My eyeliner is your first clue.
Apr. 26th, 2008 09:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
parasitegirlWhen going to belly dance events that I am not performing in, I now take care to put on a little make-up. It helps people identify who I am...They seem to need a small transition between no-make-up glasses me and full-blown show face. I always wear contacts and some make-up now when meeting people who might potentially hire me, or dance with me, or perform music for a show I am in just so I look a little more dancer-y. I've always dressed nicely outside of costume...but the number of people who have no clue that me in glasses and performance me are the same me is growing old.
When I showed up to the dressing room last night, Nourah was already there and wanted a good look at my eyes and eye make-up.Then Miho, teacher in the area who is the same Japan Dance era as Mishaal, very politely introduced herself to me.
Now, I know who Miho is...and I was pretty sure that Miho knew me by face.. but maybe not by name. I've talked with her briefly at many workshops, events over 3+ years and took some classes at her studio a while back...I've talked to her husband and watched her little girl grow for 3 years...and there aren't THAT many foriegners who are at almost all Mishaal's workshops.
Nourah and I both tried to convince Miho that she knew me, but perhaps didn't recognize me and she kept thinking that was impossible, she'd have remembered me...until I brought out my cell phone and showed her a picture of what I look like when at, say, work.
"Aaaaaaaaahhhh! The glasses! Yes!!!"
Yup, the foriegner with the glasses is...ME! Yes, mind blowing.
Another dancer, Kiki, I had never actually met prior to last night. She didn't know me either, but knew of "Ozma" as a designer from the costumes I made for Farasha...and when I brought out my homemade it clicked for her.
I got to today's workshop nice and early and helped set up. I'd bothered with some eye makeup and lipstick, but my hair was pulled back. One of the first Japanese girls to show up came up to sit near me and ask me a few questions..and then looked long at me and had to ask..
"So, are you...Ozma? Did you dance last night?"
And when I said yes she clapped her hands hands and shreiked and started complementing me and talking about how last night was the first time she'd seen me perform and loved it but wasn't sure it it was me...which I assured her was ok because it happens a LOT...and she was very nice and a little...and this reaction still floors me...sort of star-struck. She went into detail about how her friends loved me too and expessialy how expressive my face is...at which point I made the heart broken/resigned face, put my hand to my chest and did the heart-break chest drop...and then the face recovering hope...
"You mean this?"
(shrieks) and then turned to friends to explain, see..seeeee it really IS her.
When I gave her my spare set of zills because she'd forgotten hers, it was like I'd became the magical BD faerie of goodness and light....she turned to her friend to show them how nice i was. She stuck by me the whole workshop and was very nice.
She looked familiar. It turns out that she may have be a lower-level student when I was still with the crazy teacher, but I reassured her that it would take super human skills to equate a chubbier me with bobbed hair and no make-up to me now/onstage...
The fans thing still takes getting used to. When I danced last night I looked down at the girls who'd shown up early so they could sit crammed against the stage. Front and center was Latte, a Japanese girl who comes to shows, always responds to all my mixi posts, and now will hang out after a show to introduce her nervous friends to me. It blows my mind that anyone would think they need a friend to be their "gateway" to an introduction to me.
I recently posted a blog on Mixi, in Japanese...I usually don't write much in Japanese because I am lazy (posting costume and progress pictures instead...and people know they can reply in Japanese) but I'm working on my writing skills. I talked about my new job and my desire to improve my written japanese. Latte replied back about how she wants to speak more English and would love me as an English teacher. I didn't respond right away (because I was tired) but then Latte sent a follow up email about how she hoped I hadn't taken her comment about wanting to speak more English as something that would decrease my chances to use Japanese and that I'd taken it the right ...and I had to reply that I thought her reply was perfectly understandable and nice...but that it's strange that she worries to much about what I might think, I'm pretty relaxed in general. I don't over think most replies to my posts here or on Mixi!
Latte and her friends were crowded up against the stage, with the hugest grins. It was fun to throw them a "Oh yeah, this hip punch is for you" gesture and watch them scream. I can't imagine what it would be like to ramp up that reaction a hundred fold...no wonder celebs can get so mentally wacked.
