To achieve the best performance in your dance studio you need to consider the flooring.
It will impact your mood, your discipline and your ability to motivate and inspire your dancers. Here's what you need to consider before you start planning for your next dance studio flooring build.
Plan for your performance
From the floors, the walls and the ceiling, you have to consider how your dance studio will impact your performance. You can only enjoy the full benefits of the performance and attention to detail if you have the right infrastructure in place.
Floors
You don't have to go for a dance studio that is huge to achieve the best performance. You need to consider how your students will move around the room. You can't expect your students to synchronise if they can't hear you and you need to ensure that you have quiet areas for rehearsals and small groups.
If you have sections of the room that can't be used as 'quiet' areas for rehearsals then you will have to choose another flooring material, which will be a big distraction to your dancers.
Don't forget the furniture too. You have to think about where your dancer can sit and lie down and the equipment and computers they can use.
Walls
You also need to consider the size of the room and the windows. Try to avoid large, dark, unattractive and difficult to clean areas where you won't be able to see what is happening and would rather have the students practice at home.
You also need to ensure that the walls don't interfere with the performance of the room. You can't expect your students to be able to get their line if the lines are on the wall behind them.
Ceiling
Don't forget the roof either. You will need to consider if there is enough space for the roof if your student is dancing in the same place every day.
Carpet
Most dance studios will have carpeted floors and this is a good option if you don't want to have to worry about any difficulties you may have with the floors. If your carpeted flooring has been provided with vinyl in it then you have to look at what happens if the band music is played during rehearsals.
If the feet of your students touch the floor then this will stop the sound of the music from coming through the floorboards and vibrating through the room. You will have to replace the flooring if you can't match your carpet to the audio system.
Lighting
Dance studios need to be brightly lit and some walls will need blackout blinds to cut out the light to the floor. If you have only small windows then you need to consider the lighting in the room.
If you have fewer windows then you need to look at an area of the room where your students can perform. This might mean you will need to invest in more lighting, especially in the areas where you can't use blackout blinds.
Foundation
If your dance studio will be used as a performance area you may need to dig a hole for the dance floor. This will mean that the floor will need to be built higher than normal and this will impact on the slope of the floor. You also need to look at the top of the wall that the dance floor will be built on to ensure that it doesn't get wet or damaged by the ceiling.