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.