With dance competition season starting soon, your dancers are no doubt excited: they’ve practiced their routines, they’ve mastered all their moves, and they have the perfect costumes for each performance. Now it’s time to top it all off for a complete winning look with these practical but beautiful dance competition hairstyles.
From ballet to ballroom, tango to tap dancing, we hope you and your dancers will enjoy finding the perfect hairstyle for their dance performance, and these fun ideas can get you started! Below you’ll find some tips for the best hairstyles for dance performers, especially dance hairstyles for long hair. As the 2022 competition season begins, these are some of our favorite dance competition hairstyles to share with your students.
Dance Competition Hairstyles for 2022
The classic ballet bun, two ways
Elegant and sophisticated, the classic ballet hairstyle is popular for a reason: it keeps hair out of the face and showcases the movement of the neck and posture of the dancer. You can opt for a classic bun, which is worn tight and smooth at the scalp, with a perfectly-shaped bun at the back, or a braided bun to add something special to the look.
High ponytail, two ways
A high ponytail feels youthful, fun, and full of energy. It can accentuate a dancer’s movement during a modern dance competition routine, for example, and is like an exclamation point on an energetic dance routine. Pull the hair up into a high ponytail, being sure to secure the sides with clips and hairspray so that no stray strands fall out during the dance performance. Allow the rest of the hair to fall naturally from the pony tail for a polished but playful dance competition hairstyle for long hair. For a different look, you can start with a high ponytail and then braid the remaining strands into either multiple braids or a single braid.
French braid
Achieve a timeless, polished, and sophisticated look with a classic French braid. To create it, weave three strands of hair from the top of the scalp, adding sections from the sides as the hair tapers downwards. For an interesting variation on this style, you can choose to do a double French braid, with two braided rows coming down the scalp, or pair it with a half-up, half-down look.
Snake braid
A snake braid is a beautiful way to create a special dance competition hairstyle that looks both elegant and relaxed. For a stunning-looking snake braid, the hair is worn down, with two smaller braids woven from each temple and then joined together in the back. This is a great hairstyle for dancers who are performing a more romantic or slower-tempo routine that won’t cause hair to fall or whip across the face during the performance.
Dutch braid
A Dutch braid is like a reverse French braid, great for making hair stand out higher from the head and creating a dramatic effect. To get the look, create a three-strand braid that you add more hair to as you go, just like with a French braid. However, the key difference is that you’ll use an underhand braiding technique, whereas to create a French braid, you would use overhand. This is an example of two half Dutch braids along each side of the scalp, with the bottom falling in loose ponytail waves.
Crown braid or halo braid
A crown braid is a really beautiful look for dance competitions, and features a gorgeous braided tail swooping up along the scalp in an elegant updo. Achieve the look by braiding the hair into two French braids (or Dutch braids, depending on your preference), and then scoop each one up and pin it to the opposite end of the scalp to create a beautiful crown. You can also try a halo braid using the same technique. A halo braid is a variation on the crown braid, but it sits much higher on the head for a starker, more dramatic look.
The Final Touch: Making Each Dance Competition Hairstyle Truly Special
We hope you’re inspired by these dance competition hairstyle ideas! The options above can also be a great starting point for adding your own twist to classic dance competition hairstyles. Feel free to experiment and add your own touches to create a truly special look. For example, you may want to add interesting accents like flowers, ribbon, or sparkles to a hairstyle if you think it will accentuate a dancer’s costume or routine.
It can be a lot of fun to create a complete “look” for a dance competition, from the costume to the hairstyle, so don’t shy away from a little extra sparkle or making a more dramatic statement with an interesting hairstyle. Your dancers will probably love the extra attention, creativity, and flair that goes into creating a special look for their next dance competition!
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