Body hair on women

Chani

Chani

New member
Hi,

What are everybody's thoughts on women having natural body hair.

I personally think it's normal and natural and while I don't mine when it's removed I am realising that many people are repulsed by armpit hair or leg hair on a woman generally and on a dancer particularly.

I asked my instructor about this and her only coment was that underarm hair can be very distracting.

I have found the younger students in my dance school are repulsed by the concept of going au naturel.

I understand that removing hair is a cultural thing so perhaps it is only in my culture that such a natural thing is offensive.

Personally, I have chosen to shaved in preparation for performances and I don't mind doing this but I do mind that it's expected and if I chose not to I'd risk grossing people out.

Thoughts?
 
nightdancer

nightdancer

New member
Honestly, there are tribal groups that I just cant watch because of it. It makes me sad because they are lovely dancers. I just cant get past the bushes under the armpit thing. I come from a ballet background, and I'm American. Between those two, its hard to move past. Is it judmental of me, and disrespectful to the dancer? Most likely, but its probably not going to change, either.
 
Mosaic

Mosaic

Super Moderator
Oh no - not the armpit hair! sorry Chani here in Oz it is considered pretty repulsive.

As you say it is a natural part of the human body, but believe me I and everyone I know wish armpit & leg hair would take a genetic hike! We had a hippy sort in class for a couple of lessons who was au-la naturale ... and everyone was freaking out and hoping like heck she wouldn't choose to stay and dance in our various choreos, very judgemental I know, but it has become the norm to get rid of it.
~Mosaic
 
Amulya

Amulya

Moderator
We had a thread like this before so I did a few searches but couldn't find anything, so I guess it was on the old boards.

I get very distracted by armpit hair, it looks odd I think. Underarm hair totally depends if it's just a little bit of blond hair or really a lot of hair, or if it's dark. Leg hair is not nice on a dancer I think.

It's actually quite strange how women have gotten the idea somewhere in history that body hair is not good. And yes I also come from a culture where body hair is seen as ugly.
 
Kashmir

Kashmir

New member
In general, in mundane life, I think not only is hair natural and positive - but that there is something a bit creepy about the plastic Barbie no-hair look.

As a dancer I'm conflicted because I know some of my clients are pedophiles - just joking - but they often do not want to see evidence that the dancer is actually a woman not a pre-pubescent girl. My solution is I normally wear sleeves or shrugs when performing so my hairy armpits are not obvious (it helps that they are quite light coloured too - maybe different if I was Greek rather than Hungarian)
 
Daimona

Daimona

Moderator
If you don't want to shave, cover your armpits/legs/belly and nobody will notice or even think about it.
This includes both women and men.

What people do in their daily lives, I don't care about, but on stage, we're portraying something supreme, elevated from the daily life. IMNSHO seeing hairy armpits ruins that image and all those hours of dance and money/time spent on blingy costumes are more or less wasted.
 
Azrael

Azrael

New member
Daimona said:
If you don't want to shave, cover your armpits/legs/belly and nobody will notice or even think about it.
This includes both women and men.

What people do in their daily lives, I don't care about, but on stage, we're portraying something supreme, elevated from the daily life. IMNSHO seeing hairy armpits ruins that image and all those hours of dance and money/time spent on blingy costumes are more or less wasted.
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Yep, I agree! It can be very distracting from the dancing! It's like painting your toe nails or wearing make up for a gig even though you don't normally wear make up/paint your nails. I have pretty funky toe nails and I just paint them a nude colour before I dance somewhere, so that it couldn't possibly distract from what I'm doing. *shrugs* I'd expect the same of underarm hair or even leg hair.
 
lizaj

lizaj

New member
Shaving armpits and legs is just part of grooming for performance or special occasions or all the time if you prefer it.
I always let it slip until I have to reveal legs and armpits and thats getting less frequent;).
I feel less "sweaty" with a bare armpits .
I don't like to see female performers with excess body hair,I have to say. I think I prefer my men a bit smoother also:D
The wobbly bits are a different matter and they shouldn't be on dispay anyway so unless there danger of hair escape why worry. Again I know there are all these concerns about paedos delighting in childlike hair-free zones. I've got news for them and you ..... as we ladies age..the hair gravitates from the nether regions to the chin!:D
 
