just don't hit anybody with your paws or wings or arms or whatever appendages you have o^o
Can I buy you drinks?
Only if it's water or hot chocolate. C:
Do you attend parties?
Depends on the kind of party. I usually don't stay up late. I would go to the Dead Dog Party if it wasn't past my bedtime and/or if I didn't have school the next day. .u.
Can I take your picture?
Sure! I love being on camera so even candid no-permission pictures are fine with me. just make sure I can see them when you're done!
What's your goal(s) for the con this year?
To... Make friends, get experience performing and generally being in fursuit, have an AWESOME time dancing at the competition, and enjoy my first ever fur con. and find out how much different it is from kumoricon and sakuracon!
That was soooo much fun
General | Posted 12 years agoI went fursuiting for the last half hour of a skate party down at my local skate rink, which was fun in itself.
And then I did the Redmond Zombies version of the Thriller dance for the full six minutes (three-second break in the middle, but I decided I was having too much fun and kept going) and survived. In fact, I was totally energetic and really alive after that, it was so awesome! People took videos and photos, so I'll be sure to share those once they start popping up.
But yeah, wearing any sort of costume is generally what makes me really happy. C: Now I really can't wait for Rainfurrest (in a week and a half)! I'll write a more detailed notice later, but for now, this is it! Bye everyone! :D
And then I did the Redmond Zombies version of the Thriller dance for the full six minutes (three-second break in the middle, but I decided I was having too much fun and kept going) and survived. In fact, I was totally energetic and really alive after that, it was so awesome! People took videos and photos, so I'll be sure to share those once they start popping up.
But yeah, wearing any sort of costume is generally what makes me really happy. C: Now I really can't wait for Rainfurrest (in a week and a half)! I'll write a more detailed notice later, but for now, this is it! Bye everyone! :D
Fursuit test drive 7/11
General | Posted 12 years agoSince the partial fursuits I made for Aki and me are going to be done by Thursday afternoon, we're going to take them for a test drive that evening at a nearby park.
I'll post pictures ^o^
I'll post pictures ^o^
WFS 13 has been announced.
General | Posted 12 years agoI so far have the foaming to my bird heads completely done (will post project photos in the next few days hopefully). All they need is fur.
After I finish a drawing for an art show later in June I will be going full speed ahead on finishing the partial suits before July 27th.
As many people like to say on the internet, "Challenge accepted."
After I finish a drawing for an art show later in June I will be going full speed ahead on finishing the partial suits before July 27th.
As many people like to say on the internet, "Challenge accepted."
First Fursuit Head(s) today.
General | Posted 13 years agoAs the title suggests, I'll probably be starting my first ever fursuit heads today.
I think I really got into fursuits after I was looking for some claws for my Absol footpaws and stumbled across DreamVisionCreations's website full of awesome-looking fursuits. From then on my inspiration has been any of the fursuits I've seen in photos or videos, no matter how 'good' or 'bad' they are. Being a dancer myself, I've especially enjoyed watching fursuit dance competitions on Youtube. Hopefully I can enter one myself someday!
Anyway, to the point, save for my footpaws I've never made part of a fursuit before. I've been scouring tutorials for the last few weeks and looking around at heads to find out what I like and don't like, so hopefully I won't mess up too bad.
I'm planning to make two heads simultaneously, which may or may not be a good idea. Aki-rain and I want to go to Rainfurrest this September with a fullsuit each to wear (although we'll probably only go Saturday and Sunday because we've never been to a four-day convention), and I want to leave plenty of time over the summer for other parts of the fursuits in case they end up taking a lot of time. It's better to start early and finish early than to wait until the last minute and end up without a fursuit.
Aki's fursuit is going to be a barn owl, more specifically of the Tyto alba alba subspecies. This subspecies is very light in color and has few, if any, spots. This head will probably be easier than the other one because barn owls have relatively flat faces with somewhat human-like proportions. (I'll still have Aki check on the head every so often, though, just because she's had experience drawing owls and I haven't.) Aki doesn't have a barn owl character specifically, but for the sake of her not being just another plain barn owl I'll add some bright yellow spots upon her request.
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/9725991/
My fursuit, on the other hand, will be my tufted puffin character Yu. I've had plenty of experience drawing puffins before, which should make building this head a little easier. The challenge is that the puffin's face is not at all like a human's face, so I had some trouble with the design, but it will probably work out.
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/9726001/
I'm going to try not to make any stupid mistakes! Wish me luck!~
I think I really got into fursuits after I was looking for some claws for my Absol footpaws and stumbled across DreamVisionCreations's website full of awesome-looking fursuits. From then on my inspiration has been any of the fursuits I've seen in photos or videos, no matter how 'good' or 'bad' they are. Being a dancer myself, I've especially enjoyed watching fursuit dance competitions on Youtube. Hopefully I can enter one myself someday!
Anyway, to the point, save for my footpaws I've never made part of a fursuit before. I've been scouring tutorials for the last few weeks and looking around at heads to find out what I like and don't like, so hopefully I won't mess up too bad.
I'm planning to make two heads simultaneously, which may or may not be a good idea. Aki-rain and I want to go to Rainfurrest this September with a fullsuit each to wear (although we'll probably only go Saturday and Sunday because we've never been to a four-day convention), and I want to leave plenty of time over the summer for other parts of the fursuits in case they end up taking a lot of time. It's better to start early and finish early than to wait until the last minute and end up without a fursuit.
Aki's fursuit is going to be a barn owl, more specifically of the Tyto alba alba subspecies. This subspecies is very light in color and has few, if any, spots. This head will probably be easier than the other one because barn owls have relatively flat faces with somewhat human-like proportions. (I'll still have Aki check on the head every so often, though, just because she's had experience drawing owls and I haven't.) Aki doesn't have a barn owl character specifically, but for the sake of her not being just another plain barn owl I'll add some bright yellow spots upon her request.
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/9725991/
My fursuit, on the other hand, will be my tufted puffin character Yu. I've had plenty of experience drawing puffins before, which should make building this head a little easier. The challenge is that the puffin's face is not at all like a human's face, so I had some trouble with the design, but it will probably work out.
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/9726001/
I'm going to try not to make any stupid mistakes! Wish me luck!~
