67 Competition Tips You're nervous, excited and scared all at the same time. Maybe this is your first time competing or maybe you just experience butterflies every time you perform. Here's advice from dancers and teachers who've been in your shoes. 10 Things You Can't Live Without At Competition 1. A first aid kit, including Band-Aids, Ace bandages and ointment. 2. A water bottle. Drink water before and after dancing to avoid dehydration. 3. Safety pins. 4. A support system of friends and family. 5. A good luck charm, like a special teddy bear — something that will make you feel good. 6. Baby wipes and Vaseline for fast makeup removal. 7. A note pad. Take notes on the music you liked, including steps you saw in other dances and ideas you got from an inspiring dancer. 8. An open mind. This is a learning process and you will grow as a dancer from your experience. 9. A good attitude. 10. A smile. Costume Check 11. Check your costume. Make sure all loose threads are cut, tags don't show and seams are sewn together. "The worst thing is doing your dance and having your costume rip," says Kristin. 12. Be organized. Put all costumes and accessories together—shoes, headpieces, tights in the same bag as the costume. 13. Put your name on all your belongings. 14. Make sure to pin all undergarments. 15. To avoid panty lines, don't wear any. 16. "Get everything ready the day before," advises Tiffany Bagg, a dancer from Manchester, New Hampshire. Tight Tips 17. Bring extra tights! 18. Surge tights so cotton panel doesn't show. It will avoid any seams showing on high kicks. 19. For group dances make sure everyone has the same name brand of tights or leggings to avoid one person wearing "ballet pink" while everyone else is in "theatrical pink." Shoe Savvy 20. Bring an extra pair of shoes as a back-up. 21. Make sure team's shoes match for group dances. 22. Polish tap, jazz and character shoes. 23. For ballet slippers use a light layer of vaseline to shine them. 24. Wipe pointe shoes down with a damp cloth. 25. Always break in new shoes before a performance. Makeup Musts 26. Get a makeup case like a Caboodle to store all cosmetics and hair supplies. 27. Makeup should include: foundation, eye shadow, eyeliner, blush, lip liner, lip-stick, glitter, powder, false eyelashes and eyelash glue. 28. Because stage lights give you a washed out look, go a shade darker on foundation and rub into your hairline, neck and ear lobes. Finish with a pressed powder to take away the shine. 29. Be generous when applying makeup. You need more for stage than you would wear every day. 30. Stay away from eye shadow shades that are distracting, like blue. Stick with earth tones on the eyes, unless the choreographer calls for a particular look. 31. Use false eyelashes. Your eyes will come alive on stage. 32. Spritz yourself lightly with a favorite scent—judges won't smell it, but it'll brighten your mood. 33. Practice applying makeup before the day of competition. Just like dancing, the more you do it, the better it looks. Heads Up On Hats 34. Pin it. If you are wearing a hat, be generous with the pins. 35. Bobby pins should match hair color or the color of the hat. For example, if you are wearing a white nurse hat, use white bobby pins. 36. Use a skin-colored elastic to help keep hats in place. 37. Clarify where the hat/headpiece should be positioned in group dances. 38. Deborah Nelson, owner of Satin Stitches, Ltd. in Minneapolis, Minnesota adds, "If a hat or other costume piece does fall off during a performance, pretend nothing happened. If necessary kick it out of the way, and keep on dancing." Hair Helpers 40. Keep it clean and simple. (xSupastarx- Unless it's disco!) 41. Buy a large bottle of hairspray! 42. To avoid a shadow on the face, pull back your bangs. 43. For buns: Use bobby pins and a hair net that match hair color. 44. For French braids: Spray all wisps into the braid and use an elastic that matches hair color. 45. For wigs: Fibers should match your hair color and texture perfectly. 46. Be sure the wig is of good quality. 47. Securely attach the wig to your head with bobby pins of the same color. Jewelry Rules 48. Less is best. Try just one flashy ring over long black gloves for a flapper's number or a small rhinestone stud earring for a lyrical dance. 49. Jewelry should accent the costume, not distract the judges while you are dancing. Fine Tuning Techniques 50. Video yourself practicing. Watching a recording of yourself dancing is a real eye opener. Were your toes pointed in that grand battement? Did you notice that your back leg wasn't straight on your switch leap? 51. Practice dancing in full costume. You want to find out in rehearsal, not during competition, if that big-feathered hat will stay in place or if you need to add elastic. 52. Keep props to a minimum and always rehearse with them. 53. Kristin Sulak, who dances at Center Stage in LaGrange, Texas, gives this advice: "Practice, practice, practice!" The more you practice your routine, the more automatic it becomes—you do the movements without thinking about them. Don't Forget To... 54. Get plenty of rest the night before. 55. Arrive an hour and a half before your first scheduled dance. 56. Eat during the day. Sometimes you have quick changes and forget to eat. Your energy will be depleted if you don't continue to fuel your body. 57. Double knot your shoes before you go on. Christine Francoeur of Tallahassee, Florida says, "Warm up before every piece you perform." It is important to stay warm in between dances to avoid injury. 58. Stay focused. Bring a headset and listen to your music, using visualization to imagine yourself performing. 59. Think positively. Don't get freaked out because someone is dancing to the same song as you or has the same costume. It is the dancer who makes the dance. 60. George Hurley, a former Mr. Dance of Michigan and current judge, says, "Keep those toes pointed!" Wimpy feet are not attractive. 61. Be friendly to other dancers. It is a lot of fun getting to know dancers from other areas. 62. Applaud for everyone. You know the hard work it takes to prepare for a competition, so be respectful to all the dancers. 63. Try to remain seated while people are performing. It is very distracting for the dancers and the judges when there is a lot of activity in the audience. 64. "Don't look at the floor while you are dancing," says Kathy Willard of American Heritage Dance Convention and Competition of Saginaw, Michigan. 65. Use natural expressions. Let your face show how you feel. If you have that joy of dance inside you as you perform, it will show on your face. 66. Be sure to check yourself after quick changes. One of my students once had a quick change into a lyrical costume. While stretching we realized she had put both legs into one leg hole of her ensemble. Fortunately, we caught it before she went on! 67. Have fun! Judges can tell if you are nervous. Relax and try to enjoy yourself— it will shine through in your performance.