Inside India Bradley’s Dance Bag
New York City Ballet corps member India Bradley’s description of her dance bag—a medium-sized Bottega Veneta tote—sounds like she’s talking about a trusted friend. “She’s vegan,” Bradley says of the bag, adding that it fits three pairs of pointe shoes, with room for more items.
Bradley carries a digital camera that serves as both bridge and chronicler, connecting her personal life with her careers in dance and modeling. “It has a ton of photos of my friends and colleagues before shows, putting on their makeup and in costume,” she says. “I love it because I usually download and post [the photos], keep them for memories, or put them in my theater case.”
The Goods
Pointe shoes: “I wear—most of the time, the color is brown—Freed of Londons. I don’t do anything out of the ordinary [to them]. Just ribbon and elastic, some Jet Glue.”
The basics: Flat shoes, keys, wallet, phone, Apple AirPods, and wire earphones.
Must-haves: “Lip balm or gloss, a credit card, and a hair tie or hair clip. I feel like those are my three necessities.”
Odds and ends: “I have random elastic and ribbons that don’t have a twin or a match,” Bradley says. She uses them when she needs an extra one to sew a shoe.
Most unique item: “Maybe my EpiPen,” Bradley says. She makes sure to keep it on hand.
Focus journal: “I got [it] from a cute little shop in Harlem that I thought would help me get back into journaling. But I mainly got it so that I could practice waking up in the morning without immediately going on my phone or turning on the TV. I think it’s really helped with my anxiety!”
Snacks: “I have a few MadeGood bars that [principal dancer] Megan Fairchild told me about,” Bradley says. “I always keep about four or five of those.”
Floss: “It’s mainly for when I want to sew,” Bradley says, noting its purpose as thread.
Tic Tacs and gum: “For when I have to partner with someone.”
Cosmetics galore: “I have Chanel N°5 lotion, four kinds of lipstick, and things like blush and a tiny mascara to spruce myself up for a photo or something. Right now, I use a lip liner by REFY and I love it. It has another compartment underneath. The lip-gloss part stays on all throughout my rehearsals.”
