The holidays are here!
Your family may have been asking you for gift ideas – but, you may or
may not have told them you dance.
“Outing” yourself is your call; regardless, here are some items they can
get you to support your dance habit, that won’t put them on mailing lists
they’d rather not be on, and that can stay within a budget. I have included links for visual aids. You may find better prices elsewhere
1.
A good wooden
drying rack – an all wood rack is best.
This can be used for airing out costumes without stretching them. If you pick one with a flat top, bedlahs can
be stabilized and not slide off. While
metal ones may be cheaper, wood will not rust and stain your clothes.
2.
Luggage
dedicated to dance. Tired of finding
glitter on your clothes when you travel for your day job? (Tired of your significant other complaining
about this happening to them?) Get some
inexpensive luggage dedicated to dance clothes.
I started with 2 or 3 totes, later added a duffel that I practically
live out of, and eventually added a full size suitcase. Mine are all black with pink polka dots, so I
don’t confuse them with my “regular” luggage.
AND, I can find them easily in crowded dressing rooms. Look for good quality relative to the price
as well as a configuration that suits your needs.
3.
And, while you are at it, perhaps you need a train
case to hold that stage makeup separately from your costumes! Not your
speed, they also make toiletry
bags. I have one of these, and it
has held up well, packed to the gills, for a few years now.
4.
Jewelry
organizers. I LOVE my Neatnix
stax! I found mine at the Container
Store while killing time for a workshop, and I have NEVER regretted the
purchase. The single compartment style
is on my own list for this year, as it looks like it will hold those lovely
collar necklaces such as the ones from Shiny Sparkly Things!
5.
A
foam roller can be a godsend to a tired dancer. It is a massage therapist and a chiropractor
that works on YOUR schedule. I take mine
on the road to workshops if I am driving and it has rescued me from kinks
caused by strange beds and air mattresses.
6.
A tripod
for your phone. There is no feedback
like video feedback! If you already have
a smart phone, ask for a tripod or stand and turn your phone into a feedback
partner!
7.
For those who sew, or need to do repairs,
Stanley Levy’s book, Bead
and Sequin Embroidery Stitches is a must-have. Techniques are clearly explained with plain
language and lots of images to assist.
8.
If you are a note-taker, a journal
or diary can make a beautiful gift that helps you to record notes from
workshops, online classes, and personal practice. Taking notes allows a different part of your
brain to work, enhancing your learning and helping you to retain more.
10. Been
collecting back issues of Arabesque?
Want to preserve your vintage collection of Habibi issues? Ask for magazine
storage containers, preferably acid free ones. They can keep your copies safe, even at the
bottom of a closet.
11. Got snaps? Hooks and eyes? Beads coming out of
your ears? A safety pin collection to
make the Bellydance Superstars envious?
Asking for bead
storage containers can yield infinite storage possibilities, whether you
sew or not. What you put in them is up
to you. Look for secure clasps and
preferably segmented lids that only open one section at a time.
12. Two
Faced’s Shadow Insurance Glitter Glue, because you really want it ON your
eyelids, not IN your eyes!
13. A magnifying
mirror, because eyes seem to fail us in dimly lit changing rooms, after
workshops, when we are mature enough to have something to say in our dance.
14. Need
to preserve that vintage Abla that you won in an online auction? Have a Bella to store? Have non of the above, but still want to keep
that costume that TOOK FOREVER preserved nicely? Ask for acid
free storage boxes and protect those investments.
STOCKING STUFFER TIME! The following items make great small gifts
for troupe mates, students, teachers or stocking stuffers for dancers:
17. Dry
shampoo can save you as you scramble from a workshop to a hafla performance,
can perk you up between gigs, and ad sticking power to hair for sword work or
slippery head gear. My favorite is by Big
Sexy Hair and is small enough to fit in a travel gig bag.
18. Also
good for freshening up quickly are Wet Cleansing Towelettes, such as these by Ponds. Larger packs are good for home, smaller ones
can be found in the travel section of drug stores.
19. BIOFREEZE!
My chiropractor introduced me to this wonder gel and I swear by this
stuff. The roll-on version keeps it off
your hands, which is good when you have eczema (like me) or a tendency to rub
your eyes.
21. Cover
Girl Outlast lipstick. I SWEAR by
this stuff. “Eternal Flame” and “Ever
Red Dy” are my standby colors. These
things go on, stay on, and clean up easily with baby oil. Let me put it this way: it survives a steak
dinner, once dry will NOT stain your veil, and the gloss stick doesn’t seem to
trap hair or chiffon. I am not a paid
endorser, just an enthusiastic user. I
love this lipstick!
22. Fuzzy
socks! Seriously, I won’t travel
without them now. I toss some in my
dance bag for workshops and have been saved from frozen toes on cold, vintage
floors. Besides, you want some comfort
and pampering after dancing all day, don’t you!
23. Finally, that bastion of 80’s fashion that you
can ONLY get between now and January 1st, LEG
WARMERS! They keep foot cramps at
bay, tame errant flare leg pants, and still let the instructor see your feet. Wear them without shame!
25. Know
someone who takes on REALLY complicated costume projects? Consider giving labels, whether premade
or custom for them to sew in and declare their commitment to the project!
