Why do I need a special floor?
Dance instructors young and old around the world constantly wrestle with the question: do I need a special surface to dance on? The easy answer would be “No”, as we all know you can dance pretty much anywhere. The real question should be “What are the benefits of having a dance floor?”
Dance Surface Control
One of the vital reasons to get a floor specific to your type of dance is surface control. If you are dancing on wood, concrete, carpet, or linoleum you have very little control over your results. By choosing a flooring surface that has been designed specifically for your type of dance, you will get much more consistency as well as proper speed control for your dancing.
Products such as Rosco Dance Floor were developed specifically for ballet, jazz, and lyrical dance. The non-skid finish of this dance floor surface is ideal for controlling slip while the cushion the floor provides is great for taking some shock off of those precious joints.
If you are doing several different types of dance in one area you might consider an all-purpose surface such as Rosco Adagio or Rosco Arabesque. The Adagio flooring was developed with more texture to assist with pointe while being sturdy enough to stand up to hard shoes. Arabesque flooring was developed to mimic the speed results of a hardwood surface while giving dancers more cushioning while preforming.
Saving Your Joints While Dancing
Protect your dancers and invest in their future. Please don’t work under the assumption that adult dancers are the only ones that need to worry about permanent injury to joints. Prolonged dancing on a surface that has no give can do great harm to even the youngest of dancers. There are many options available for affordable sprung dance floors that can be easily built and installed by a handyman and won’t break the bank. There are also ready to purchase subfloor options that give a great deal of protection throughout the years.
Protecting Your Investment and Your Dancers
Once you have chosen the proper marley flooring for your needs, it’s important to properly maintain dance floor. With good maintenance, you should be able to get five or more years from your dance floor. Dirty dance floors can also become slippery and a danger to your dancers.
Keep street shoes and heels off the dance floor as much as possible. The less dirt and rocks tracked across the floor the better. Make sure to dry mop the dance floor once per day. This will help to clear out any debris that may have accumulated throughout the day.
Once a week make sure to give your dance floor a good cleaning using an all purpose cleaner followed by a quick mop with just plain water. Be sure to use a cleaner designed specifically for marley dance floors. Cleaners containing acetone, ammonia, and alcohol can melt, dissolve, crack or dry out the dance floor while vinegar or bleach could damage the surface. Still others can leave a residue behind.
Finally a few times a year use a heavy duty cleaner to strip and deep clean your dance floor. At the same time, if your dance floor is taped, this is a good time to rip up the old tape and lay some fresh new dance floor tape or cloth gaff tape, whichever you prefer.
If you decide to make the investment in a dance floor make sure you are well informed of all of your options. Ask any question that comes to mind, no matter how small. This is an investment that can make the world of difference in your dancers bodies and careers. We at StageSpot are here to guide you through the process and make sure it is a painless and enjoyable as dancing should be.
