Have you ever really considered what’s in your dance bag and why? With a new season or school year coming up, it’s important to keep your dance bag organized and concise while making sure you have everything to be prepared for your day!

As a trainee often rehearsing with a professional ballet company, it’s essential for me to have the things I need to get me through my day so I can focus on dancing. I’ve broken down the things in my dance bag into three categories to help you determine what’s best to put in your dance bag!

Essentials

Every dancer has their essentials. Let’s take a moment to find what your essentials might be

I personally use toe tape and Band-Aids to keep my feet protected in my shoes. I also like to keep some Neosporin with my Band-Aids in case I do have any cuts or blisters. What kinds of care products do you use?

Bobby pins are an essential for me in my dance bag, and I encourage you to carry some too! You never know when your hair will need a quick fix. I like to keep my bobby pins in a small bag to keep them from getting lost!

I like to keep shorts and legwarmers in my bag for wearing around the studio during breaks. It’s important to keep warm during your day as it will help prevent injury!

My pointe shoes and water bottle are often left at the studio as we are provided with lockers. These are things I consider essentials too!

Extras

Extras are important for peace of mind throughout your dance day. If you know you have a backup, you’ll be less likely to worry during the day about any mishaps that may happen!

I always make sure to have an extra leotard, extra tights and an extra skirt. It’s important for my extra leotard to be a leotard I know I can trust. A comfort leo. The one that often makes it into my dance bag is the AK Dancewear Emery leotard in Ruby or Rose Pink. Having two colors of the same style leotard makes it extra helpful, not to mention, fun to coordinate with your mood of the day too! My extra tights are the AK Dancewear tights in pink (or sometimes black!). I know I can trust them to get me through the day when I discover a run in my tights! It’s important to feel comfortable in what you wear to the dance studio so you can approach your work and training with confidence.

Energy Boosters

I like to call this category “energy boosters” because that is the purpose they serve in my bag. These items help make sure I can get through the day, even when it gets frustrating or fatiguing.

Massage/training gear like massage guns, rollers and therabands are important for me to have in my bag so I can keep up with the demands of the choreography I am doing. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be my ball that I use to roll out. It’s a quick fix for fatigued or tight muscles. If you have questions about where to roll out, I would recommend asking questions to your physical therapist! They are always there to help and have great knowledge about anatomy and where muscles tend to get knotted.

Snacks are last but not least as they are really what keep me going. Energy is like money in dance, so it’s important to have enough to get you through the day like you would have enough money to get yourself the things you need. I like to have some mixed nuts or an energy bar (or both!). I also keep mints or candy in case I want to freshen up or need some sugar power.

What’s in your dance bag?

Your dance bag and its contents are your companions during your dance day. I hope this advice will help you keep your bag filled with everything you need but not overflowing! After sharing what’s in my dance bag, I encourage you to create your own guidelines for what you think is necessary in your dance bag! So with that, I turn the question over to you: What’s in your dance bag?

Blog written by AK Company Dancer Ena Nomoto