Dance Bag Essentials

Health
Make sure to pack a small emergency kit in case of headaches, blisters, a fragile ankle or knee or any kind of light pain from rigorous dancing. Some items ideas from our poll are: Advil, Bandaids, an Ace Bandage, gauze, foot tape, Second Skin, Neosporin, rubbing alcohol and aspirin.

Hygiene
You never know when an embarrassing hygiene situation might strike! Imagine you discover your feet are smelling really awful, or your breath is bad and you have to partner… Our top polled items in this category are: anti-fungal foot spray or cream, hand sanitizer, alcohol free astringent w/ Cotton Balls (to keep your skin free of breakouts), mouth wash/Altoids, floss, a small hand towel and last but not least, deodorant.

Appearance
We all want to look our best. Sometimes simple appearance related things can break our concentration such as a loose bun. Take a look at some of the suggestions we gathered: Chapstick, extra hair bands, a portable fold up brush, hair spray, bobbi pins, eyeliner, nail clippers/nail file and a light body spray scent.

Nutrition
All dancers have experienced the disappointment of simply running out of energy during class, an important rehearsal or a dance gig with long hours. Preparation for these times can save you the hassle of missing a lesson or being behind with choreography. Try packing: bottled water, an energy bar, dried fruit, almonds, a banana, Gatoraide and/or pretzels.

Attire
One of the most important aspects of preparation is having the proper dance gear. The dance bag should be equipped with all the tools a dancer needs for all the different styles of dancing and conditions a dancer faces while warming up and while cooled down: pointe shoes, toe pads, lambs wool, soft ballet slippers, jazz shoes, knee pads, taps, modern/lyrical Footundeez, a shrug or light dance sweater, legwarmers and a portable sewing kit.

Agenda
Dancers often overlook this category! The agenda can become quite busy as a working or studying dancer. It’s best to keep the agenda in order so all auditions, classes and rehearsals are attended to. So don’t forget to pack a small notepad and a pen, or a daily planner whether it be paper or electronic. Some cell phones have this function as well. Also, bring your ipod! This is very useful when it comes to going over choreography in between classes.