I woke up bright and early for the day's festivities. I got dressed up as Fantine from Les Miserables: Shoujo Cosette. I was planning to enter masquerade just for fun. My act involved a condensed version of a Forbidden Broadway parody of "I Dreamed a Dream." Considering that Les Miserables is big right now in pop culture, I figured the audience could appreciate it. I arrived at the waterfront at around 11AM, yet I could not find the masquerade registration desk. I was running around the hotel looking for it like I lost a puppy. However, I was able to find registration and they were able to take care of my materials.

Coming Out

"Coming Out" is not necesarily exclusive to the LBGTQ community anymore. Arisia attracts people from many diverse lifestyles - poly, kinky, etc. Panelists shared their stories about coming out their families not only about their sexuality, but polyamory. I decided to check out this panel because I thought this was an interesting reframing of "coming out." The stories were very emotional and it was nothing like I have ever experienced at the anime conventions. It was nice to have a discussion on topics about coming out in many ways shapes or forms. Unfortunately, I had to leave the panel early for masquerade tech rehearsal.

Masquerade Tech

First of all, I was impressed by the level of professionalism this masquerade had. It was almost as if we were going for a full stage show. While I do not normally talk about tech rehearsal, I thought I would note the comparison between tech rehearsal from anime convention masquerades and this experience. Not only people took this seriously, people were very helpful. They also set the lighting so it would compliment the coloration of your cosplay and the mood and feel of your masquerade act. Tech rehearsal went smooth and I thought they were asking the right kind of questions - how far will you be going on stage, where do you start, what's the cue, etc. Compared to Anime Expo (where we had no idea what the cue was gong to be!), this was very well thought of and I am glad that the Arisia treats this event with love and care.

The Piscis Volans: Steampunk Circus for Hire

After tech rehearsal, I decided to venture in next door. There was a pretty big crowd inside. It appears that the circus came to town! Based in New Hampshire, the Piscis Volans is a steampunk themed circus with your typical trapeze acts and acrobatics. I affectionately named this "Cirque de Steampunk" because of the amazing feats set to Steampunk inspired music. This was something I stumbled into and I am glad that I did. I normally don't see this type of performances at anime conventions, but it had me in my seat. The circus artists were really amazing and even the younger audiences were amazed at the contornists and outfits. I really hope to see this troupe perform again in the near future!

SCA / Renaisance Dance

This was another event that I stumbled into. I'm not used to formal dances held in the middle of the day. People were wearing middle ages garb for this event. We even had a live band that wore period clothing in nice blue hues. I decided to play wallflower for this event. I felt a bit out of place dressed from Victor Hugo's France. Much like Anime Los Angeles' Regency Ball, everyone was given instructions how to dance, but this looked a lot more colorful and drew more people in. It was fun watching people learn and this really attracted a ballroom full of people of all ages. I probably would have gone on the floor had I had a date to this event (but I was later told you really did not need to have one). However, it's one of those events where you can people watch and have just as much fun.

Walk the Labyrinth

One of Arisia's main draws is the New Age / alternative spirituality demographic. There is even a programming track dedicated to alternative spirituality. Right before checking in for masquerade, I peered into the dimly lit ballroom. A maze was set in the center of the ballroom. People were pacing around. I affectionately nicknamed this room, The Pacing Room. However, it's more than just pacing around, it's meditation. Basically, you just walk in the Labyrinth maze and find your focus. I thought this was a really nice experience. Other than being immersed in nerd nirvana, it was nice to also experience the spiritual side of Arisia.

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