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How to Do Stage Makeup for Dancers

If your child is performing in a dance recital, she will need to wear stage makeup, which enhances a dancer’s features so that her expressions are visible from the audience.

Below we have provided makeup information to help you with home application tips on how to practise your stage makeup.

Preschool aged children

The key to doing children’s makeup for ballet is to use natural colours. The child shouldn’t look “made up” with loud colours; rather, the makeup should make her features stand out from far away. Makeup for children is meant to emphasize features, not exaggerate them.

Children, Teenagers & Ladies

As children mature their make up should reflect their age and become stronger and heavier dependant on age. Following the basic model below the make up application follows the same principals however should be darker and include false eye lashes and darker eyeliner for teenage aged students & Ladies.

Things you will need.

  • Foundation – Skin Colour
  • Lip liner – Red
  • Lipstick – Red
  • Blush – Pink
  • Powder – Skin Colour
  • Eye shadow – 3 x shades of browns. Light, Medium & Dark
  • Eye liner – Black
  • Mascara – Black
  • Highlighter – Ivory or Cream
  • Brushes for lips, eyes, brows, blush, powder
  • False Eye Lashes for Teenage ages and Ladies
  • Bronzer can also be lightly used – optional

Foundation/Base

Using a makeup sponge, apply foundation in a color that matches the child’s skin tone. Use more foundation than you would for “street” makeup. Blend the foundation at the jawline. Dust on lightweight, slightly shimmery powder so the makeup will stay put onstage.
Liquid or a loose compact foundation

Eye Shadows

Use a cream/ivory shadow on the lids – Brown eye shadows in different grades are ideas. A light, medium and dark brown. Choose a relatively muted colours — too bright and the child will look garish. Finish the eyeshadow with a dusting of powder to hold the colour.

Use a cream blush in a peach or pale pink with shimmery tones to highlight the cheekbones. Blend into the foundation.

Eyeliner

Line the eyes using a liquid eyeliner in black or very dark brown. Extend the line on the top lash slightly past the eye, but don’t turn it up. Finish the eyes with two coats of mascara a shade or two darker than the liner.

Applying Lipstick

Begin by lining the lips with a red lipliner pencil, then fill them in with red lipstick. Avoid bright reds, as these can be too bright for children. A deep but strong blood red suits most skin tones

Below we have provided 3 video tutorials that are helpful in demonstrating how to apply stage make up.

This first tutorial is ideal for mums with very young children. It is a longer tutorial but has helpful tips for how to apply make up to young children and keep them settled and still ????

This next tutorial is a fast example of how to apply stage make up for all ages

This tutorial is a little more advanced. If you are looking for a more professional look with tips and tools on how to apply your stage, make up that looks extra sharp

A sketch has been drawn below to help you with your stage makeup. Along with images as examples for Junior and Senior students. Stage Makeup needs to be a lot heavier than normal makeup because the bright lights wash out people’s facial features unless they are emphasized with dark make up. Senior students are asked to wear false eyelashes.