At Chicago Dance Supply we sponsor many local companies and their dancers. This allows us to provide the dancers with clothes, shoes, and other necessities for their shows. When I see a dance performance I am always curious what pre-show rituals the performers have in order to get ready for their show. Since I have been performing this month at Stage 773 I have observed not only my pre-show rituals but also those of my fellow performers. I am here to give you a view into the behind the scenes of a dancer getting ready to perform.
Every person has their own pre show things that need to get done. Me personally, I need a good amount of time get ready mentally, physically and emotionally.
Therefore I usually arrive at the theater an hour early before our actual call time. After I get my stage make-up on (which consists of base, bronzer, eyeshadow, eye liner, blush, red lipstick, and a few of the dancers like to wear false eyelashes. Dasha black eyelashes are great for stage!) I need to do my personal warm up. It is important for me to wear the appropriate warm-up clothes. I usually wear the Sansha “Sweet” full body warm up to make sure I’m covered from top to bottom in warmth. Since my feet are always really cold and the theater floor is very chilly when we first arrive, I make sure to have my fuzzy socks. A good pair is the Gaynor Minden Paws. These have little grips on the soles of the feet which help me keep my balance while I’m warming up. Next I need to make sure my arms and upper back are warm so I generally wear a shrug. The Mirella shrug is great
for this and has thumb holes, which I love.
After I have all of my warm up gear on and do my personal warm up I like to visit with my fellow performers. We will stretch, talk and make sure everyone is doing alright. This helps all of us to create a good bond before the show. With The Massive, we are all pretty close so it helps us to create great relationships on stage. After we do a company warm up we are backstage in the dressing room getting ready. Now most people might not think about it but the undergarments that we have to wear under our costumes are pretty particular. Many of the girls in the company wear the Capezio Bra because it has great support and the straps aren’t seen under the shirts. The guys like to wear the sansha and capezio dance belts under their costumes. Every dancer has to wear what he/she feels the most comfortable in, because while performing I don’t want to have to think about my bra showing!
The last essential thing that dancers need is foot and body care products to tend to their feet in between shows. A
footsie roller can help get out any knots that formed during a performance. Next, is a theraband. There are many uses for a theraband to help strenghten, lengthen, and stretch any area that feels particularly tight before or after a show. Also a little muscle and joint gel doesn’t hurt. This gel works similar to an icy hot, but it is better. It really gets into the muscle and deep into the joint where ever it is being used. It is great for bruises, pulled muscles, and overall joint stiffness. Finally an essential thing to have is make-up remover wipes. It feels so good to wipe all of that heavy make-up off of your face at the end of the show!
After everything is said and done all of this stuff helps to make a dancer feel great for a show. Like I said earlier, every dancer is a little bit different in how they like to get ready to perform, but in the end everyone likes to be warm, stay healthy (aka no injuries) and have fun. If you are just getting into the performance scene, or are getting back into performing I hope this blog helped to show you what Chicago Dance Supply can offer your for all of your pre-show needs. Please feel free to add your pre-show rituals to the blog! HAPPY DANCING!
Cheers!