Have you ever been at a dance competition and realized you don’t have any hairspray? Or maybe it was bandages. Or bobby pins! Every studio owner, dance teacher, or dancer has that moment of panic when everyone is backstage and you’ve forgot that important item. Hopefully, someone can lend a hand, but you’ll want to be prepared next time! Here are some tips for putting together a dance competition survival kit with all the essentials so you can avoid those “uh-oh” moments.
Editor’s Note: Readers have offered some great suggestions on additional items to add to your competition survival kit. This article has been edited to add their ideas. Thanks to readers Pam B., Elayne S., Katie B., Senaida T., and Jennifer P.!
The Storage
First thing’s first. In your dance competition survival kit, we’ve found it’s easiest to bring along a large plastic container, preferably on wheels and with a number of compartments for easy storage. Along those lines, it’ll come in handy to have different size resealable bags when you’re packing so you can group similar items together and label everything clearly. For labeling? A Sharpie (or two, or ten, because Sharpies somehow always disappear).
Extra, Extra
If there’s something that you know you’ll need, you better have some extra on hand. The Rockettes website suggested you bring extra:
- Tights
- Bra straps
- Ribbons
- Ties
- Hair brushes
- Styling spray
- Pins
- Props
- Extra shoelaces
- Two-sided tape
- Shoelace “stick” to keep them tied
- A multi-tool for tightening taps
- Flashlight
- Lighter (for burning costume frays)
- Hair nets
- Sewing kit with scissors
- Glue gun
Makeup
You’ll also want to have extra makeup for last minute touch ups. It’s a good idea to bring:
- Concealer
- Foundation
- Blush
- Lipstick
- Powder
- Eyelash glue
- Makeup remover
- Baby wipes
- Mirror
- Application tools
- Any other cosmetics your dancers use
First Aid/Personal Care
The next essential component of a dance competition survival kit is the first aid portion. A standard care kit is a good place to start, as it will contain bandages, ointment and wraps. You may want to throw in the following:
- Blister bandages
- Hot and cold packs
- Pain reliever
- Allergy medication
- Q-tips
- Vaseline
- Afrin (for bloody noses)
- Pepto-Bismol/Tums
- Feminine hygiene items
- Antibiotic Wipes
- Tissues
- Bottles of Water
- Baby powder
Snacks
Bring healthy snacks that will give you energy and sustain during the sometimes long waits between performances. Check out some of our healthy snack ideas in our article 5 High Energy Snacks to Help You Power Through Your Dance Competitions.
Miscellaneous
Only you know what unexpected needs crop up at your competitions, but here are a few miscellaneous items that may come in handy:
- A notepad and pen (to jot down those “wow” moments, or emergency information)
- Extra CDs with your music
- Copies of the competition schedule
- Paper towels
- Velcro strips
- Static cling spray
- A power strip (charging station, anyone?)
And finally, a good attitude! Once you have your survival kit put together, you’ll be set for future competitions too. Just leave it in a closet for storage and be sure to replace any items you use. Plus, it can come in handy as a “dance recital survival kit” as well.
