Inside Maya Schonbrun’s Dance Bag
While her onstage personas are as varied as Cinderella and Odile, Royal Swedish Ballet first soloist Maya Schonbrun’s offstage style stays consistently quirky.
Her dance bag is a black Fjällräven Kånken backpack, decorated with patches she added herself. “I really like dinosaurs and food, so I went with a dinosaur/food theme for my patches,” Schonbrun says. “I love patches. I didn’t want a plain bag, so I got these all at once and then put them on. But if I see a cool patch, I get it.”
The Goods
Pointe shoes: “I’m very indecisive about which pair [to wear] because I’m very specific about how they feel for balancing and turning,” Schonbrun says. “I like to have the peace of mind to know I have options, so if I suddenly don’t like this pair of shoes, I have four more to try.” That’s why Schonbrun brought six pairs of Freeds on her recent trip to New York City.
Balls and band: The exercise band in Schonbrun’s bag was free from the physical therapist at her company. “It keeps breaking and I don’t want to ask for a new one, so I just keep using my scraps,” she says. Her warm-up routine also includes rolling out with a set of small balls from Lululemon.
Collapsible roller: She normally uses a traditional foam roller, but her collapsible one fits into Schonbrun’s suitcase when she travels.
Taco Bell sweatshirt: Schonbrun is a lifelong fan of Taco Bell. She used to celebrate her birthday at the chain restaurant and would stop by weekly for Taco Tuesdays before moving to Sweden. Her order? Two grilled cheese chicken tacos, an order of chips and cheese, and a Baja Blast.
Sneakers: Schonbrun’s white Nikes were painted by a friend. Each side of the shoe is decorated with a different theme: dinosaurs, cats, fast food, and avocados.
Phone case: Schonbrun’s current phone case has an image of a zombie dinosaur on it, replacing her old phone case that featured a zombie taco.
Athletic shorts: One of Schonbrun’s favorite things about company life is having more freedom to wear what she likes in class and rehearsal. “My teachers in school hated them,” she says of her basketball shorts.
Toy pickle: “Francis” is the name of Schonbrun’s toy pickle. Schonbrun’s mother used to give her a blind box to open before every ballet competition, and still makes sure she has one to mark each opening night. “Especially now that I’m not at home, it’s a nice little reminder that my mom is there, whether she’s watching or not,” Schonbrun says. Francis has joined her at the Prix de Lausanne, Youth America Grand Prix finals, Helsinki International Ballet Competition, and, since she joined in 2022, every Royal Swedish Ballet performance.
Leotards: Schonbrun calls a few of her leotards “lucky” and chooses to wear them during performance weeks, because she can rely on them to be comfortable. Lately she’s been reaching for leos with long sleeves and higher necklines.
