Inside Sarah Stafford’s Dance Bag
Take one look at New York Theatre Ballet artist Sarah Stafford’s pointe-shoe-printed dance bag and you’ll have a good idea of what’s inside. The tote is a Baggu and was a gift from her boyfriend. She customized it with a cherry keychain, a lemon hair-clip she picked up while on tour, and several sentimental pins. The kangaroo pin is also from her boyfriend, who is Australian.
The other two pins are from Stafford’s mother. One is a Mexican flag, and the other is the logo of her mother’s dance studio, where Stafford began her training. “I grew up doing folklórico,” Stafford says. “My mom always wanted to be a ballerina, so she put me into Charlotte Ballet School when I was 3.” Stafford danced there until she moved to New York City at 17 to study at Joffrey Ballet School. “I’m really, really close to my family, so it was tough for me to leave, especially being the first of my family to move away from them. But it ended up working out.”
The Goods
Pointe shoes: Stafford wears Freeds, sewn with elastic ribbon, and keeps two pairs on rotation. She mixes two shades of drugstore foundation, one with a green undertone and one with a pink undertone, and paints her shoes with a foundation brush.
She also DIYs her toe pads by purchasing large tubs of silicone putty from Amazon, molding that around her toes, and keeping it in place with the tips she cut off a pair of socks.
Ballet slippers: Stafford wears Sansha Pro ballet slippers. “They’re a thicker shoe, which I didn’t think I was going to like, because I like my shoes to be like socks,” she says. “But I find that I have to point my feet harder in these, so it makes me work harder for a good foot.”
Two-dollar bill: “My favorite thing I carry is this two-dollar bill my mom gave me a long time ago,” Stafford says. “I bring it around for good luck.”
Snacks and water: Some fruit, her Owala water bottle, and a Barebells protein bar are Stafford’s snack must-haves. “I get the bars at Trader Joe’s,” she says. “They taste like candy.”
Book: Stafford reads during her commute. “I’m really into historical fiction, so right now I’m reading all of Philippa Gregory’s books.”
Dancewear: The halter leotard Stafford packed on this day was purchased from a friend. She prefers cutoff tights, and layers with long legwarmers and trash-bag shorts or a Bullet Pointe skirt.
Personal care: Stafford carries two travel-sized perfumes, Glossier You and Lancôme La Vie Est Belle, as well as hair gel, lip care, and hand lotion. Her less-glamorous essential is Dramamine, because she tends to get carsick when the company has long drives to their performances.
TYE4: “I think of this as a portable reformer,” Stafford says. The device goes across her shoulders like a backpack and four resistance cords loop around her arms and legs. “I’ve been warming up with it lately, doing a few barre exercises.”
Gua sha: Gua sha, a tool used in traditional East Asian medicine, has gained popularity in the U.S. for facial massage. Stafford uses it as a portable instrument to massage tight muscles in her legs and feet.
