Inside Mayara Magri’s Dance Bag
After 10 seasons with The Royal Ballet, Brazilian-born principal dancer Mayara Magri knows what she wants in a pointe shoe, but embraces flexibility. Her current pair has had 37 modifications. In the company, “We are lucky enough to be able to customize our shoes—the feel, the strength, the box—and it keeps on adjusting,” Magri says. She alternates between Grishko and Bloch, and her preferred alterations regularly change. “It seems like every month, I feel slightly different about my shoes.”
Her rise to international ballet fame began in 2011, when she won the senior age division of the Youth America Grand Prix. Earlier this year, she performed the Black Swan pas de deux from Swan Lake in YAGP’s gala in Florida. She wore a Black Swan tutu from a past Royal Ballet production of Swan Lake, as choreographed by Anthony Dowell. “I was wearing something that I hadn’t worn before. It’s beautiful. I loved dancing in it,” says Magri.
The Goods
Dance bag: “I have one that is black, with holes, so the pointe shoes can breathe.”
TheraBands: “I have two. The blue one is for footwork and back exercises, and the pink one is for arabesque and larger range-of-motion exercises.”
Toe pads: “I use the Bloch ones, with the jelly just in front of the nail. I like to keep my shoes as bare as I can on the sole side, so I can really feel my feet on the floor.”
Body rollers: “I love lying on my foam roller and using it to stretch and get rid of knots. It’s great for my IT band, quads, glutes and calves. There’s also a gray, squishy ball that’s really good for little tension spots, like in the neck. I use that one a lot. I have a golf ball, as well, to release tension in the foot.”
Mueller Tuffner Pre-Tape Spray: “It helps to keep pointe-shoe ribbons from slipping out, and to keep costumes and leotards from moving on my body.”
Water bottle: “I got it from my boyfriend. I always drink water throughout the day and drop an electrolyte [supplement] in it.”
On-the-go favorite: “My goodie bag. It’s in my ballet bag and there are mints and deodorant—little things. When I have a couple of hours to go until the end of the day, I can have a snack bar, lip gloss, freshen up and come back again. It’s like a ‘keep going’ bag. I keep my jewelry there as well.”
Memento: “I have a little golden charm that I’ve always loved. I wear it only for performances, as a confidence boost.”
Can’t live without: “Some snacks. I’m a very snack-y person. I have things, like yogurt, a protein shake, a banana or an apple, that I can munch throughout the day.”
Sewing kit: “Because I have to be ready for anything.”
