Would you change your look (say wear a wig) to not be recognized?
- Thread starter lily_raks
- Start date
Mosaic
Super Moderator
I doubt it would stop you being recognised especially by people who know you well, people change their hair colour all the time. But if one felt they absolutely needed to disguise themselves for whatever reason then I say go ahead. Would I do it - not to try to hide who I am, but for the fun of wearing a wig to have a different hairstyle/colour yes I would.
~Mosaic
~Mosaic
Shanazel
Moderator
I had a dark brown waist length wig I wore for venues who thought blonds shouldn't belly dance. The only other time I wore it was when I danced in a place where I knew members of my roadbuilding crew hung out after hours. The only person who recognized me was another woman and she didn't blow my anonymity. The guys were used to seeing me in sunglasses, a hard hat, jeans and a dirty jacket (I was a scraper operator) and didn't recongize me with make up and bedlah. I suspect no one looked closely at my face except Mim. 
shiradotnet
Well-known member
I've never done that, but I think it's fine to do it if you want to. I know other dancers who have done it.
One time, I was performing with the troupe I was in at an outdoor city festival. I saw one of my customers in the audience, and he watched us for our entire 30-minute show but didn't show any signs of recognizing me. I hadn't done anything to disguise myself, but he certainly wasn't used to seeing me glammed up in sequins and stage makeup. The next time I spoke to him, I asked him how he liked the festival. He was shocked and said, "Oh, were YOU there?" He'd had no idea I was one of the dancers he'd watched for half an hour!
Lydia
New member
i never do or did that....even its sometimes difficult i live in a arabic area the people are very conservative arabs still almost beduin some never even been to the city...my neighbors visit me and their children play in my garden they al think i am a ,,sport teacher,, what i am in the morning ,i teach selfdefence...many times it happens that people come in the school look at me and say,,i have seen you before,, lucky me they never put 1 and 1 together...i look a ,,bit,, differant in the morning wearing selfdefence kimomo no make up and hair tiet back....so i always get away with it but sometimes i think brrrr that was close.......in this society people dont accept that woman dance specialy not in a costume on stage,i know many arab dancers that have to wear wigs and heavy makeup and they can not dance in the country were the live ,they must travel to other country,s so people will not know them...its not for joking either when the family finds out....you dont wanna know what can happen to them...so you can say ,,its nobody,s business what i do ,,but for some people its realy a case of life and dead,i am not kidding.....so consider yourself lucky if you can be yourself and ,,dance,, and be the real you ...its a blessing a big one......
Yame
New member
Yes, this happens. Just glamming yourself up sometimes is enough for people not to recognize you. With me, since I wear my hair up normally, and wear glasses, people who see me in everyday life might not recognize me when they see me perform because I have my hair down, glasses off, and lots of makeup on. Also, I think my body looks very different in belly dance costumes than it does in my regular, everyday clothes.
Duvet
Member
Not done it on purpose, but I do look quite different in costume than in everyday clothes. And my posture and projection alters too when I'm performing.There have been times when I've danced at a venue, then changed and joined the audience to enjoy the rest of the evening, and then get told that I missed the dancer (who was me!).
However, I do feel it is none of my bosses, or colleagues, business what I do in my private life, provided it's legal. I guess I'm lucky to live in a country where I can enjoy that freedom.
However, I do feel it is none of my bosses, or colleagues, business what I do in my private life, provided it's legal. I guess I'm lucky to live in a country where I can enjoy that freedom.
Amulya
Moderator
Would be great if we post pictures of ourselves in belly dance gear and 'normal' clothes. I am going to chase some up to show
Ok, found some:
here is me as 'normal' person:
Shanazel, where are you? Here is one of our horses:
And as belly dancer:
Looking forward to other dancers' pictures!
Ok, found some:
here is me as 'normal' person:
Shanazel, where are you? Here is one of our horses:
And as belly dancer:
Looking forward to other dancers' pictures!
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Shanazel
Moderator
What a good idea, Amulya! I'm not sure any recent pictures of me exist, either mundane or dancer. Usually I'm the one aiming the camera.
I love a bay with black stockings. (IDEA!) Maybe I'll rig myself up in dancer togs and get someone to take my picture with my daughter's new Arab Gelding.
By the way, you are as charming in your mundane persona as your dancerly one.
I love a bay with black stockings. (IDEA!) Maybe I'll rig myself up in dancer togs and get someone to take my picture with my daughter's new Arab Gelding.
By the way, you are as charming in your mundane persona as your dancerly one.
AndreaSTL
New member
I have never been in a situation where I needed to change my appearance to escape recognition. If I had a supervisor who was conservative and wouldn't like the fact that I danced I wouldn't discuss it around him. If he would go to a venue that has dancers then to my mind he doesn't really oppose it and can't hold it against me, therefore I don't need a disguise.
Choosing not to flaunt something is not the same as hiding it, IMHO. I've had many coworkers that I didn't discuss my private life with, but I wasn't trying to hide anything, either. If they asked I'd tell them. I'm too old to deal with that hiding-my-true-self crap, but I don't rush to tell people that I dance, either. I would hazard a guess that each and every person does something that someone else wouldn't approve of. Not everyone has to like what you do, nor do you have to tell everyone what you do.
Choosing not to flaunt something is not the same as hiding it, IMHO. I've had many coworkers that I didn't discuss my private life with, but I wasn't trying to hide anything, either. If they asked I'd tell them. I'm too old to deal with that hiding-my-true-self crap, but I don't rush to tell people that I dance, either. I would hazard a guess that each and every person does something that someone else wouldn't approve of. Not everyone has to like what you do, nor do you have to tell everyone what you do.
walladah
New member
I would definitely understand any dancer
who wants to hide her/his identity because she/he lives in a suppressive-sexist-uneducated environment (human environment obviously, let alone that pets would recognise us anyway).
However, in such environment, well, the audience might not be able to recognise you in a bellydance costume anyway, because, no matter how you do not hide face, hair or even scars/beauty spots on the parts of body exposed without cover, they do not expect you to be the dancer in such a setting and they "do not see you", so they do not recognise you. This is a natural protection, provided by the same conservatism that makes you feel uncomfortable with audience that might know you. and i am writing based on personal experience... [the other side of the coin is that in the "formal, everyday setting" even if you reveal that you dance, they do not believe you, unless and they watch you to!]
who wants to hide her/his identity because she/he lives in a suppressive-sexist-uneducated environment (human environment obviously, let alone that pets would recognise us anyway).
However, in such environment, well, the audience might not be able to recognise you in a bellydance costume anyway, because, no matter how you do not hide face, hair or even scars/beauty spots on the parts of body exposed without cover, they do not expect you to be the dancer in such a setting and they "do not see you", so they do not recognise you. This is a natural protection, provided by the same conservatism that makes you feel uncomfortable with audience that might know you. and i am writing based on personal experience... [the other side of the coin is that in the "formal, everyday setting" even if you reveal that you dance, they do not believe you, unless and they watch you to!]
Shira and Yame,
I think that's very cool. The only reason I was considering "hiding" was that I dance at noon at one of my gigs (Yame, you've seen my other thread). But I ended up telling my boss that I use my lunch hour to perform on Fridays. If I wanted to not be recognized I think it would even take more than a wig since I put make-up on and do my hair everyday. I don't use heavy make-up everyday and just go slighlty heavier on the eyes and lips when I dance so I would be easy to spot. Oh, I use extensions that give me about five inches more of lenght but that's it. Still easy to recognize. My lunch time gig is my only concern. I could care less if I was recognized at night
Thanks for sharing! Beautiful. Love that colorful costume by the way. Very artistic photos.