Role of make up and hairdressing
Subashini PATHMANATHAN
Make up for dance is a unique art. Every dance has a particular type
of make up. Each folk dance or each classical dance has a certain
selective type of dance make up and hairdressing. Make up has developed
a separate branch of study, and a separate profession in the society.
The experience, involvement and the individual interest of a make up
artist are much more important than the theoretical make up artist.
Earlier, in classical and folk dances, the make up artists did not do
make up for dancers. But today the role of a make up artiste is very
much needed for dancers, actors, dance drama artistes, cinema actors,
and teledrama artistes. They apply make up according to nature and need
of the characters, except in dances. Even the television channels have
their own make up artists.
Make up evolution
Not only the television channels, but also the advertisement
companies are also employing their own make up artists to do the make up
for the individuals and their own business advertisement purposes.
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A good make
up adds a touch of elegance |
These make up artists are well trained in this profession. Each
country has numerous classical dances, and folk dances. Each dance has
its own selective particular unique type of make up. Herbal products
were mostly used earlier for all dances. But today readymade
commercialised products are freely available in different shades and
colour combinations. The products are traded under different brand
names. Some brand products are good and have a longstanding reputation.
Facial make up for dance is a difficult task, especially for the
classical dances. In some classical dances, light and simple make up is
adopted. In some classical dances, rich make up is used. But whatever it
is, either if it is a classical or folk dance, that particular chosen
dance form should have a particular type of make up, and it should be
identical.
Facial features of a dancer were different earlier. Some dancers were
fair, very fair, of medium complexion, dark and very dark. Hence the
selection of colour is a very difficult task. Sometimes two to three
different shades are mixed up together to select the accurate colour of
the dancer. The basic foundation for the dance is called pancake.
Catering to features
Similarly some have sharp features, and some have blunt features.
Even the eye shape, the eyebrow shape, and the size of the eyes are
entirely different from one and another. For the eyes, along with the
eyetex, eyeliner, eyebrow pencil, and with different colour shade eye
shadows are used. Shaping the eyes according to the type of the eye is
really a very difficult task and extraordinary artistic talent is needed
to shape the eyes.
For the mouth shape, and according to the skin colour of the
artistes, appropriate lipstick colour should be selected. To outline the
lips, the lipstick outliner pencils are used. Even the nose shape also
differs from one individual to another. At the same time, the make up
for the small children is quite difficult, as compared to the grown up
artistes.
The shape and the size of the face also differ from one and another.
Some have round face, some have broad face, some have narrow face, and
some have long face. Hence the make up for the eyes, lips, drawing the
eye brows and painting the lips, totally depends on the face shape of
the individual.
For the cheeks rouge is applied to blush up and brighten the face.
But sometimes it is not suitable to all the artistes, especially for the
dark complexioned dancers. For the classical dance forms unique and
standard type of hair dressing should be adopted. Even the basic
structure of the costumes is not much changed. Only now and then some
little modifications are adopted to design the costumes.
Distinctive features
For the need and necessity of the chosen and selective character of
the dance drama, the facial make up is adopted. For instance for a God’s
character the make up is different from a demon’s character. Even for a
dance drama the make up for Lord Shiva is a distinctive make up as
compared to Lord Krishna’s facial make up.
The hair dressing is also entirely different from one and another in
a dance drama. For instance the make up and the hair dressing for the
character of Rama are different from Ravana’s. Similarly the colour
shades of the characters also differ from one character to another
character, in a dance drama. For instance, the characters of Lord
Krishna and Lord Vishnu are bluish, and Lord Siva’s colour is mostly
yellow in complexion.
Each folk dance has its own distinctive costumes, distinctive make up
and also it has its own distinctive hair dress. The nature of the
costumes, the make up, or the hairdressing cannot be changed easily in a
folk dance, or classical dance, because all these dances are totally
based on deeply rooted culture, tradition and customs.
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