INTERVIEWING "ALIONA"

I met Aliona aka Xx_aliona_xX on Friday the 23rd September 2022 at Club Inferno

Being this the account of the words of this great woman who leaves a legacy in the RLC.

A peer-recognized legacy is an achievement that very few can be proud to leave behind. And Aliona not only did, but she continues to do so.

Claire_dO: Hello Ali, thank you for accepting this interview

Aliona: Good evening Claire, my pleasure 😊

Claire_dO: This is your second time being interviewed by The Amazon Times 😊

Aliona: Yes but the other was while ago

Claire_dO: It was by 2018 yes, February

Aliona: wooww that long ago ???

Claire_dO: at that time, you had just opened Starfall, on the aftermath of the Clit-on-Clit debacle.

Aliona: Yes

Aliona: When Clit closed down I thought I would take over the Monday night gigs

Claire_dO: And Sweetheat was still with you

Aliona: Yes, she was. She was with me 10 years. Not just a GG either. She was my girl friend

Claire_dO: And the other GG pillar

Aliona: That was 2 years ago now

Claire_dO: she’s gone, you mean?

Aliona: Yes

Claire_dO: I believe it was hard for you

Aliona: Yes, it was. I nearly gave up RLC. But, hey! She would have not wanted that, and I had a duty to the rest of the GG’s. She was my right hand, and she was PR for the GG’s. Plus, we deco together too.

Claire_dO: and when one loses its right hand, she becomes handicapped… how did you manage?

Aliona: Lucky that some of the senior GG’s helped me. Claire_B helped a lot. She had been with us since 2016, and I’ve been lucky that a few of the GG’s have been with me from the start

Claire_dO: Indefectible?

Aliona: Yea 😊 Sky, Vivi, Cristina, were all from the start or close to

Claire_dO: You said one of the reasons you didn’t quit RLC when Heat was gone, was your duty to the GG, tell me more about that sense of duty?

Aliona: I’ll never give up on the GG’s, they are my RLC life, they have always backed me as a leader, in no way I was going to desert them. So I wasn’t going to let them down.

As you know I’m from a military background. And we never let our own down.

Claire_dO: Yes, as ex-navy officer.

Aliona: I started the GG’s over 10 years ago, closer to 11 years now.

Claire_dO: It’s a long time. Not many institutions last that long here in RLC, not even half that time.

Aliona: we are one of the longest running teams ever, a and I think maybe the longest continuous running team. We never took a break.

…

There are other dance teams that have been here a long time, but not continuous. Barbies, for instance.

Claire_dO: What do you think to be the main reason for such a lifelong?

Aliona: Dedication to what we do. Team members come and go, but team basis stays constant.

Claire_dO: When we last interview you mentioned you held over 50 properties and 4 Uther awards, this was back in 2018 first quarter.

Aliona: Well over 100 now lol. Some need repairs after the loss of flash. One day I’ll get round repairing some.

Claire_dO: It’s a good thing that we know each other for so many years, I guess 7 or 8, because we can grasp continuity and evolution 😊

Are you still head of the Golf Club?

Aliona: Yes. During the season, May first to end October.

Claire_dO: I find it amazing that you head a women’s Golf Club

Aliona: I can’t play but I run the management side. Excuse typos lol

Claire_dO: Is there any resemblance with leading the GG’s

Aliona: No. The Golf team is easier hehehehe

Claire_dO: Why so?

Aliona: You don’t get bm-ed, and I just do the paperwork for the Golf, and organize the matches, etc.

Claire_dO: It’s more organization than leadership?

Aliona: yes. And we have a captain for that. And the captain must be able to play Golf, and I can’t.

Claire_dO: As from 2018 did you get any other Uther award?

Aliona: I got one, but was for myself, not the team.

Claire_dO: what was it for?

Aliona: Important RLC member lifetime award, I can’t remember its full name. Remember the yearly awards stopped in 2017. So, they are no longer awarded.

Claire_dO: Back in 2018, at that time, you complained RLC wasn’t the same, what would you say now?

Aliona: The lack of members is a worry. We used to have over 1000 members in game daily. I can remember seeing over 2000 members in game on a weekend. Brian lost a lot of members when Curio failed. We never got them back.

Claire_dO: But there aren’t many other places where to go!

Aliona: Oh! There are. All much the same. But I will not leave here. I have too much in here

Claire_dO: Unless you could take your friends and properties with you?

Aliona: I was in Eros. And Sky and Vivi and some others joined me there. Eros closed. It was much the same, was part of RLC anyway.

Claire_dO: Tell me, how many gigs do you do per week?

Aliona: 3 to 4, this week 4

Claire_dO: More or less than 4 years ago?

Aliona: Less! People do not hire dance teams now. The real life is more expensive, and they can’t afford the buy rays. They may want to hire but they can’t afford to.

Claire_dO: Less money then ☹

Aliona: Yes. 10 years ago, I could charge 4 times what I charge now. A three-hour gig used to be 750 rays.

Claire_dO: There were perhaps less dance teams and more parties?

Aliona: Yes. On a Saturday there could be 100 parties going on, and 1/3 would have a dance team.

Claire_dO: On your last interview you mentioned you would like to dance for the Amazons one day 😊 It seems you made it ! 😊

Aliona: Yup. We dance for them a lot now 😊😊

Claire_dO: How was the Starfall adventure? Tell me more about it?

Aliona: it’s been a blast. I’ve enjoyed every minute. Before, we were too busy do to anything like it, and there wasn’t the gap for us. When Clit finished, the gap opened for us. It was katz who said I should take the Monday spot

Claire_dO: It was a wise move yes and Clit-on-Clit was a funny place.

Aliona: Was a funny owner yes 😊 😊

Claire_dO: she was damn funny. It finished when the Greek World collapsed.

Aliona: FT kinda got greedy ☹

Claire_dO: Do you have any special project in pipeline?

Aliona: I always have projects in my mind, It’s a question of time, to do them. I could make a new club every week if I had the time. Different themes etc. Swag bag just gave us a new free club and I’ve already started thinking of a Club on it. My brain never stops heheheheh.

I have 4 on the go right now: Starburst Tikki, Star Fall Planet, Star Fall Planet 2, and Star Burst.

Next one I think it will be the steam punk themed. I never stop lol

Claire_dO: Only the dead stop.

Aliona: And I am not going yet

Claire_dO: Ali, what would be the message you would like to send to our readers?

Aliona: I would thank them for their support of the team. Most have followed us for long time, and just let them know we will carry on.

Claire_dO: Thank you for this interview dear Ali.

I take this opportunity to announce Claire_B has been appointed the new Amazon Times Chief Editor 😊 😊

Photography by Pascalou_dO all credits