Five Minute Stage Makeup ;o)

As a belly dancer, most of your gigs are planned days, weeks, months, even up to a year or more in advance. Generally speaking, the more time you have to prepare, the better the gig. You can introduce new music or material into your show, make sure a favorite costume is in good repair (or have a new one made), look up directions to the venue and calculate how long it’ll take to get there, do elaborate make-up, fluff out your hair (or secure your wig), get to the gig early, and warm up in the back before showtime.

Sometimes, though, you don’t have the luxury of time. You might be wrapping up dinner with a few friends on a Monday at a little cafe on Istiklal Avenue in Istanbul when your friend Ebru calls you to say there is a last minute show for a group of VIPs in Beyoğlu and can you please be there in 15 minutes?

It’s times like this when the ability to do 5 minute stage makeup comes in handy. Below is a tutorial on how to do exactly that.

Another day, another city

I had been working in Alanya, but I flew to Istanbul for a couple days for a gig, a costume, and some fun.  On Tuesday, I met with a dancer manager called Ayşe.  She showed up an hour late, but I still thought she was pretty cool.

I’d planned to return (however reluctantly) to Alanya on Wednesday, but at 5:55am, Ayşe called and blasted me out of REM sleep.  “Lara, sorry to wake you up, but I really need your help.  Can you be at the airport in 30 minutes?”  What?  I was barely conscious.  Apparently another performer, one booked long in advance, had been a no-show, and needed to be replaced at the last minute.  In my grogginess, I understood the gig was at the airport.  Sky lounge perhaps?

“Lara!  Hurry, please!  We’ll send you a taxi.”

“But I’ve got a plane to catch to Alanya in a few hours.”

“We’ll change your flight.  Get your costume and go!  Please!”

On my way to the out, I got a phone call.  I didn’t know who it was, but she said, “You’ve got your passport, right?”

“Yes. . .”

When I got to the airport, in my sleepy delirium, I’d imagined it was a rich person’s birthday, and the party was on the plane, and then the plane would turn around afterward and drop me back off.   Not quite.  There were 9 dancers, an organizer, a band, and me.  When I got there, they bought me a plane ticket to Dalaman, a city on the southwestern coast of Turkey.  The show would be at 10pm at the Dalaman Hilton.  (Posh!)  We were to return to Istanbul the following morning.  I had nothing but the clothes I was wearing (jeans over pajamas), two costumes, and, thank goodness, a toothbrush and paste.

When I got over the annoyance that I had been unknowingly been dragged across the country without so much as a pair of socks, I made friends with the other dancers, memorized the choreography, enjoyed the hotel, the wine, and ate until I nearly burst.  (Shout out the the Hilton cooking staff.)  One of the best gigs I’ve had in Turkey so far!

My Super Sweet Gig

low profile
n.
Behavior or activity carried out with deliberate restraint or modesty so as not to attract attention

I was contacted to perform at a Sweet 16 party.  It was Moroccan-themed, so they wanted a belly dancer.  “We’re keeping it pretty low-profile, we just want it to be all about the kids dancing together and having fun.”  My performance was to be at the beginning of the party, to open the dance floor.

So, this beautiful “little” party was tonight.  Guess what other vendor showed up at the party at the same time as I did?

The animal handler–with a live camel!

Let me not fail to mention that the catering was superb.  The waitstaff was kind enough to pack me a “to-go” box.