Most dancers, both new and experienced, have a dance bag they use to make sure they have everything they need when they go to their studio for classes.

Many dancers just throw whatever they think they will need into their bag, but is there a method to making sure you are carrying all the right stuff for dance class?

Below are some tips to make sure you include all the dance bag essentials.

Start by Cleaning Out Your Dance Bag

The first step an experienced dancer will tell you is to start the season by cleaning out your existing dance bag. Start fresh by getting rid of old unnecessary items. Vacuum out any food crumbs or hairs hiding in the crevices of the bag.

If the bag is machine washable, it is a good idea to ask mom to throw it in the laundry or at the very least scrub the bag thoroughly with disinfectant wipes.

If the bag still smells after washing, try putting the bag in the freezer overnight as the extreme cold will kill off any odor-causing bacteria.

SHOES, SHOES, SHOES

Many dancers own a variety of shoes; ballet, jazz, tap, pointe, and possibly Hip-Hop sneakers.  Just leaving theses shoes scattered around your room at your house isn’t a good idea.

Your dance bag is the right place to keep your shoes, whether at your house or at the studio.

Some dancers will keep their newer shoes in a carrying bag to keep them in top-notch condition.

If you regularly keep your shoes in the dance bag, you are less likely to arrive at the dance studio to find yourself missing a pair of needed shoes.

Extra Attire in Case You Need It

You will usually wear the necessary attire to your dance classes, but it’s a good idea to bring along a few extra pieces of clothing, just in case.

Think about packing an extra pair of tights (tightly rolled up and placed in plastic bag) and an extra pair of dance shorts (also in a plastic bag to preventing the shorts from getting a snagged on something in the dance bag).  Also consider packing some extra hair elastics, bobby pin, and/or make-up.

Miscellaneous  Items

Finally, there are a number of other things you might want to stash in one of the dance bag pockets just in case.  Some of those are:

• Deodorant
• Hairbrush
• Hand Sanitizer
• Cell Phone charger
• Healthy snacks
• Water bottle

Once you have these above items in your bag you should be ready to go, fully prepared for whatever happens while at the dance studio.

Then every few months go through the same process to keep your dance bag organized with the things you will need for class.