Inside My Dance Bag: Nashville Ballet’s Julia Eisen

How many years have you been doing ballet?

I started ballet at age 4, so I’ve been dancing for 23 years now (10 of those years professionally).

What are some roles you’ve danced with Nashville Ballet?

I began dancing at Nashville Ballet in 2010. Since I’ve been here, I’ve danced Lady Fortune in Nashville Ballet Artistic Director & CEO Paul Vasterling’s Carmina Burana and Dew Drop Fairy in Vasterling’s Nashville’s Nutcracker. A few of my other favorite roles have been in Jirí Kylián’s Petite Mort and Christopher Bruce’s Moonshine and Sergeant Early’s Dream.

What’s your favorite thing about ballet?

My favorite thing about ballet is the moments captured while you’re on stage. It’s like time has stopped and you’re completely in the moment. You’re sharing something special with the other dancers and the audience that will never be recreated exactly.

What’s in your dance bag?

I use a Lululemon dance bag. Here’s what’s in it:

 

• Pointe shoes – I use Freed Classic Maker D. I put all of my pointe shoes (I usually have about six pairs at all times) in a cotton-netted shopping bag.

 

• Bloch Pro Elastic ballet slippers

 

• RubiaWear leg warmers

 

• Wear Moi skirts

 

• TheraBand resistance bands – I keep several different colors in my bag because each one represents a different level of resistance.

 

• Balls – There are a lot of great therapy balls on the market, but my favorite is actually a bouncy ball I got at Old Navy about four years ago. Use whatever works for you! I also have a small physical therapy ball with ridges in my bag.

 

• Wooden foot roller

 

• Black warm-up booties

 

• Compression ankle wrap

 

• Zap glue

 

• Duct tape

 

• Second skin

 

• Orthopedic toe pads

 

• Toe spacers

 

• Sewing kit

 

• Bath & Body Works peppermint cooling foot spray

 

• T-Relief, Biofreeze and Tiger Balm for pain relief

 

• Ibuprofen

 

• Headphones

 

• Perfume – I use Victoria’s Secret Noir scented body spray.

 

• Dove deodorant

 

• Altoids

 

• Phone

 

• Bobby pins

 

• Nail clippers

 

• Water bottle

 

• Fruit and energy bars – A couple of my favorite bars are Luna Bars and Kind Bars.

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From Chapel Hill, N.C.
With Nashville Ballet since 2010

Training and Education
The Ballet School of Chapel Hill, North Carolina School of the Arts, Richmond Ballet, Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance, NB2, National Choreographers Initiative

Julia Eisen started her dance training at The Ballet School of Chapel Hill, N.C. where she studied ballet, modern and jazz. She was also a member of the internationally recognized North Carolina Youth Tap Ensemble. Her extensive preparation to become a professional dancer led her to the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, N.C. After graduating, Eisen moved to Richmond, Va. to become a trainee with the Richmond Ballet.

In 2010, Eisen moved to Nashville to become a member of Nashville Ballet’s second company, NB2. She was promoted to an apprentice in 2012 and became a full company member in the spring of 2013.

She has performed in memorable works such as Nashville Ballet Artistic Director & CEO Paul Vasterling’s Carmina Burana, Jirí Kylián’s Petite Mort, Christopher Bruce’s Moonshine and Sergeant Early’s Dream, Salvatore Aiello’s Afternoon of a Faun and Gina Patterson’s …but the flowers have yet to come.

Eisen has also danced with Terpsicorps Theater of Dance in Asheville, N.C. and National Choreographers Initiative in Irvine, Calif.