Are there scary things lurking in your dance bag? Do you have a three year old banana squished in the bottom? You know it smells in there, but you are not quite sure what it is? Well, welcome to the real world.

I call my dance bag "the black hole". Things tend to go in, but never come out. I find things in there from centuries ago. "Where did that come from?" or "THERE that is. I have been looking for that!"

Your dance bag is for you. Make sure you are prepared for whatever type of performance/rehearsal that you are having. If you are a weapon, you need your gloves of course, but it helps to velcro your gloves on the outside (on the bag strap) so they can air out for the next day. They are going to stink no matter what, but at least it won't be as bad. You can always wash your gloves in the washing machine, and let air dry. But doing this to often will shorten their use. Dry cleaning is an opion, of course.

Band aids are a good thing to have. Electrical tape in different colors is a necessity. Also your personal hygiene products (DEODERANT!!!) Maybe some candy just in case your blood sugar changes unexpectedly. And don't forget your portable sewing kit. You never know when you are going to get a hole in your costume in a scary place and there is no one else around with a needle within miles!

Basically, your bag is for you. You have to balance out what you need and how much you want to carry around. Sometimes that is a hard decision. Just make it a habit to clean it every once in a while. At least at the end of every season!