September doesn't only start the school year. It also brings back rehearsals, class timetables stuck to the fridge, and that dance bag to pack every week.
For anyone whose year runs to the rhythm of dance, we have made a two-piece pack sharing the same illustration: Mariela the ballerina, drawn by hand in Spain against a background of hearts. A notebook to write in and a pencil case to carry it all.
Two pieces, one piece of artwork
The notebook and the pencil case don't merely go together: they are the same drawing. The illustration is printed on both sides of both pieces, so the set is recognisable from the other side of the changing room. It's a small detail, but it's what turns the same old supplies into something of your own.
In a dance school, where half the class carries the same black bag and the same kind of notebook, something recognisable from a distance stops being a matter of taste and becomes rather practical.
The pencil case
It measures 22 x 17 cm, flat and roomy. It's made from waterproof polyester and closes with a sturdy zip. It holds everyday supplies — pens, markers, rulers — and also the things only dancers understand: hair elastics, grips and ribbons.
That double life is precisely the point. On weekdays it travels in the school rucksack; on class days it goes in the rehearsal bag with a completely different set of contents.
The notebook
It measures 17 x 24 cm and has 100 squared pages (50 sheets) in 80 gsm paper. It's spiral-bound with a semi-rigid cover, illustrated on both sides. It works equally well for class notes and for jotting down timetables, choreography and plans.
The size is meant to stand upright in a dance bag without bending, and the spiral lets it open completely and rest anywhere: the changing-room bench, the studio floor, your knees while the teacher explains.
Why it's worth taking notes in a dance class
Almost nobody arrives at their first class thinking of bringing a notebook. And yet those who do tend to progress more clearly, because dance is learned through repetition and the body's memory needs time. These are the things people are most glad to have written down:
- The teacher's corrections. “Drop the shoulder”, “weight further forward”, “don't anticipate the arm”. Phrases that vanish the moment the music starts, and which, written down, become a list of things to check at home.
- The names of the steps. There's a lot of terminology and it all arrives at once. Writing it down organises the class and stops you practising a movement wrongly for weeks.
- The structure of the choreography. Four lines with the order of the sections are enough to avoid arriving at the next rehearsal with a blank.
- Dates and times. Workshops, dress rehearsals, end-of-year shows. Everything announced out loud at the end of class, when nobody is still listening.
Writing it up straight afterwards, still in the changing room and with the class fresh, works far better than trying to remember it the next day.
What to keep in the pencil case if you dance
The contents of a dance pencil case look nothing like a school one. What's almost always needed:
- Spare elastics and hair grips. There are never enough, and one is always missing right before you start.
- A hairnet and a small hairspray if the bun is part of the school's uniform.
- Plasters. New shoes and blisters go hand in hand.
- A pen for all of the above. It sounds obvious and it's the thing most often forgotten.
A gift with artwork for someone who dances
It works as your own supplies and it works as a present. For someone starting the year, for someone going back to class, for someone who teaches and for anyone who takes ballet everywhere. Birthdays, back to school, end of year, or simply a thank you to whoever runs the class. 🩰
For teachers it's especially well judged: they receive flowers and chocolates every June, and rather less that they can actually use in the studio.
Where to get it
The Pack Estuche + Libreta Ballet Bailarina Mariela costs €15.90 at illustrarte.es, with free shipping within Spain. It's also available on Amazon, where you can check the current price on the product listing itself:
Prefer flamenco? The same pack exists in five flamenco designs, with a 200-page notebook.
More ideas for getting ready
If the rehearsal bag needs putting together from scratch as well, these guides help:
- What to take to a flamenco class: 7 practical accessories
- Your first flamenco class: what to take, what to wear and what to expect
The stationery shown in some of the images is not included.
The illustrArte products featured in this article are our own designs, sold in our shop and on Amazon.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
