25 Safety on the dance fl oor


Steve Green of Harlequin Floors explores the critical role dance fl oors play in dancers’ safety and performance, highlighting the research behind creating optimal environments for longevity that support users.


Seattle Community Centre © Sam Arellano P


rofessional dancers can spend hours working in a dance studio, it is their place of work and should offer a safe environment that is fi t for purpose. The fl oor is a dancer’s most important work tool; not only as a canvas for their creativity, but also as protection against slips, falls and longer-term stress injuries. Experienced dancers can judge a good


fl oor instinctively as to whether or not it feels right. And if it feels right they can


ADF MAY 2025


effectively forget about the fl oor and concentrate on putting all their focus and concentration into the artistic performance. That confi dence comes from reassurance they are not going to slip and fall, that lifts can be performed safely and on landing from jumps, the response of the fl oor consistently returns the right amount of energy absorption. Quantifying this subjective rating of a fl oor into a series of repeatable tests is no simple task.


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