Dance floors are an integral part of the dance environment, yet little information is available for the dance community that concerns how dance floors may affect dancer performance, health, and safety. For the dedicated dancer striving to improve, injury can sadly be an all too common occurrence. By gaining knowledge concerning the relationship between dance floors and dancer performance and safety, the dance environment can be optimized in order to give dancers the best opportunities in their training.
No matter what style of dance you perform, dancing requires a great deal of flexibility, strength, and stamina. Hours of training, rehearsals, and performances can be very demanding on a dancer’s body, especially the lower body muscles and joints.
Indoor sports people can tolerate a stiffer floor as they usually have cushioned footwear – a luxury barred to dancers.
A sprung dance floor in a doctor’s office…surprising? Not really! Dr. Boni Rietveld has equipped his office with a Harlequin Liberty sprung floor, so as not to worsen his patients’ injuries.
Emerging dance scientist and biomechanics expert Luke Hopper outlines his pioneering research investigating the effects of dance floors on dancer performance and injury.