Types of Floors and Styles of Dance

Made from a variety of materials, dance floors can be designed to meet specific needs. Vinyl, laminate, engineered woods, and hardwoods are used to accommodate different styles of dance and/or aesthetics. Because performance floors can be a versatile venue for events, a number of factors can play a role in deciding which is the best for the setting. Also, many theatres will use a portable surface floor to quickly adapt their stage surface for dance companies who are renting or touring the space.

Sprung Floors and Marley Floors

Sprung Floors are recommended for performance and studio use to prevent injury. Dance can be extremely taxing on the bodies’ tendons, joints, and bones so sprung floors are designed to help lessen the impact. Typically these floors are made of plywood or hardwood, and utilize foam or rubber as the “spring” mechanism.

Vinyl Surface Flooring, often referred to as a”Marley” type floor is used as an alternate surface to traditional hardwood. This is becoming a more popular choice for studio owners and dance companies as opposed to a standard hardwood surface.  Vinyl surfaces can accommodate most styles of dance from Pointe and Ballet, to Jazz and Hip-Hop, Tap, Ballroom and Contemporary.  They can also be used for fitness classes as well.

EFS carries a full line of portable, semi-permanent, and permanent sprung floors and vinyl surfaces as well as the traditional sprung floor with hardwood surface.