Quote:
Originally Posted by vilia
Maybe that's why some of us began performing in the first place! I'm not the flirtacious/charismatic type in real life .... but get me in a costume with a set of zills in my hands and things feel like they change dramatically (or at least they used to when I did it regularly). That's what I've always said about myself .... I take on a different personna, that part of me that doesn't usually come out due to shyness.
Yeah, whenever the wolf whistles started with the laborers, my head would go down and I couldn't get away fast enough (even though I needed that "feedback"). How screwed up is that?
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No, it isn't screwed up at all, about half the population suffers from shyness and it is apparently very instinctive on a biological level - human beings share a reflex that is very instinctive protection animals have - shyness, hiding, running, is their protection against getting killed and eaten by predators - it's the basic biological reason for "stage fright" or "fear of speaking in public" - we are afraid the audience is going to eat us alive (and sometimes it does feel a bit like that ). Getting back to basis of thread, a lot of dancers have serious stage fright/shyness. I certainly did because I am inherently shy - over time it gets so much better and given enough time, dancers start to incorporate a bit of the belly dance persona into regular life. Just a dab - like wearing chandelier earrings instead of prim pearl studs to day job - as long as attire isn't risque, it's just letting some personality in. I've been belly dancing for over 20 years and cannot imagine not being involved - it is part of my overall lifestyle - I wear caftans instead of sweats to lounge in, and so forth. Even though I am not "regular paid professional dancer" anymore - I'm still performing fairly regularly and very involved in classes and workshops and have my own regular student (yaaay!).
When I tell students the true story that when I auditioned to work at the Casbah in S.F. Fadil hired me but told me, "you are really shy". Well, it was sink or swim and I worked their regularly for years until they closed so I got over it, the shyness just evaporated.
But what I'm saying is that it's very normal and common for people to have the whole shyness thing - attention that is surprising (like the wolf whistles of day laborers) can easily trigger the shy, hurry away but secretly pleased reaction. Hey, at least you got the wolf whistles, good for you!
