Inside New York City Ballet Principal Lauren Lovette’s Dance Bag

November 11, 2019

New York City Ballet principal Lauren Lovette tries hard to focus on wellness despite her busy schedule. Her Hydro Flask water bottle—a gift from colleague Indiana Woodward—is emblazoned with the words “Be Here Now,” a daily reminder to stay present. Lovette also keeps two doTERRA essential oils in her bag, and starts each day with Citrus Bliss. “I put it on my wrist at barre, and smell it,” she says. “It just keeps me in a positive mood.” Another scent, Balance, is reserved for days when she’s feeling particularly frazzled.

Lovette is also a master of hacks. She cuts the tops off old pairs of tights to create belts, and sewed a pair of socks into the inside of her legwarmers. “I like the extra heat on my calves,” she says. When the company’s not in season, Lovette sews her pointe shoes with colored thread, “just for fun.” And her dance bag usually includes DIY snacks. Lovette regularly makes cowboy cookies, a favorite family recipe she’s tweaked to be vegan.

The Goods

The contents of Lauren Lovette's emptied backpack and duffle back are laid out on the floor of a dance studio.
Quinn Wharton

Clockwise from left:
Hot Stuff Instant Glue, Puma duffel, Old Spice Sweat Defense deodorant (“This is the best; it actually lasts all day”), Salonpas gel, Maybelline makeup, crochet thread, custom Freed pointe shoes (“I grew up paying for my own shoes, so I try to make them last”), rehearsal sneakers (“These are specially designed for Justin Peck’s The Times Are Racing“), doTERRA essential oils, PerfectFit Pointe Shoe Inserts (“I love them! I was one of their first trials”), backpack (“It’s meant to be a diaper bag, so it has lots of compartments”), thermos, Hydro Flask water bottle, practice tutu (“This is an old NYCB tutu. Some people think it’s from Coppélia“), legwarmers, wrap skirt (“Someone in the Royal Danish Ballet made this for me when I was there doing Stars and Stripes last year”), Bang & Olufsen headphones, perfume, Tiger Balm, gum, Claritin, Trigger Point massage balls (“I like to use them on my back”), headband, nuts, scissors, Unreal chocolate, Tylenol, Band-Aids, belts, cookies, ballet slippers (“These are from a photo shoot that needed white shoes. I always do barre in socks”).