It’s SHOW WEEK and I love nothing more than the thrill of being on stage! This Saturday, April 27, 2024 you can catch us at the Auditorium Theatre in downtown Chicago at 7:30pm with SIX brand new commissions!! With all of the hustle and bustle that is leading up to show week, I thought I’d take you through some of my essential things I do or take every single day while leading up to the show to keep me healthy and ready to go. Everyone is different and has their own routine or favorites, but here are my top 10…

1.Packing food ahead of time and making sure my meals are nutritious and packed with tons of protein! For me and my body, protein keeps me feeling strong and alert!

2. Vitamins – at the start of each day! I take a vitamin blend each morning that keeps my immune system alive and keeps me well!

3. Meditation! Just this year, I started using an app on my phone that takes me through short, breath-centered meditations. It keeps me calm during the chaos of show week!

4. TONS of water and electrolytes! I make sure to keep hydrated and replace all that I sweat out during rehearsal.

5. Ice packs at the end of the rehearsal day to reduce inflammation or swelling from a long rehearsal day.

6. Massage tools, lacrosse balls, foam rollers, etc. Almost all of us dancers have some slew of recovery tools to roll-out or massage our tight muscles. We work hard in rehearsal and need to recover well!

7. Okay, no shame, spray deodorant. We work hard and sweat hard as well. I never leave without my spray deodorant in my bag to replenish and stay fresh throughout the day!

8. Biofreeze. Ever heard of it? It’s like icy hot’s bigger and better best friend. It’s professional strength and helps my body aches and pains ease themselves away.

9. My personal favorite – chapstick (specifically Carmex!). I can never leave the house without it and dancing with chapped lips is the worst feeling for some reason!

10. Layers upon layers of clothes to stay warm. Yes, dancers sweat a lot, but we also cool off INSANELY fast. We like to keep our bodies warm and ready to go especially when we have long days. Many of us bring 2 layers of pants and tops as to keep the heat inside of our bodies so we can remain active and warm!

And there it is, my list of necessities. If you ever find yourself on a show week, now you know what to bring along! We more than hope we will see you this Saturday, it’s going to be a show to remember!