Diana Léon, who has been dancing with Les Grands Ballets since 2014, is ready for anything coming her way thanks to the contents of her trusty dancer's bag! Here she shares with us the necessary tools to a dancer's life.

(From top, left to right)

1. Wireless headphones, because if I use them while dancing, I don't want to get tangled in the wire. They may not be completely soundproof, but they help me focus by cutting off ambient noise and plunging me in a bubble.
2. Pointes, a dancer’s best friend, need no introduction. These are the Serenade model that I’ve been using for 7 years. Each dancer adapts her pointes in her own way.
3. The Ouch Pouch toe pads are used to protect my feet in my pointe shoes. The best thing about them is obviously that they're purple!
4. I use an elastic band to do different exercises, especially to strengthen my ankles.
5. This massage soap, which is actually a stone that I bought in Mexico, is specially designed for rubbing on the body for relaxation. It works wonders!
6. My sewing kit, which I use to sew my pointe shoes and repair them as needed. A must.
7. I also use glue to repair my pointes. When I get a new pair, I make a small incision in the sole to make them more flexible and to better suit the line of my foot: to do this, I have to fully remove the sole then glue it back in place.
8. This massage ball, also used to relax my muscles, is identified with the nickname given to me by my fellow dancers: "Mi Corazòn" (which means "my heart"). This way I'm not afraid to never see it again if I lend it!
9. Tiger Balm, a pain reliever, is really effective for intense bodily pain. I don't really use it that often though!
10. Lip balm is super practical. For those who don't know, if you smile on stage with lips that are too dry, you won't be able to close your mouth - your lips will stick to your front teeth, making for a really awkward face! We never want that to happen, so I always carry lip balm with me!
11. I wear my knee pads for rehearsing more contemporary choreography.
12. Dancers always have a water bottle nearby. We are moving constantly so we need to stay hydrated.
13. Ballet slippers are a staple since we're not always wearing our pointes.