Not all, but most students who study dance will come to a point in their dance journey where they will want to share what they’ve learned and perform for friends, family, and maybe even the public. Here at Bella Ballroom, we give our dance students the chance to perform biannually in our student showcase. Some ballroom dance students go on to compete in the various ballroom dances categories. In either situation, it’s important for the performers to have a polished look. As new dance performers, it’s helpful to have some tricks of the trade when applying ballroom dance makeup. From performing in various dance shows and working with a variety of dance artists, I have picked up some tricks of the trade. While the art of stage make-up today is studied and done by professional make-up artists, the following tips are a great start for the new dance performer looking to shine extra bright on stage.
Skin Care: Looking good on stage goes beyond the make-up you apply the day of the dance. Create a consistent daily skin care regime for yourself to keep your skin healthy, glowing, and blemish free.
Get Good Products: Invest in quality make-up. It will last longer because you won’t need to use as much and it will look much better when applied to your face.
If you’re on a budget, pick and choose where you can spend a little more money. Mascara is generally a product I will buy at a drug store, while I invest in quality eye shadow and foundation.
Start with the Eyes: While many people may suggest starting their ballroom dance makeup routine by applying foundation, I start with the eyes. The reason why is because sometimes when I apply eye shadow, it falls on to my face and underneath my eyes. It is better to clean the excess eye shadow off with make-up remover and not have to worry about reapplying removed foundation.
Brows: Your eyebrows are the frame to your face. Ballroom dancers performing on stage may need to emote their expressions to far away audience members. Consider filling in your eyebrows with a pencil or brow kit, especially if you have light or sparse eyebrows.
Lips: Line your lips on the very, very outside of your lip line, or even just beyond it. Fill in your lip stain or a lipstick that is specifically made for stage make-up. Regular lipstick comes off to easily and may not last through a dance show. Don’t pick a color that is too light.
Contour Contouring the face is very important to dance stage make-up. After evening out your skin tone by applying a good foundation and powder, use a warm colored powder to contour the cheekbones, nose, and forehead. After, apply a rosy blush to the cheeks.
Try it Out Beforehand Don’t wait until show day to try out your look for the first time. Experiment with make-up beforehand. You’ll be able to get a sense of how long it will take you to apply your stage make-up and make any mistakes when it doesn’t matter.
Overdo It One of the most common mistakes new dance performers make when applying stage make-up is not putting on enough. It may feel like you have too much make-up on at first. Remember that you need to be seen from distances farther away than day to day life.
Eyelashes are a nice touch: Nothing puts me in performance mode like a fake pair of lashes. They will help accentuate your eyes and more visible than your natural pair.
Seal the Deal: Once you’ve applied all of your make-up, apply a product that sets in your make-up. Dancers sweat in performing their movements and with the heat of stage lights. The extra heat and sweat can cause make-up to run and come off. A setting spray can make your make-up job last all night.
Seek Professional Help: Consider going to your local make-up counter or even hiring a make-up artist to coach you in performance make-up. Youtube can also be a great resource for make-up tips and ideas.
Make-Up for Men: While these tips and tricks for dance performance make-up are geared towards women, male performers apply make-up too. Commonly men will conceal blemishes, contour the face, and emphasize the eyes with their make-up.
Article by Ziva