Versatile Hair, Makeup and Costumes for Competition

Hair and makeup are just as important to a performance as costumes and music. The right look can enhance your vision, adding drama and flair to your choreography, while the wrong one can distract from the dancing. How can you create looks that will add a touch of excitement to your numbers and, at the same time, be versatile and easy to create? Here, DT breaks down how to get the most out of this integral component of your competition performance.

Coiffure Basics
With backstage chaos and little time to spare, changing your dancers’ hairstyle from number to number can seem a little daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. For hair, creating a simple base is the best way to allow for quick transformations and a variety of creative hairstyles. Karen Daggett, owner of All That Jazz in Grants Pass, Oregon, shared her advanced production ensemble’s tricks:

-Before beginning, run several products through hair to weight it down. “Don’t use hairspray! Try frizz tamers, glosses or pomades—something that keeps it moveable and nice looking,” Daggett says. Heavier hair will aid in creating smooth updos later on.
-Begin by parting hair and gathering the first few inches on either side of the part. Separate the hair into two separate locks.
-Pull the pieces behind the ears and underneath the remaining hair. If a student has a lot of hair, try having her flip her head over or having someone hold up the rest of the hair to avoid snagging extra pieces.
-Secure the two ends into a ponytail, which will remain hidden underneath the hair. “To the audience it looks like the hair is all the way down, but it stays out of the girls’ eyes,” Daggett says.
-For dancers with shorter hair, use bobby pins and gel to secure the same front locks of hair behind the ears.

Once the hair is secure and off your dancers’ faces, the hair that remains down is easy to work with to create quick style changes for your competition routines. You can quickly twist the hair into a bun for a ballet piece or a low ponytail for a tap number. Daggett has her dancers tuck their hair under a hat or into a bandana for their hip hop routines. And try leaving the hair down for your emotional lyrical numbers.

Makeup Basics
As with hair, creating a successful competition look for your students is all about mastering a basic look. While glitter and bright colors might make your dancers stand out, when applied improperly or paired with the wrong foundation, their impact can be lost under the stage lights. Melinda Robinson, who has taught stage makeup at Southern Methodist University for 14 years, explains the best techniques for looking great onstage:

Foundation
-Dancers who are lighter-skinned should look for a color slightly richer than their natural skin tone. Cream foundations with peach or pink undertones will complement pale skin nicely.
-Dancers with darker skin-coloring need to match their foundation to the “highlight” tones on the apple of their cheeks and the bridge of their nose. (Highlight tones are slightly lighter than the rest of the face.) Do not match foundation to the darkest tones on the face or your features will disappear onstage.
-Use a sponge to apply your foundation, especially if you are not accustomed to using makeup. It will help the makeup go on smoothly.
-Make your makeup last by putting powder all over your face after applying blush. Then run a makeup sponge under cold water and squeeze it out. Gently pat your face to remove excess powder. The cold water will set your makeup and protect it against the hot lights of the stage.

Eyes
-Always start by putting foundation on your eyelids to set your makeup.
-If you want to use eye shadow directly on the lid, blend a light color from the top of the eyelid into the crease.
-Highlight the brow bone with a light color to make the eyes pop. Extend the color from the top of the crease to the bottom of the eyebrow.
-Dark eye shadow should only be used in the crease of the eye. Contour the shadow along the crease and up towards the brow bone, ending beyond the outside corner of the eye. Eye shadow should be thicker closer to the nose.
-When applying eyeliner and false eyelashes, do not place them directly on the lash line. Instead, place them just slightly above the eyelashes to open up your eyes. Putting too much black close to the eye will make your eyes disappear.
-To make eyes appear larger, put on false eyelashes following the curve of the eye until the outer corner, then place them horizontally.

Lips and Cheeks
-Always outline the lip before putting on lipstick.
-For long-lasting lip color, apply one layer of lipstick, then powder lips and add another layer on top.
-Drugstore brand long-lasting lip colors work very well. Most styles come with both a stain color and a clear gloss. If your students are wearing their hair down, use stain alone to avoid any sticky problems. Otherwise, use both the stain and the gloss for a vibrant look.
-Cheek color should balance lip color. Do not use a bright orange blush with a red lipstick or a bright pink blush with a pale lipstick.
-Always blend in cheek color! When using cream blush, place on cheekbones and blend toward the hairline with a sponge. With powders, dab color on the cheekbones, then rub in a circular motion with your fingers.
-For a natural look, place blush or light bronzer horizontally above eyebrows, on the tip of the nose and chin.

Once your dancers have a flawless base look, it becomes easier to play around with different colors and styles between numbers. Need to go from a bright lipstick to a nude? Simply apply Chapstick to soften the color and wipe off. Are your dancers starting to sweat through their makeup? No need to start over with foundation; simply reapply powder and pat again with a cold, wet sponge. Want to change your style without changing eye shadow color? Using more or less shadow in the dancer’s eyelid crease can dramatically change the look.

Getting It Done
When it comes to thinking up new ideas for your hair and makeup, don’t be afraid to ask for help. For example, consider making an appointment with a makeup artist at a cosmetic counter in your local department store. According to Kimberlee Garris, a former New York Knicks City Dancer who is now the New Jersey Nets entertainment and event marketing coordinator, not only will a makeup artist be able to help you with new colors and styles, but he or she will also help you determine the proper foundations and blushes for each of your dancers.

“We want our girls to feel comfortable with their makeup,” Garris explains. “We will get together beforehand to pull together the overall idea of what we want and then the artists will figure out what works best for each individual girl.”

Makeup artists can also be a big help in teaching your dancers how to recreate a look by themselves, Garris says. Have the artist apply the makeup to only one side of the face, then let your dancers work on the other side of the face to match the first.

Experts are not only found in stores; they might even be right in your own studio. Keep in mind that some of your high school–aged students may be proficient at both hair and makeup. Set aside a day of rehearsal for new hair and makeup and let your dancers come in with their ideas. You may be surprised at the amazing ideas they come up with.

Finally, don’t forget to enlist your students’ parents for help. Their assistance will come in handy, especially with younger dancers. When you have your hair and makeup practice day, invite parents to come in with their children. Have them practice recreating hairstyles so they know how to help out and fix any problems that might arise during a performance. For makeup, assign a couple of parents to each task, such as foundation or eyelash application. On competition day, create an assembly line to save precious time.

In the high-stress environment of a competition, it can be easy to forget about the many possibilities your hair and makeup hold. But if you plan early, practice often and master the basics, you can create a new set of looks to express the personality of your numbers. You’ll not only add a new dimension to the dancing, but you’ll wow the judges at the same time. DT