Why did we start making Raks Sacks?    As a dance student or teacher we need a sturdy bag to keep all the paraphernalia for a variety of different classes in one place. A plain bag is fine, but why keep having to dig for zils, pens, etc., and do you notice that veils and hipscarves are always getting mashed under notebooks and CDs? And where did the keys go again? We want a bag that can keep everything in its place and that is comfortable to wear on the shoulder while going from class to class, studio to show. Of course, a good-looking bag is always better than a ratty one, so we set to work making the perfect dance bag.

Did you know that the word is "raqs" not "raks"?    Yes, we know, and it was a tough one to have to spell it that way! Our field testing showed us that to those not so up on their Arabic it was reading "raGs sack". We had to make it look less raggy and more rockin'. It IS spelled correctly in Arabic above, so we felt we could be okay with it.

Why did you decide to embellish each bag uniquely?    Although there may be bags with similar embellishments, we wanted to give each bag an individual quality, a look that is unique to each individual, but with the same comsistent quality of product. Plus it's more fun for us to try different things all the time!

Cindy Wiebe    Cindy has a strong background in costume design and production and is Head of Wardrobe at the Western Canada Theatre Company.

Bonnie McLean    Bonnie comes from a dance background and is dancer, teacher and graphic designer with a strong interest in costume design and embellishment.