Ask your director if she has special requests regarding your makeup application. If you are a member of the corps, she may demand that you and your fellow corps members have a uniform look. Clarify whether or not she wants you to use certain application techniques or colors.
Determine the size of your performance space. Larger theaters with greater seating capacity demand heavier makeup application. You can make do with less makeup, softer lines and more subtle hues if you are performing in a smaller, more intimate space.
Wash your face thoroughly to remove excess dirt and oil. Rinse with cold water to close your pores. Apply moisturizer to prevent makeup from settling into the cracks of your skin and concealer to hide dark eye circles and any skin blemishes.
Select a foundation that is slightly darker than your own skin tone to counteract the effect of heavy lighting. Dot the foundation onto the prominent areas of your face and blend it in evenly, using a foundation brush, sponge or your first two fingers. Blend outward, taking extra care around the nose and ears and along the jaw and hairlines to avoid leaving a harsh borderline along the edges of your face. Brush translucent powder over your entire face to achieve a matte finish.
Fill in and darken your eyebrows with the help of an eyebrow pencil. Use short, even strokes across the length of each brow. Some dancers recommend using tinted eye wax and an eyebrow brush to add definition to the brows.
Add dimension to your face by highlighting and shadowing. Apply light highlighter to the high points of your face, including the brow bone, chin, center of the forehead, center of the nose and above the cheekbones. Apply a darker shade to the areas that normally appeared shadowed, including the sides of the nose, temples, the hair and jaw lines and beneath the cheekbones.
Apply a medium shade of eye shadow to the entire lid and a slightly darker shade along the crease of the lid. Some dancers use a third, still darker shade to form a "V" at the outer corner of each lid and then blend the three hues together.
Apply blush with your buffing brush. Work the blush into the cheek "apples," stroking repeatedly until the color is visible but not overpowering.
Line your eyes to "enlarge" them. Techniques for eye enhancement vary considerably, but most dancers line the upper lid with a dark liner. Consider extending the line beyond the outer corner of your eye and curling up slightly at the end.
Apply dark liner to the lower lid line, as well. Some dancers apply white eyeliner just under the bottom lash line, but you may omit this step and use only black liner. Some dancers take a more extreme approach and add an additional line on the bottom that extends beyond the outer corner of the eye, curving up to run parallel with the top line. Consult with your peers, as there are some dancers who find this approach too harsh.
Apply mascara to thicken and darken your lashes. If you opt to wear false lashes, apply a thin strip of eyelash adhesive to the bands of your false lashes and press them gently onto your lids. Some dancers extend the outer edge of the false lash straight outward instead of following the natural downward slope. If you choose this option, fill in the resulting gap with dark eyeliner. Apply mascara to your false lashes, if you desire.
Add color to your lips. Remove any dead skin from your lips and apply lip balm. Use your lip liner to outline and color in the lips. Apply lip color and blot off any excess with a tissue.