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Ballet Stars

Dance Theatre of Harlem's Daphne Lee's Tour Essentials Include Everything From Custom Colored Pointe Shoes to Chanel No. 5

Kyle Froman for Pointe

Not only is Daphne Lee a member of Dance Theatre of Harlem and a graduate student, but she's also a pageant queen who just finished her reign as Miss Black USA. Lee became involved in pageants to win scholarship money for school and promote cancer awareness. She's currently getting her MFA in dance at Hollins University through a low-residency program. "I'm always carrying a book," says Lee. She's also sure to keep her student ID with her. It works internationally, which can be helpful in getting student discounts on tour. Balancing her busy schedule isn't easy. That's why the most important item in Lee's dance bag is her planner. "I keep everything in here," she says.

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Editors' List: The Goods

5 Booties to Add to Your Winter Warm-Up Wear

San Francisco Ballet soloist Koto Ishihara stretches in her warm-up boots. Photo by Quinn Wharton for Dance Magazine.

With cooler weather finally here, it's time to talk warm-ups. And while your dancewear drawer is probably overflowing with oversized sweaters, leggings and enough leg warmers to outfit the whole class, warm-up boots are often forgotten. To keep your feet and ankles cozy in between rehearsals, we rounded up dance warm-up boots that suit every style.

Bloch Inc. Printed Warm-up Bootie

via Bloch Inc.

Created by Irina Dvorovenko and Max Beloserkovsky, this collection comes in a variety of tie dye, floral and even butterfly prints.
blochworld.com, $48

Editors' List: The Goods

5 Bags That Are Cool Enough to Go From School to the Studio

Photo via Unsplash.

Back to school is just around the corner, and that means back to your regular dance routine, too. Whether you're looking for a new bag that's strictly for the studio or an option that will work for whatever the day throws your way, we've got you covered. Scroll through for our top five picks.

Repetto Duffle Bag

via Repetto

If space always seems to be an issue, consider this classic duffle option. Big enough to double as a weekend bag, Repetto's design includes cinched sides for a chic update, as well as black canvas and mesh options for a more traditional or sporty style.
repetto.com, $110

Ballet Stars

Why Multiple Shades of Lipstick Are a Must in Venus Villa's Dance Bag

Kyle Froman

When it comes to studio attire, The Washington Ballet's Venus Villa loves to have choices. While at home in Washington, DC, her bag usually overflows with skirts and warm-ups in all different colors. "I am more girly than sporty," she says of her style. She's also never without multiple lipsticks, and she selects the right shade to match her leotard each day. On tour in New York City for a Guggenheim Works & Process showing, Villa pared the contents of her dance bag down to the essentials: only one skirt, but still three lipsticks.

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The Birth of Gaynor Minden

Dancers have a love-hate relationship with their pointe shoes. They give us blisters, make our feet throb and don't last very long—but if anyone tried to take them away, we'd chase them off with a stick.

So when former dancer Eliza Gaynor Minden took a closer look at traditional pointe shoe brands and noticed where improvements could be made, she jumped at the chance to develop a high-tech pointe shoe under the label Gaynor Minden.

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Factory Girl: Alina Cojocaru

Where can you find Pointe covers adorning heavy machinery? The Gaynor Minden factory, of course. Apparently our December 2010/January 2011 cover featuring Alina Cojocaru in her signature Gaynors festoon the factory's walls and machines. This Eagle Tribune article about the building's new solar panels takes readers inside the space where the company produces around 100,000 pointe shoes a year. Alina would inspire me to make that many shoes, too.

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