I'm in the Los Angeles area and I will be performing a salsa routine in a showcase in June. I'm new to performing (as in "never done it"!), and I need some help with inexpesive costumes/dresses and how to apply makeup for the stage.

There have been links to articles about makeup in Dance Spirit magazine online, but those links are now dead. Anyone know where I can view some headshots of dancers made up for competition/shows so I can copy the looks?

Also, regarding costuming, I'm looking for affordable outfits (under $200, if possible) that can either be ordered online or found local in LA.

Thanks everyone in advance for your help!


We're fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance. -- Japanese Proverb

salsamama

There are many pictures of dancers during competition on www.danceplaza.com. They have a whole section filled with photographs from certain competitions and photographers. Looking at those would help give you some ideas for you make up.

I assume you're a more-or-less beginner dancer as well as beginner performer? And is it a studio showcase?

Your teacher or one of the female teachers in the studio should be able to advise you about what's usual there.

But if I'm right in my assumptions, IME most beginners don't wear full-fledged dance costumes in showcases. There are lots of dance-friendly styles in fashion now and you could likely find something appropriate in a local store. For salsa, the best thing to look for is a skirt that moves and will emphasize your movement, like a flirty skirt, handkerchief hems, etc. Test-dance it both before you buy and before you perform. If there's ANY question about how high the skirt will twirl when you turn, make sure you are wearing dance trunks in black or a color to match your dress (not nude). If you need to secure the dress to prevent "wardrobe malfunctions" on top, body glue, double-sided tape, or toupee tape will do the trick.

A good beginning approach to make-up is to use your usual style of make-up and just put it on quite a bit heavier than usual. False eyelashes are a nice touch if you're comfortable with them. Try it out and stand across the room from a mirror. Can you see your eyes well?

Good luck! Most of all, have fun!

Tangoteen & Ellen -- Thanks to both of you for replying here!!

Yes, Ellen, you're spot-on about the level of my experience & the fact that it's a studio showcase. I'd ask our instructor for advice, but he's a dude! His partner might have some advice, but we rarely see her. Our instructor is more of a choreographer for this show, and he usually uses one of us ladies to demonstrate moves (there are actually four couples performing together, and none of us have danced on stage before! Eek!). So, you can see my dilemma. This is a little like "the blind leading the blind".

I've been dancing salsa on and off for seven years, stopping twice to have babies. I love to dance, though, and my salsa and belly dance classes are SO much more fun than going to the gym. Performing is a whole new bag for me, though, so thanks again for the advice and support.

Most male instructors have some ideas about costumes. You'd be surprised!

Since it's a group routine, you might want to get together with the other ladies and coordinate your costumes, at least colors. A performance looks more polished if there is some theme to the costuming, I think. I've done things like all wearing black skirts and the same color top, in whatever style we like best, or all black with identical scarves for accent.