I'm good about taking complements after a show, I say thank you and sometimes I mean it! I think I've been relatively lucky with fans because the things they often complement me on are things that I work hard at, like being emotionally expressive and (recently) my zills...or my stage presence...and not just on my looks.
I don't have horde of fans, or anything, but I'm realizing that I do have an odd, dedicated following.
When I showed up to the dressing room last night, Nourah was already there and wanted a good look at my eyes and eye make-up.Then Miho, teacher in the area who is the same Japan Dance era as Mishaal, very politely introduced herself to me.
Now, I know who Miho is...and I was pretty sure that Miho knew me by face.. but maybe not by name. I've talked with her briefly at many workshops, events over 3+ years and took some classes at her studio a while back...I've talked to her husband and watched her little girl grow for 3 years...and there aren't THAT many foriegners who are at almost all Mishaal's workshops.
Nourah and I both tried to convince Miho that she knew me, but perhaps didn't recognize me and she kept thinking that was impossible, she'd have remembered me...until I brought out my cell phone and showed her a picture of what I look like when at, say, work.
"Aaaaaaaaahhhh! The glasses! Yes!!!"
Yup, the foriegner with the glasses is...ME! Yes, mind blowing.
Another dancer, Kiki, I had never actually met prior to last night. She didn't know me either, but knew of "Ozma" as a designer from the costumes I made for Farasha...and when I brought out my homemade it clicked for her.
I got to today's workshop nice and early and helped set up. I'd bothered with some eye makeup and lipstick, but my hair was pulled back. One of the first Japanese girls to show up came up to sit near me and ask me a few questions..and then looked long at me and had to ask..
"So, are you...Ozma? Did you dance last night?"
And when I said yes she clapped her hands hands and shreiked and started complementing me and talking about how last night was the first time she'd seen me perform and loved it but wasn't sure it it was me...which I assured her was ok because it happens a LOT...and she was very nice and a little...and this reaction still floors me...sort of star-struck. She went into detail about how her friends loved me too and expessialy how expressive my face is...at which point I made the heart broken/resigned face, put my hand to my chest and did the heart-break chest drop...and then the face recovering hope...
"You mean this?"
(shrieks) and then turned to friends to explain, see..seeeee it really IS her.
When I gave her my spare set of zills because she'd forgotten hers, it was like I'd became the magical BD faerie of goodness and light....she turned to her friend to show them how nice i was. She stuck by me the whole workshop and was very nice.
She looked familiar. It turns out that she may have be a lower-level student when I was still with the crazy teacher, but I reassured her that it would take super human skills to equate a chubbier me with bobbed hair and no make-up to me now/onstage...
The fans thing still takes getting used to. When I danced last night I looked down at the girls who'd shown up early so they could sit crammed against the stage. Front and center was Latte, a Japanese girl who comes to shows, always responds to all my mixi posts, and now will hang out after a show to introduce her nervous friends to me. It blows my mind that anyone would think they need a friend to be their "gateway" to an introduction to me.
I recently posted a blog on Mixi, in Japanese...I usually don't write much in Japanese because I am lazy (posting costume and progress pictures instead...and people know they can reply in Japanese) but I'm working on my writing skills. I talked about my new job and my desire to improve my written japanese. Latte replied back about how she wants to speak more English and would love me as an English teacher. I didn't respond right away (because I was tired) but then Latte sent a follow up email about how she hoped I hadn't taken her comment about wanting to speak more English as something that would decrease my chances to use Japanese and that I'd taken it the right ...and I had to reply that I thought her reply was perfectly understandable and nice...but that it's strange that she worries to much about what I might think, I'm pretty relaxed in general. I don't over think most replies to my posts here or on Mixi!
Latte and her friends were crowded up against the stage, with the hugest grins. It was fun to throw them a "Oh yeah, this hip punch is for you" gesture and watch them scream. I can't imagine what it would be like to ramp up that reaction a hundred fold...no wonder celebs can get so mentally wacked.
I'm good about taking complements after a show, I say thank you and sometimes I mean it! I think I've been relatively lucky with fans because the things they often complement me on are things that I work hard at, like being emotionally expressive and (recently) my zills...or my stage presence...and not just on my looks.
I don't have horde of fans, or anything, but I'm realizing that I do have an odd, dedicated following.
