Contortion Gig Packing List
Contortion Gig Packing List
@Amazon, you’re welcome to book me to advertise your Kindle any time
I’m someone who thrives off of checklists and organizes a decent amount of my life in Excel (OK - Google Sheets, I don’t pay for Microsoft Excel). Once I started performing regularly, I quickly realized I needed an idiot-proof list of all my makeup and props I should be bringing to my gigs.
Here are my go-to’s of what to pack for a performance:
Costume-Related
Does your costume come in pieces? Make sure to bring all the pieces!
Costume - duh!
Backup costume - you never know if something might go wrong! No one wants to find a hole in their costume or tear a strap last minute, so I always bring some sort of backup costume if I have one that vaguely fits the event theme
Nip covers - I prefer to use silicone pasties, but in a pinch have used electrical tape to keep those nips from poking through my spandex costume
Tights & backup tights - I have awful luck with tights (I once tore 3 pairs of tights one night doing ambient mirror ball contortion), so I try to bring a backup pair. Nude tights often look more “polished” than bare legs (and some clients will prefer all the performers wear tights in the name of “modesty.”)
Shoes - Often I perform in black jazz shoes, especially if I’ll be practicing outside or somewhere with a dirty floor. Even if you’re performing barefoot, wearing jazz shoes or canvas ballet shoes while you warm up is a great way to keep your feet from getting dirty before you perform. No one wants to see dirty feet!
Warm Up Outerwear - I usually wear my costume to the gig, and throw on loose sweatpants and a zip-up sweatshirt on top. A zip-up top is the way to go so you don’t have to worry about messing up your hair and/or makeup when pulling a pullover sweatshirt over your head
Hair
Hair brush
Hairspray - even if you’ve already shellacked your hair in place, you’ll still want to tame any flywaways after warming up
Clear hair elastics
Bobby pins - I bring a shit ton of bobby pins
Hair “jewelry” (if applicable)
Makeup
When in doubt: add rhinestones
Makeup Mirror - I like this LED mirror because it’s rechargeable
Stage makeup - for me, this is usually tinted moisturizer (or some kind of base), concealer, contour kit, liquid eyeliner, pencil eyeliner, eyeshadow, mascara, eyebrow tint, blush, lip color, and/or face paint
Glitter/rhinestones - I use this little bead organizer box to store all my rhinestones (which I get at Michaels)
False eyelashes
Eyelash glue - for both the false eyelashes, and the rhinestones
Setting spray
Blotting papers - if I’ll be performing a long time and will have an opportunity to blot off my sweat shine in between sets
Q-tips - my go-to for fixing mistakes!
Baby wipes - for makeup removal. Way cheaper than “makeup remove wipes”
Warm Up
Yoga mat - I have a cheap yoga mat I use mostly for gigs and outdoor practice that I don’t have to worry about it getting dirty and beat up
Peanut - I looooove my mobility peanut! Sometimes I use it as part of my warm up, sometimes I use it as part of my cool down after performing
Yoga blocks - I don’t always bring my blocks, but if I really need to warm up my leg flexibility, I’ll bring blocks to warm up my oversplits
Miscellaneous
Don’t forget to bring a snack :)
Water bottle
Snacks! - I try to avoid eating a meal less than 3 hours before performing, but I’m a big snacker, so something like a granola bar or a banana helps
Medication (if needed) - Hopefully you don’t need any meds on hand on a regular basis, but as someone with IBD and some temperamental bowels, I like to bring Imodium in case I’m having a pesky flare up
Phone - let’s be honest, I probably wouldn’t even be able to find the gig without my GPS
Ear buds - bonus points if they’re wireless so you don’t get tangled up while warming up!
Kindle - if the event call time is super early and I won’t need to warm up for a while, I like having my kindle on hand to kill some time