Amulya

Amulya

Moderator
Azrael said:
Yep, I agree! It can be very distracting from the dancing! It's like painting your toe nails or wearing make up for a gig even though you don't normally wear make up/paint your nails. I have pretty funky toe nails and I just paint them a nude colour before I dance somewhere, so that it couldn't possibly distract from what I'm doing. *shrugs* I'd expect the same of underarm hair or even leg hair.
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I have nail polish for every separate costume in matching colors :)
 
Pleasant dancer

Pleasant dancer

New member
Chani said:
Hi,

Personally, I have chosen to shaved in preparation for performances and I don't mind doing this but I do mind that it's expected and if I chose not to I'd risk grossing people out.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

My thoughts:
Well, when you undertake a job there are lots of things that are expected of us, some we care for more than others, e.g.. wearing a uniform or special shoes, removing our body piercings. Performing for other people is a job. Things are expected of us. Removing body hair is one of them. Professional or amateur - it's a job. It may also be your passion, but it's a job.

It doesn't matter whether it's right or wrong. When you dance for yourself or close friends/family it probably doesn't matter. When you perform for an audience you are doing it for them, not yourself, and you have to put them first.

I've just realised this sounds a bit draconian, but I have watched some tribal dancers with armpit bush and wondered to myself if they really care about me (or anyone else) watching, or are they doing it all just for their own indulgence/whims? :( Then I forget to watch their dancing.......
 
GypsyStacey

GypsyStacey

New member
Pleasant dancer said:
My thoughts:
Well, when you undertake a job there are lots of things that are expected of us, some we care for more than others, e.g.. wearing a uniform or special shoes, removing our body piercings. Performing for other people is a job. Things are expected of us. Removing body hair is one of them. Professional or amateur - it's a job. It may also be your passion, but it's a job.

It doesn't matter whether it's right or wrong. When you dance for yourself or close friends/family it probably doesn't matter. When you perform for an audience you are doing it for them, not yourself, and you have to put them first.

I've just realised this sounds a bit draconian, but I have watched some tribal dancers with armpit bush and wondered to myself if they really care about me (or anyone else) watching, or are they doing it all just for their own indulgence/whims? :( Then I forget to watch their dancing.......
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very well put. i agree i would find armpit hair distracting. that's a great idea that if you don't want to shave at least cover it up.
 
Emma_Williams

Emma_Williams

New member
its gross end of....no one wants to see you dance ala julia roberts armpit style!! For me personally i do let leg hair slip a little but not much until the legs have to come out but i never let them go beyond a tiny bit stubbly but i shave my armpits every day its hygenic and fresher and looks way nicer....i am a bit obsessed tho and i shave most hairs on my body off....armpits...the fine hairs on forearms sometimes...toes if one grows...'other' areas the lot...i cant stand hair lol
 
Aniseteph

Aniseteph

New member
Exposing your au naturel pits to the world makes a statement if the norm is (rightly or wrongly) to get rid of it.

The cultural thing is odd, isn't it? I completely go along with hairless pits, don't want to see hairy legs (but let mine go when they aren't on show :redface:) but the idea of being expected to look plastic Barbie pre-pubescent elsewhere creeps me out.
 
Amulya

Amulya

Moderator
Aniseteph said:
The cultural thing is odd, isn't it? I completely go along with hairless pits, don't want to see hairy legs (but let mine go when they aren't on show :redface:) but the idea of being expected to look plastic Barbie pre-pubescent elsewhere creeps me out.
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Yes that is very creepy. And what is even more creepy is that it's often expected for women to be like that. I read an article about a survey they had done with late teens and early 20's men and women and some of the men didn't even know women normally have hair 'down there' and were shocked to find out. And these young women feel very pressured to conform to the expectations.
 
Farasha Hanem

Farasha Hanem

New member
Emma_Williams said:
its gross end of....no one wants to see you dance ala julia roberts armpit style!! For me personally i do let leg hair slip a little but not much until the legs have to come out but i never let them go beyond a tiny bit stubbly but i shave my armpits every day its hygenic and fresher and looks way nicer....i am a bit obsessed tho and i shave most hairs on my body off....armpits...the fine hairs on forearms sometimes...toes if one grows...'other' areas the lot...i cant stand hair lol
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:shok: You shave your toes, too?!? YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!! I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE!!! :D I joke a lot about having "hobbit feet." :lol:

lizaj: :confused: W-what are "wobbly bits"? :think:
 
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