I know what you’re thinking: “Am I really supposed to put make-up on my five-year-old?” And the answer is yes. Stage make-up is an essential part of the performance process and since we are training our little ones to perform in a professional quality show, we have to make sure that their bright eyes and beautiful smiles will show up onstage. Bright stage lights wash out dancers faces. Without proper make-up your dancer could end up looking like she just saw a ghost! Stage make-up is used to make important features like lips and eyes stand out so that from the audience, they look like a normal person. We walk a fine line when we put our little girls in make-up and it’s important that they don’t look too gown up for their age. It’s also helpful to emphasize that this is special make-up we wear on the stage because it’s part of performing, but that little girls don’t wear make-up everyday because they’re too beautiful just the way they are. Here are four steps to simple, beautiful, and young (2-16 years) make-up that will enhance your dancer’s natural beauty onstage.
1. Begin with foundation
It is best to use a color that is the same color as your dancer’s skin tone. Foundation is not absolutely necessary, but it will help the blush and eye make-up last longer and give the face a fresh, polished look.
2. Apply blush
Dancers should wear a nice ruby color on their cheeks. You want it to be darker than what you would normally wear during the day, but not so dark that there are red circles on the face. Apply on the apples of the cheeks in a circular motion.
3. Eyes
Begin with a cream-colored eye shadow as a base, a nice beige will work as well. This should be one or two shades lighter than the dancers skin tone. Apply across the eyelids, on the brow bone, and in the innermost corners of the eyes. Apply either blush or bronzer to the creases of the eyes just between the brow bone and the eye-lid to make the eyes really stand out. Finish with lots of dark mascara and if you’re really daring you can add a thin line of eyeliner and fake eyelashes (more for the tween to teen set).
4. Lips
The lips should be a reddish pink color that is girly and fun. A nice raspberry color will be dark enough to show up on stage without looking too mature for our youngest dancers. In order for lipstick to stay put it is best to line the lips first, but this is not absolutely necessary. A light gloss can be added to give the lips a beautiful shine.
Our dancers have worked all year to learn their dances and polish their moves. Let’s make sure that when they hit the stage their brilliant smiles are visible all the way in the back row. If you’re still wondering which products to buy, check out this list of tried and true products that our TDA parents love. These are common brands you can find at most drugstores, Walmart or Target.
Lipstick:
Revlon: 440 – Cherries in the Snow
Blush:
Cover Girl: 140 – Plumberry Glow
Eyeshadow:
Maybelline 40 – Designer Chocolates
Maybelline 40T – Chocolate Mousse Color Trio
Written by Sarah Garske
