As printed in the Quarter 3/05 issue of The Belly Dancer Magazine
THE “GIG” BAG
By: Dawn “Devine” Brown
All of us have been there. We get to a show, with our makeup perfect, our costume carefully packed into a well-stocked bag containing everything we need for our performance. But when we open the bag, something has gone awry! What happened to your makup kit, and why does it seem that you've got nine lipsticks and no eyeliner? And then you notice, you have a silver kitten heel pump for the left shoe and a gold high-heel stiletto for the right! Your cover up is missing, and your veil is rumpled. What happened?
Life - life is what happened!
The best way to be prepared is to establish a bag dedicated to performance and pre-packed with belly dance essentials. The real key, is to have duplicates of makeup and body-care products already in the bag and ready to go. A pre-performance checklist will ensure that you've got the costumes and accessories that you need to create your professional image.
While each style of dance has its own unique set of costume components, jewelry and accessories, virtually all dancers require some basic supplies to help their dance go without a hitch. This list is not designed to be exhaustive, but rather, to get you started thinking about your own performance needs.
Gig-Bag Essentials
Costume
Music selections
Shoes
Coverup
Veil
Zills
Jewelry
Makeup Kit - Includes everything to makeup your face
Emergency jewelry & costume - just in case!
Duplicates of favorite routines - just in case!
To make it really easy, I recommend taking three large zip-lock baggies and labeling them with the following categories: dancer-care, image-care and costume-care. These bags will then be filled with essential supplies and left in the gig-bag permanently so you never have to worry. A periodic inventory will keep your supplies refreshed and well-stocked.
Dancer-Care Kit
First Aid Kit - includes band aids - buy a pre-packed first-aid kit that meets your needs.
Antibacterial hand sanitizer
Razor and shaving cream
Ace wrap
Instant ice and instant heat packs
Feminine hygiene products
Asprin or other painkiller
Duplicates of essential medications
Bottle of Water
Easy to eat high-energy snacks
Image-Care Kit
Emergency make-up with a basic "look"
Brush/comb
Hand mirror
Deodorant
Perfume
Hair and/or hair accessories
Hair spray and/or styling products
Hand and body lotion
Tooth-brush and paste Breath mints
Costume - Care Kit
Safety pins
Sewing kit
Scissors
Spot cleaner
Tape
Bust pads
Pre-moistened towelettes
Fabric glue
If this seems like a lot of things to carry around, use travel-sized products. Select a gig-bag that has wheels for easy toting. A standard carry-on sized rolling suitcase will actually contain all of the above items with room to spare. Outside pockets make excellent places to store flyers for performances, classes and workshops as well as business cards and other promotional materials. As you perform more, you will streamline and personalize the components of your gig-bag to meet your individual needs.
