Prepairing for gigs....How to Prevent Unpleasant Surprises....

No one likes those little unexpected surprises that can happen at a performance! It is so much worse if you are supposed to be a professional, who is being paid for your dancing.

I am sure you have heard the horror stories....a costume piece missing or even worse breaking and possibly falling off while you are performing. Your music not playing, or crackling, popping and pausing as your trying to perform, or you forget your zills or your veil, or you didn't bring shoes and then you find out your dance floor is potentially a mine field of broken glass and muck.

You can save yourself from having these problems, it just takes a bit of preparation and foresight on your part. Of course, you cannot  foresee every possible problem that could arise, but taking time to prepare can help to prevent MOST of these debilitating events from happening.

First and foremost, when you are auditioning for or booking a gig, make sure to ask lots of questions. You need to know what type of dance space you will have, how high are the ceilings, what type of floor, will there be a place for you to use as 'back stage', will you have  a changing room. Find out all you can. Once you have all that info, then it is time to prepare.

Second, make sure to prepare a few days ahead of time.

Pick your music, organize your set/s and burn your CD or download it on your Ipod or what ever you use (this is all assuming you have confirmed what sort of sound system is available for you at your gig). Make sure to test play your music....ALL THE WAY THROUGH!

Pack your costume/s, and make sure you have packed every piece you plan to wear (don't forget your jewelry). I often pack extra costuming to wear (See What's in My Gig Bag). Check for tears, stains and loose clasps and hooks NOW, before you pack them. Even if they were fine the last time you wore them. Make sure it fits you properly! (There is enough to say about costume fit to fill another blog!)  (o;

Make sure you have all your props together and make sure they are ready to use. Veils ironed, sword polished, zill elastic fits you properly, etc, etc, etc.

Check out your gig location, print your Mapquest directions or whatever it is you do (I have a GPS machine, and have GPS on my Blackberry, but I always print up directions anyway....because you never know what might happen). Check for how long it will take to get there and give yourself extra time to get there early!

Pack your shoes and your cover up! Don't forget your make-up and hair accessories if you use them.

Getting all these things ready a few days ahead of time will make you feel calmer and more prepared to perform with elegance and confidence.

What's in My Gig-Bag.......

One of the fun and interesting questions I get from fans and friends alike.  What DO I pack in my gig-bag?

Well, to start off with (for those who don't know me) I am a pack-rat. I am THE person to go to for anything and everything, because I am always ready for what ever life might throw at me. I do not know when this particular predilection came about, but it is who I am. Perhaps it evolved in my teen years as I watched MacGyver face daunting and dangerous tasks with calm and finesse (while still looking hot and sexy) armed only with a bit of twine, a few paperclips and batteries?! Whatever the case may be, I used to pack everything I might possibly need for any eventuality.  Thank goodness I have learned to tone it down and become more organized in both my thinking and packing processes :) Or I would be carrying around WAY to much stuff. (LOL....though if you ask my students, friends and family I am sure they will say I STILL carry around way to much stuff.) I am well known to pack some odd bit of something "Just in case!".

So, back to my gig-bag.  Here is a list of what I pack for an average gig, perhaps there are dancers out there who will find my list helpful, and perhaps there are some out there that will have bits of wisdom and advise to share with me......

1) Costumes (duh...yeah)

Here's the clincher though, if I am hired to perform in only one costume I pack two, if I am supposed to wear two different costumes, I pack three....and so on....because, you never know when you might have an accident (a torn skirt or spilled wine) and sometimes, they love you so much, they ask you to stay for another set!

2) Zils/Sagat (2 or 3 different sized pairs) which size I use is dependant on the venue, band and sound system and even what type of audience. I try to get all this info before I go to a gig, but sometimes the client just doesn't have all the info I need.

3) Cane, Sword, Veils (to match the costumes), Isis Wings (I have a separate bag to carry the large odd shaped props)

4) Anti-Static spray. SO important! I rarely use it, but when you need it, you REALLY need it. You can find it in the aisle with all the laundry supplies at your local grocery and it doesn't cost much, but is a real life saver.

5) Hair spray and curling Iron. Also not always used, but I have gotten rained on at outdoor gigs and was able to recover my flagging hair with a bit of a curl and spritz between sets, it is So important to always look your best!

6) Make up case with everything I used to do my makeup to begin with, plus, Q-tips, cotton swabs, facial tissues and makeup remover.

7) Toothbrush and toothpaste...nothing worse than being offered a bit of Spanicopita between sets then running back out to dance with Spinach betwixt the teeth.....arg!

8) Tape: good strong, sticky tape! I usually have both the double sided tape used by models to keep clothes from slipping and exposing something you don't want exposed (this can be purchased at places like Joanne Fabrics or Hitchcocks) and I also carry Duct Tape, yes, Duct Tape....it works great to mend a torn seam, or prevent the girls from slipping out of the top of a rather low bra and so many other 'you never know what might need taping' moments. A friend once said to me, "What does 'the force' and duct tape have in common? They both have a Dark Side and a Light Side and they hold the Universe together". Words to believe in, if you ask me.

9) Safety Pins, Safety Pins, Safety Pins....in many sizes.

10) Dance Slippers (low healed or no healed) and High Healed Dance Shoes. (keep my options open, depending on the flooring)

11) Business Cards! Other misc Propaganda.

12) Extra Music, not just extra copies of that which I plan to dance to, but extra music in case I get to dance more.

13) A change of street clothes.

14) Gum and or Mints. Often shared with fellow dancers, but always enjoyed by me at every gig.

15) A few Energy Bars and a Bottle of water. I once had a troupe member ready to pass out from low blood sugar levels, after sharing a mint and some water, I gave her my Protein Bar and she was up and ready to dance again a few minutes later. We all at one time or another accidentally skip a meal, especially if we are rushing around getting ready to go perform, or rushing from one gig to the next.

16) A cover up/ Galabia

17) A hand fan for cooling off after dancing. I have a beautiful Japanese fan painted with Dragons that I always keep in my bag.

LOL...so, that's my BASIC list, sometimes there is more sometimes there is less, but that is what I usually pack. Most of these items are just kept in my bag, as I have one bag dedicated to gigging and performances, so I am not packing like MAD every weekend trying to collect the things I need. I also have a check list I go over to make sure I have missed nothing.