Inside Ye Feifei’s Dance Bag
Hong Kong Ballet principal Ye Feifei likes to keep her dance bag simple and organized. What items help her the most? “My roller and ball, especially for the feet,” she says with a laugh. “I need them every hour!”
When packing for a tour, Feifei is a minimalist. One of her travel hacks is to use a blanket as a yoga mat. “My friends gave it to me as a Christmas present,” she says. “It’s the right size and texture to take for travel.” Ballet skirts are some of her other must-haves: She chooses shorter lengths for class and longer options to rehearse roles like Juliet, which she performed earlier this year at New York City Center.
The Goods
Dance bag: A soft, navy blue travel bag. “I got it online around one or two years ago.”
Pointe shoes: Feifei wears custom Gaynor Mindens, and usually carries 8 or 9 pairs. “One working pair, six pairs sewn, and one or two pairs completely new, just in case.”
Sewing kit: She keeps small scissors and dental floss on hand for mending purposes.
Herbal supplements: Two forms of ginseng extract from South Korea. Feifei takes one before rehearsals, and the other before performances. “Korean ginseng is for better circulation, energy and immune system.”
Body care: Physio tape (“for daily maintenance”), exercise bands and warm-up clothes.
Essential salve: When she’s not on tour, Feifei uses the Chinese ointment zheng gu shui to release muscle tension. “It’s something like a bone-setting water.” She applies it every night.
