Making the correct choice of dance floor is essential when designing a performance space. Whether it’s a world-renowned dance company, university, secondary school, or local dance school, the dance studio is a dancers work environment and the floor a fundamental tool for their work.
British Harlequin
The correct dance floor makes an important contribution to the safe performance of dancers without the risk of slips and falls or longer-term stress injuries. Floors developed for commercial or sports applications do not offer the key benefits dancers need.
There are some critical factors that distinguish the requirements of dancers from those of sports played on sports floors. Many sports require a firm floor which allows balls to bounce predictably. Sports footwear is generally cushioned to protect against impact injuries and provides grip for the sports person. By contrast dancers need more absorption or cushioning on landing from jumps. Their footwear varies according to dance style and doesn’t cushion landings. Dancers also need the right degree of traction from the dance surface.
Harlequin works extensively with dance scientists and biomechanics experts to investigate the effects of the choice of dance floor on dancer performance and injury and to research and develop floors that minimise these risks. That is why Harlequin is recognized as the world’s leading authority on dance floors. Established in the UK over 45 years ago, it remains the industry choice for the most prestigious dance and performing arts companies, theatres, venues and schools, production companies and events across the globe. As an enlightened manufacturer, Harlequin continues to work with dance industry specialists to research and develop floors that dancers want to dance on.
To continue offering the highest quality floors to the world’s performers, Harlequin’s Cascade vinyl performance floor now has added BioCote© antimicrobial protection. BioCote© antimicrobial technology is manufactured into the Harlequin Cascade vinyl creating a dance surface upon which microbes such as bacteria and viruses cannot survive. The result is a floor which is easier to keep hygienically clean, reducing the risk of cross contamination and infection by working constantly to reduce the presence of microbes on the surface of the floor. BioCote© is also proven to offer protection for the expected lifetime of the product – it will not wear out or wash off, ensuring long-term defence against harmful microbes.
For more information about specifying the correct floor for dance and performing arts, visit our website.
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