Harlequin Floors leads the way in safety dance

As the popularity of dance continues to grow, with TV shows like Strictly Come Dancing attracting over 10 million viewers, it is more vital than ever that dance floors are specified correctly. World leader in floors for dance and the performing arts, Harlequin Floors, believes that to keep dancers safe, architects and designers must understand and recognise the importance of getting the dance floor right first time, every time. From professional public spaces to private dance schools and the education sector – there must be an increasing focus towards specifying dance floors that meet both performance aspirations and health and safety requirements. And choosing the correct floor is an absolute prerequisite whether it is to be used by a multinational dance company, at a community hall or for an after-school club. Researchers in dance medicine have reported that some 80% of professional dancers will sustain some form of injury within the course of a year. And with over 5 million active dancers across the UK, it is crucial that preventable causes of injuries – such as hard, unyielding floors – are minimised. From novice to professional, dance surfaces should offer a degree of ‘traction’ that allows dancers to express their movements without the fear of slipping or falling due to a shiny or slippery surface. Sports floors – unfit for purpose Although there are published standards for floor performance and safety, there is no specific legislation for dance floors as they are generally grouped with sports floors. This is a popular misconception and one which is not suitable as the requirements for these types of floors are clearly very different. Sports floors have to provide a hard surface on which balls can bounce – not a requirement for dancers. And with sports shoes and trainers now technologically advanced enough to provide cushioning and support for the user, this means less emphasis is placed on the quality of the floor itself. Dancing on a sports floor can lead to a variety of ankle and shin stress related injuries that may also reduce a dancer’s career in the longer term. Surgeon Boni Rietveld, MD, Head of the Dutch Medical Centre for Dancers and Musicians explains the implications of dancing on a hard surface: “It is as dangerous to dance on a hard floor as it is to constantly dance on different types of floor. The best preventative method will always be the installation of a correct dance floor. In my opinion, a dance floor should be neither too supple nor too soft. A hard floor has the effect of causing serious return shock waves and can bring about injuries or premature wear in the cartilage. A soft floor causes the muscles, and therefore the tendons, to work harder.” For dancers, a floor with a consistent degree of spring is the perfect solution. In fact, it is the underlying sprung floor that provides the ‘cushioning’ effect and the right degree of ‘traction’. These factors not only contribute to improved health by mitigating against injuries attributed to hard floors, they also help to avoid slips and falls with a floor combination that provides the right ‘feel’ for dancers to perform with confidence. Floors for dancers, by dancers Dancers are particularly aware of the responses from different floors and remain in the ideal position to indicate the best flooring solution for them. With this in mind, Harlequin Floors works closely with the dance community, conducts and also funds extensive research and employs the latest developments in materials technology to provide the optimal solution – dance floors which have been specifically designed for dancers. An ideal floor is a combination of a sprung sub-floor and a vinyl dance floor surface. The result of decades of research and development, Harlequin Floors offers a range of dance floor options that allows practice and performance to be completed as safely as possible – from grass roots to international level. Theatres, opera houses, schools and rehearsal studios all over the world are testimony to the preference of both performers and studio designers for the enduring quality of Harlequin Floors. "Harlequin floors have contributed to the success of our programs. From ballet to modern dance and hip hop, from pointe to contact improvisation, our floors need to serve every form of dance,” commented Kathryn Daniels, Chair of the Dance Department at the Cornish College of the Arts. “Our Harlequin Studio dance floor gives us a consistent friction that provides a safe surface for all of our dancing needs. Our students love the floor's resilience and pliability; our faculty appreciate the floor's contributions to injury prevention, and our first Harlequin Studio floor which was installed 13 years ago is still in great shape." Wherever a dance floor is required, it’s vital to specify a high quality floor that can deliver exceptional levels of health and safety, as well as a surface that encourages a dancer’s creative freedom. And with injuries so prevalent in the dance industry, it is important to use a company with the experience and expertise to truly understand what dancers want and need. They are the ones performing on the floor, after all.

For more information on Harlequin Floors leads the way in safety dance talk to Harlequin Floors (British Harlequin plc)