We’re fortunate sufficient to be joined by Steph Midday for todays interview, an skilled, championship profitable dancer {and professional} dance stylist, who’s going to share a few of her experiences with us.
Hello, I’m Steph an Novice Ballroom competitor and full time dance stylist.
I’ve travelled everywhere in the world bettering each my dance expertise and hair and make-up expertise. I’ve been dancing for 23 years and a stylist for 8+ years.For the final 5 years my firm Styled By Steph has been offering hair and make-up companies to all dancers the world over. From these competing of their first U6 competitors, to a number of Skilled World Champions. I assist dancers look and feel their greatest.
You’re an achieved dancer your self. Might you inform us extra about that journey
I started dancing at a neighborhood medallist college at 4 years previous.
I handed by the medallist system, finishing all of my exams and commonly competed on the ISTD competitions.
Throughout my juvenile profession, my mum started taking me to look at the UK Open every year, as it’s simply down the highway from us. Right here I used to be in a position to see the perfect dancers on the planet!
We knew then that becoming a member of the open circuit was the subsequent step in my dancing profession. After profitable on the ISTD grand finals I bought myself my first ‘boy’ accomplice.
Throughout my junior and youth profession I competed in each Ballroom and Latin and by the age of 15 I had made the UK Closed Novice 10 dance remaining, and each youth finals.
By 18 I had develop into u21 10dance Vice World Champion and finalist within the World Novice 10 dance championships. At 19 I specialised (for the final time, as I additionally had partnerships the place I simply did latin!) in Ballroom.
After just a few years, and a few accomplice adjustments I hit the height of my dancing profession. Within the area of two years with my accomplice Dan, we grew to become finalists in a number of prime Worldwide competitions, Blackpool Rising star finalists, Blackpool novice semi finalists and semi finalists on the planet championships for two years in a row.
We had been very lucky to be invited to compete and carry out everywhere in the world.
How did you get into supporting dancers with their hair for competitions?
I used to be all the time very fortunate. My dance lecturers would typically assist me with my very own hair and it saved me and my mum many arguments! At round 13 years previous, I started training to do my very own hair and make-up for competitions.
My instructor would all the time let me know if I had executed an excellent job, so from there I used to be in a position to hone my expertise.
One British Nationals, my instructor because the time was supposed to assist some women with their hair, sadly, she wasn’t obtainable, so the job was handed down to a different woman within the college.
Final minute she was additionally not in a position to assist so off I used to be despatched to those women lodges to do their hair. Fortunately, they cherished it! They requested if I’d be working on the subsequent competitors. The remainder is historical past as they are saying!
Why is hair and wonder so necessary in dance competitions?
As a lot as I imagine that ’the dancing all the time wins’, I additionally imagine that there’s so much that goes into it.
Having your hair and make-up executed, whether or not that’s professionally or should you do it your self will help you acquire the boldness you must step onto that flooring.
It may well assist you create a personality, you may resolve a brand new persona for that day, and each time you carry out that may be somebody new!
Having your hair, make-up, tan and gown immaculate helps the decide really feel assured that you understand what you’re doing, which can, lead to getting one spherical additional. In the end although, I imagine it’s the boldness it offers the dancer to go on the market and shine. Having some assist to get this proper save your arms from aching and any pre comp tantrums… particularly from doing your personal hair!
So we’re simply going into competitors season – what does that usually contain for you? What does a typical competitors day appear like for you?
Typically this implies, little or no sleep, numerous hairspray and loads of admin. As soon as bookings are open, it is going to usually take me round 12-18 hours of admin to organise a single competitors (usually about 6 hours per day I’m working).
As soon as the majority of the admin is finished, it’s then packing and travelling throughout the nation every weekend to begin work at varied competitions throughout varied organisations. Some weekends I’ll attend multiple competitors. A median weekend of labor will appear like this:
Day 1: unpacking and organising, between 15-20 hairstyles, roughly a ten hour shift (after journey)
Day 2: between 20-30 hairstyles, roughly a 18 hour shift (beginning at 4am ending by midnight)
Day 3: between 5-10 hairstyles, repacking and shutting down my work station (journey)
Then it’s merely; journey dwelling, spend in the future recovering and repeat the method!
As you may think about, packing a 40-60 hour work week right into a weekend will be actually taxing on the physique, so when I’m competing and coaching on the similar time, I might be very selective on when and what competitions I can work at. Nonetheless when I’m not competing I can typically be discovered working each weekend.
What kinds of dance do you assist? What hairstyles are trending proper now?
In the meanwhile I concentrate on Ballroom and Latin hair and make-up. Though I’m certified in each hair and make-up, at the moment I’m solely offering hairstyling appointments (I don’t have sufficient fingers for each!)
So far as trending dance hairstyles, I’m very comfortable to see that ‘stunning’ kinds are again in style and we’ve moved away from very extreme kinds.
In ballroom, most ladies go for comfortable, glamorous kinds which we crimp the hair to create quantity and waves. In latin, ladies are gravitating between twists and braids, with lengthy ponytails.
Who’re a number of the most well-known dancers you’ve got labored with?
I’m very fortunate to have labored with a number of the greatest dancers on the planet.
Within the novice division I’ve executed hairstyles for:
novice champion Paulina Glazik, Zia James, Caroly Janes, Rebecca Scott, Mia Hyperlink Holden, Madison Ingoldsby, Olivia King
Within the Skilled division:
Sara Ghigiarelli, Irina Cherepanova, Kristi Boyce, Nataliya Koliada, Emanuel Napolitano, Polina Teleshova, Patrizia Ranus, Marika Doshoris, Morgan Hemphill, Olga Elsbury, Nataliia Beale, Liis Finish, Alisa Margulis
To call just a few!
I’ve additionally been extraordinarily privileged to be a part of the glam group for each Sara Ghigiarelli’s and Kristi Boyce’s remaining look throughout their retirement announcement.
What are essentially the most novel or difficult requests you’ve got labored with?
Actually, I can safely say there may be nothing that scares me now!
Virtually all requests I’ve heard earlier than, or I’ve seen earlier than. Probably the most difficult occasions are for these, as I’ve talked about above, who decide me to be their stylist for his or her retirement competitors. That is once I actually really feel the stress!
Do you’ve got any recommendation for dancers who’re but to achieve the degrees of competitions you’re employed on, who could also be doing their very own hair?
You need to love the WHOLE technique of competitions, so should you don’t but, then it’s time to get training. It’s how I began and it the quickest and best method to study.
Apply within the evenings, practise in your days off and by no means strive one thing new on the day of the competitors.
If you would like to have the ability to do your personal hair it is going to solely take apply. In case your mum, sister, dad, whoever, provide to assist or they’re those doing all of your hair, be type! I promise you, they’re attempting their greatest, and should you’re not proud of how they do it… then it’s time to study.
I’ve on-line tutorials obtainable on my web site www.styledbysteph.co.uk educating you methods to do your personal hair your self and the way I do mine! On the positioning you can too see which competitions I might be attending subsequent – possibly I’ll see you there!
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An Novice Ballroom competitor and full time dance stylist.
I’ve travelled everywhere in the world bettering each my dance expertise and hair and make-up expertise. I’ve been dancing for 23 years and a stylist for 8+ years.
For the final 5 years my firm Styled By Steph has been offering hair and make-up companies to all dancers the world over. From these competing of their first U6 competitors, to a number of Skilled World Champions. I assist dancers look and feel their greatest.
