Having a successful routine to center yourself and prepare before a performance is imperative to bringing your absolute best to the moment… and it’s so much fun!

Let’s pretend for a minute that nothing aches and hurts and we just have to warm up and look gorgeous. Ear buds and a dark, quiet corner was my consistent choice, no matter how much I’d be playfully teased for preferring to hide. (For more on warming up, check out Strength & Flex!) At the foundation of it all is always going to be my Thinx. They make the most perfect undies for literally every situation. My treasured Acorn booties comforted me around the theater for many, many years. Once I traded in pointe shoes to go barefoot, I practically stock-piled Crescent Moon socks. It was a Mr. Taylor rule to always begin every performance with clean feet, so I rely on those grippy socks for pre-show or teaching traction!

The next most important thing is clean hair and zero wispies! There’s nothing more distracting (for you and the audience!) then messy hair on stage when it is supposed to be clean. I have quite the reputation for sharing my 32-fouette-secure French Twist, with the fewest amount of pins. Theses spirals are a brilliant invention for security without breaking your hair. I’m loyal to Denman hair brushes, which are equal to and fabulously more affordable than Mason Pearson.

I’ve always been interested in the magic of stage make-up. So much so, that in my transition back to New York, I freelanced as a make-up artist for M.A.C. Cosmetics during breaks. I eventually started using Jane Iredale mineral foundation and powder on stage to keep my skin happy and it can stand up to serious sweat. The art of highlighting and contouring is super important and one trick is to stay away from shimmer. As pretty as it is in normal daylight or photo shoots, it can have a dulling effect in stage lighting. The best secret to taking off makeup and eyelash glue… all-natural, Jojoba oil! It’s such a healthy, multi-purpose product to hydrate skin and hair that it’s a necessity to keep handy at home and on the road.