"So You Think You Can Do THAT Makeup?"

JAMcosmetics | Jun 22, 2008 | 0

I love "So you think you can dance?" and "Dancing with the Stars" reality TV shows.  I don't watch TV often but I got sucked in to all the amazing opportunities to watch dancers do their thing.  The dance industry is forever changed.  Artists of all genres are being inspired by the choreography, the costumes, and of course, my favorite - THE MAKEUP!  All of our wonderful dance reality shows are TV shows taped with a live audience.  Interestingly enough, the live audience members at these taped TV shows cannot see the gorgeous makeup these dancers are wearing as clearly as we can see it on our TV screens.  That is because these makeup styles are designed for TV.  There is a big difference between TV makeup and STAGE makeup.  

So what is the difference, you ask?  I feel that as teh creator of JAM cosmetics - THE premier makeup line for dancers - it is imperative for me to do what I do...educate on Dance Makeup...whether it is for TV or for STAGE.    

So, let's clarify a few things:  

Makeup for TV is done for TV lighting and to accommodate for the distance between the performer and the audience.   TV brings the performer into the living rooms of their audience…no more than 5 feet away.  The makeup needs to be seen at a distance of only 5 feet or so.  The lighting for TV is very intense and the cameras are going to be up close and in the performers face.  You are looking at the performer's face as if they are standing right in front of you.  (Sidebar:  What was up with the purple lipstick on Chelsea Wednesday night?  She is an absolutely stunningly gorgeous girl that got completely overtaken with a color lipstick that was so distracting and wrong for her.  Trendy looks are great but trends should not be followed just because they are popular.  Make sure it looks good on YOU and is appropriate for a costume because BAD MAKEUP IS DISTRACTING).

Makeup for STAGE is done for stage lighting and to accommodate for the distance between the performer and the audience.  The lighting is so intense it can wash out the dancer's facial feature.  Also, the audience will NOT be in the performer's face.  The audience is going to be pretty far away from the dancer's face.  In fact, the best case scenario is that we are a minimum of 20-30 feet away from the performer - and that is in a small theater.  Under stage lighting and because of the distance, as an audience member, we are going to struggle to see the facial emotions of that dancer if the makeup is not bold enough.  Now, I am not talking about the old "clown-like" style of stage makeup that was applied with grease paint and we needed to use twenty or more years ago because of intense footlights that lined the front of the stage and completely wash out ALL facial features.  NNNOOOOOOOO!  Footlights are not being used that often in theaters anymore.   Our digital front lighting today is a little gentler and kinder but still intense enough for the performers to be seen well by the audience in the last row of the theater.  However, our stage makeup should be applied skillfully but intense enough to reach the first 8 - 10 rows of the house - approximately 30 - 50 feet, depending on the size of the theater.  After all, at a Broadway show, those are the most expensive seats, right?  

As beautiful as Kherinton was Wednesday night in the Viennese waltz, we would never have been able to see her face in the fourth row of a Broadway theater with her pale pink/mauve eye shadow, blush, and lipstick.  It was so light, pretty and sweet for TV - but would not have been enough for a stage performance.  Check your TiVo recording of Wednesday night's show and see what I mean.

Skillfully but intensely applied stage makeup...hmmm...that is a whole other blog.  

Check out www.JAMcosmetics.net to find the perfect STAGE look for your dance company/team.  With video makeup demonstrations, face charts and instructions and makeup tips and tricks, dancers of all ages, levels and styles are sure to learn exactly what they need to know to look professional on stage.  Give our JAM Dance Makeup Experts a call for a FREE consultation for your dance company/team and/or plan next year's makeup workshop for your studio.    

Print Email Link

• Share
  • add to facebook
  • add to del.icio.us
  • add to digg
  • add to yahoo
  • related at technorati

Jazz, Hip Hop, Broadway, Teacher, Studio, Competitions & Conventions, Performance (all tags)