Profiles

Inside Marijana Dominis’ Dance Bag

November 10, 2026

The items inside Marijana Dominis’ dance bag reflect the international scope of her career. The Sarasota Ballet principal’s manicure kit, for instance, is from her native Croatia, while her pointe shoe scraper is a holdover from her time training at the Munich Ballet Academy. She discovered Perskindol Active Gel, her must-have muscle cream, while dancing with Finnish National Ballet.

During the company’s recent tour to The Joyce Theater in New York City, Dominis brought along a smaller, travel-sized dance bag, purchased at a dancewear store in Tampa. “The one I usually carry [in Sarasota] is much sturdier and heavier to carry,” she says. Here are the items she carries with her on the daily.

On a black table against a black background, a black dance bag and its contents are shown: three pairs of pointe shoes, one pair of ballet flats, a white see-through pouch with thread and other materials, a small black foam massage tool with light blue specks, a small red ball, a small purple exercise band, a larger red exercise band, a small amber perfume bottle, a wooden hairbrush with fine metal bristles, toe pads, toe caps, toe tape, a yellow bottle of Perskindol Active gel, and a light pink water bottle.
Photo by Kyle Froman.

The Goods

Ballet shoes: Dominis wears Sansha Pro ballet slippers and Freed Classic pointe shoes. While she isn’t too finicky about makers, her favorite is Butterfly. “The box is a little wider, so I like them for slower movements.” Her other preferred maker is Clef. “They’re a little narrower, so they keep me more lifted up in my shoe.”

Massage tools: “I love my travel-friendly ‘peanut’ roller, because it’s small and I can roll out anything with it,” says Dominis. “I use the massage ball for my feet.”

Sewing kit: “I keep my manicure kit inside, which is special to me because my mom has the exact same one, so it reminds me of her.”

  • A close up on Marijana Dominis' hands, as she shows her manicure kit to the camera. In the background, she wears a light-colored floral leotard with a small mesh top. The kit is made of an off-white leather-like material.
    Dominis’ manicure kit. Photo by Kyle Froman.
  • Marijana Dominos is shown from about the waist up, sitting in the aisle of the house in a theater. She wears a sleeveless light-colored floral leotard with a small mesh top and white warm-up pants. Smiling, she shows a small amber-colored perfume bottle to the camera.
    With her bottle of Calvin Klein Eternity Intense, a fragrance she wears when performing Antony Tudor’s Lilac Garden. Photo by Kyle Froman.

Schmidt Sports Deuserband looped exercise band: “This is from Germany and really hard to find. It’s for stretching big poses, like arabesque or the splits.”

Fit Simplify band: “It’s extra-heavy and great for glute, hip, and ankle exercises. I use it every day, multiple times a day.”

Shoe scraper: “This little guy is from Germany,” says Dominis, who uses it to create traction on the bottoms of her shoes. “A lot of people in the company borrow it.”

Foot-care items: Dominis protects her toes with Ouch Pouch pads, athletic tape, and especially toe caps. “My big toe takes all the weight, so it needs a lot of extra coverage.”

Marijana Dominis is shown sitting in the aisle of the house of a theater, her legs straight out in front of her, crossed in a loose pointed fifth. She wears a sleeveless light-colored floral leotard, a small mesh top, white baggy warm-up pants, and black warm-up boots with pink flowers. She smiles, resting one arm on her lap and the other on the ground behind her. She sits behind her dance bag with its contents set out in front: tan ballet shoes, multiple pairs of pointe shoes, a small black massage roller with light blue flecks, a white see-through pouch, a small red ball, exercise bands, a yellow bottle of ointment, a wooden hairbrush with fine metal bristles, an amber perfume bottle, and a light pink water bottle.
Photo by Kyle Froman.

Perskindol Active Gel: “This has saved my life a couple of times,” says Dominis, who orders the Swiss-made cream regularly from Europe. “It’s for muscle pain and has all natural ingredients.”

Perfume: Dominis normally wears Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Intense as her signature scent. But for the role of Caroline in Antony Tudor’s Lilac Garden, which she performed at The Joyce in October, she prefers Calvin Klein Eternity Intense. “It’s so right for this role, so I wear it for every rehearsal and show.”

dance bag marijana dominis sarasota ballet the joyce theater