Talking About Storage Units

How to Store Street Performance Art Equipment

Whether you are an amateur street performer or a new circus arts student, you may find that your equipment will quickly take over your living space. In order to keep your living space uncluttered and your circus arts equipment safe and organized, you might want to rent a self-storage unit. Before you begin storing your equipment, though, go over this list to make sure you are storing your items correctly and making the most of your storage space. 

Hoops 

Whether you have small dance hoops or large fitness hoops, you should take similar steps to store them. Store your hoops flat as opposed to standing on their side or hanging. This helps keep their circular shape. If you have a collapsible hoop, store it in its full, put-together position to keep the correct bend in each section of the hoop.

Consider investing in a large canvas hoop bag to store all of your hoops in to keep them together in one place and keep off the dust.

Poi and Dance Ribbons

If you spin poi, you should store each set with the strings folded together and bound to one of the main balls with an elastic band. Any tails should also be folded against the ball and held in place with an elastic band. The pair should then be placed into a plastic bag. This will keep each pair of poi together and prevent the strings and tails from becoming tangled. If you have chains instead of strings, you may want to remove the chains and store them separately. 

Similarly, dance ribbons should be neatly folded and secured with an elastic band to keep them organized. If you have multiple ribbons for a single wand, keep all of the ribbons together in a plastic bag. 

Fire-Spinning Tools

Most storage facilities have strict rules against explosive or flammable materials. For this reason, you will be unable to store your fuel in your storage unit. Before storing fire-spinning tools such as staffs, fans, fire poi, or a fire hoop, you should make sure to burn off all excess fuel. To do this, allow the flame to go out while you are spinning rather than snuffing out the flame with a wet towel. Make sure you use wick covers on all used wicks to keep your fire tools from marking your storage unit or other equipment. If you do not have wick covers, you can cover your wicks with an old sock. 

To store fuel containers, make sure they are empty, rinse them out with water, and then allow them to air dry. 

Costumes

It is important to clean all of your costumes before storing them. The bacteria in small amounts of sweat can make your costumes smelly if you allow them to sit in storage without laundering them. Even if a piece of a costume does not smell and you only wore it for a single performance, make sure you wash and dry it before storing it. 

General Organization

If you are purchasing a storage unit for your street performance art equipment, it is likely that you already have quite a bit of equipment and plan to acquire more. To help keep your belongings organized, invest in plastic storage bins for each type of equipment and purchase a few extra bins for excess hardware and replacement parts. Also, keep several empty plastic bags on hand to store small items that can easily be lost. 

A small storage unit can free up your home and help keep your performance life well organized. Find a storage facility near you through a website like http://www.northstarministorage.com.


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