Let’s talk about portable modern dance floors. After being boxed in by strict rules and techniques for centuries, modern dance emerged as a way for dancers to express themselves beyond the confines of ballet’s rigid precision.
Unlike most traditional dance styles, such as ballet and ballroom, there aren’t any specific steps you must follow in modern dance.
Instead, dancers move based on how they interpret the music, on how their own bodies want to move. As a result, modern dance is widely varied in movement and expression. It’s as rigid or as fluent as you make it.
That’s why modern dance is one of the most popular dance styles today. If you want to replicate the studio feel in your own home, a portable modern dance floor may be the perfect solution. Keep reading to learn more about portable modern dance floors and how to pick the right one.
What Type of Dance Floor is Best for Modern Dance?
From simple rolls of vinyl that unravel across your floor to tiles that snap together and large wooden floors that spring beneath your feet, you might be surprised to learn just how many choices you have when it comes to portable modern dance floors.
Since modern dance is multidisciplinary and can be high-impact, you want a dance floor that’s ready for anything. That’s why it’s typically recommended to get a sturdy sprung wooden floor that is prefinished with slip-resistant urethane, or a sprung wood floor covered with a Marley roll-out vinyl.
Sprung dance floors are durable, prevent injury and fatigue, and provide a more studio-like experience, while the Marley cover provides additional cushioning and, like a slip-resistant urethane, improved traction.
Considerations to Keep in Mind When Choosing a Portable Modern Dance Floor
When deliberating any purchase of a mobile dance floor, it’s important to consider all of the factors at play. It can be tempting to pick the first dance floor that catches your eye, but jumping the gun could leave you with a floor that doesn’t adequately support you and a whole lot of buyer’s remorse.
You should keep the following things in mind while searching for a portable modern dance floor at home:
Cushioning
A good mobile dance floor will have the proper amount of cushioning. For sprung floors, you should look for models with thick, high-density foam blocks on the underside. These blocks absorb a lot of the energy produced from the repeated impacts of your dancing, minimizing the impact on your joints.
Some manufacturers will try to get away with only putting one foam block on each corner, but this leaves a huge weak spot in the middle. The foam blocks are what give sprung floors their bounce, so you don’t want to skimp on them. Your dance floor should have several blocks spread across the entire underside.
Slip-Resistance
When it comes to modern dance, your floor has to be ready for anything. You could be gracefully gliding across the floor one second and a few beats later executing tricky footwork. A slip-resistant floor gives you more freedom to move however you want while also decreasing the risk of injury.
Don’t forget to consider slip-resistant features on both sides of the floor. You don’t want to slip off the dance floor as you go to do a pirouette, but you also don’t want the floor slipping out from underneath you if you start break dancing.
Durability
Durability is one of the most important factors when choosing a mobile dance floor. After all, the last thing you want is to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on a new dance floor only to have it crack, warp, or splinter in a matter of months.
One way to gauge a floor’s durability is to look at what materials were used and who made it. Going with an established and trusted brand, like O’Mara Sprung Floors, is the easiest way to ensure your portable modern dance floor will stand the test of time.
Storage
It’s also important to consider how you will store your new portable modern dance floor. Do you plan on always having it out? Or do you want to be able to tuck it out of sight when it’s not in use? Some dance floors fold up and can be stored practically anywhere, whereas others must be broken down into smaller tiles and stacked carefully.
Price
You should always keep your budget in mind when shopping. Mobile dance floors can cost anywhere from $500 to over $2,000, depending on the materials used and the size of the dance floor. Since they’re a somewhat expensive investment, it’s important to do your research and be sure that you buy a dance floor that will protect your body and reliably stand the test of time..
How to Install a Portable Modern Dance Floor at Home
The installation process will vary from model to model, but most mobile modern dance floors can be set up by simply unfolding them and finding the right spot on the floor for them. It almost sounds too good to be true, but it really is that easy. Once your dance floor is unfolded, it’s ready to be used right away.
Some dance floors are installed by interlocking foam boards, but this isn’t the case with sprung floors.
Is a Permanent Dance Floor a Better Investment?
A permanent dance floor is too big an investment and not worthwhile for most people. No permanent home dance studio will provide a good ROI when you decide to move. In fact, it will likely detract from your home’s value since the average homebuyer is not looking for a dance studio.
Additionally, you can’t move a permanent dance floor to your new house, so you’d have to invest in a whole new one, whereas portable dance floors are much more affordable and can easily be transported to another place.
The only time it really makes sense to invest in a permanent residential dance floor is if you’re a professional dancer who doesn’t plan on moving anytime soon. But for the average dancer, we definitely recommend a portable modern dance floor that will let you practice anywhere.
When you’re ready to find the perfect portable modern dance floor for your home, check out the wide selection available from O’Mara Sprung Floors.
