A bad headache, a scheduling blunder, tender skin on your foot, a last minute audition, a deficit of energy in class, smelly feet, a bad hair day or a snapped elastic: Each of these things are likely to happen to all of us. A dancer needs to be wellprepared by having proper remedies in such cases.
A real dancer is someone who expresses feelings and emotions through his/her movements, completely care free and relaxed about the surroundings and themselves. While we are into the dance we must not forget that to we need to be prepared and also need to get ready. We also need to keep in mind about what we should carry in our bag. Every dancer needs to make sure that he/she is fully prepared, especially when tending to a rigorous dance schedule. What a dancer carries in a dance bag can sometimes make or break a day in dance class. Without proper equipment, a dancer is sure to be left unprepared to dance when circumstances arise.
The only way to narrow down the possibility of being caught off guard is to equip the dance bag with emergency items. Dancers need to concentrate on dancing, rest assured that they are prepared for anything that comes their way. Dance these days is always on the move, opportunities are available everywhere and not being prepared could cost an audition, admission into a higher class level, or a festering injury.
I have specially compiled a list of the most important things a dancer should have in their dance bag. I did a poll asking hundreds of my students from various branches across Mumbai, Surat, Ahmedbad, Hyderadad, Jaipur and Pune. I asked what they found to be lifesavers and narrowed it down to cover health, hygiene, appearance, nutrition, attire and the agenda.
w 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 ideas from our poll are: Painkillers, bandaids, foot tape, second skin and Neosporin are a must.
w Hygiene
You never know when an embarrassing hygiene situation might arise. Especially in a crowded dance class. Imagine you discover your feet smell or excessive sweating has made you smell really awful, or your breath is bad and you have a partner to dance with. Our top polled items in this category are: anti-fungal foot spray or cream, hand sanitiser, mouthwash/tooth brush and paste, a hand towel and last but not least, good very strong deodorant and perfume.
w Appearance
We all want to look our best when we dance. Sometimes appearance related things can break our concentration such as a loose bun. Take a look at some of the suggestions my students gave me: Chapstick, a portable fold up brush, hair pins, rubberbands, safety pins, light make up for girls and a set of extra change of clothes.
w Nutrition
All students experience the disappointment of simply running out of energy during a dance 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 lots of bottled water (especially during the summer season), an energy bar, dried fruits, fresh fruits like a banana and high energy biscuits.
w 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 different styles of dancing and conditions a dancer faces while warming up and cooling down: Appropriate dance shoes, shoe polish, shoes brush, toe pads, cotton wool, soft ballet slippers, knee pads, light dance sweater, legwarmers and a portable sewing kit.
w Agenda
Dancers often overlook this category. The agenda can become quite busy for a working or studying dancer. It’s best to keep the agenda in order so all the 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 is on a 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. A fully prepared dancer is what a teacher and choreographer look for; it reflects that the dancer is interested, experienced and professional. Wit-hout the proper essentials, circumstances could cause a dancer to look amateur or unprofessional to their superiors. Dancers need to be self-sufficient by preventing anything from standing in the way of a performance.