30 things I carry with me to dance auditions

*Photo by Justin Patterson

Thirty things I

carry with me to

dance auditions:

"Is there anything I forgot?"

1. Bobby pins (I can do anything with them)
2. Hair ties (for the times bobby-pins aren’t sufficient)
3. Lipstick in three shades (don’t tell me I don’t need them all)
4. Eyelash glue (see below)
5. False eyelashes (I don’t feel like I’m really performing without them)
6. Mascara (when your false ones finally give out after the 15th time wearing them and you want to take them off to stop the burning)
7. Concealer (covers a multitude of sins)
8. Lotion (because heaters dry you out)
9. Q tips (fix your melting face)
10. Safety pins (much like a Bobby pin, can be used to MacGyver anything)
11. Matches (you never know what you’ll need to incinerate)
12. Super glue (fix anything from your pointe shoes to your nails to priceless antiques)
13. Dance heels (duh)
14. Regular heels (again, duh)
15. Tap shoes (when they ask for it…what? they’re heavy!)
16. Heating pad (keeps you warm in a freezing room while warming up)
17. Taped tennis balls (instant chiropractic care)
18. Water (stay hydrated!)
19. Advil (feel no pain ever)
20. Strong fabric medical tape (surprisingly useful)
21. Subway card (how else are you getting around? Oh you thought you’d take a cab? Sorry, you can’t get one today!)
22. Equity card (you need to show this all the time)
23. Headshots (they’re your business card)
24. Music book (when you don’t bring it, they ask you to sing, Murphy’s law)
25. Epic bar (sustenance) 
26. Almonds or pistachios (non meat sustenance)
27. Water (I’m so thirsty!)
28. Extra dance outfit (because you WILL get holes in your fishnets when your passé is so high your heel gets caught on your other leg)
29. Singing outfit (don’t be sweaty)
30. MY LIFE! (Is there anything I forgot?)