All movement activity generates energy. Energy directly returned to the body is bad, very bad. Shin splints, back and knee problems, fatigue, strains and even broken foot bones can result. A non energy absorbent floor or flooring system is dangerous. It can result in injury and law suits. Concrete is non energy absorbent. Any substance put directly on concrete does not remove you from the concrete unless it contains air (like foam). Basket weave subfloors and foam or sprung floating subfloors provide shock absorbent characteristics that eliminate the problems associated with hard, non absorbent floors.

No floor can be the most absorbent and the most resilient at the same time. There is only so much energy and it can only be diffused in varying relationships of absorption and resilience. We call that "feel" and it effects performance. Different surfaces and subfloors have different "feels", each appropriate for different styles of dance. Too much energy absorption has a negative effect on safety and performance. It is all about balance.

LATERAL FOOT SUPPORT


Perhaps the most important and most overlooked attribute of a floor is lateral foot support.Without lateral foot support, you can not maintain balance. Today, the leading cause of injury is not shin splints, but ankle injury, due in part to flooring systems that rely solely on absorbent materials or systems that are too spongy.

RESILIENT ENERGY


In addition to energy absorbency, energy can be dissipated by resiliency (think of a diving board or trampoline). Energy transfers from the body to a subfloor that deflects and safely returns energy (spring).Wood is the best of the resilient materials.

OTHER FACTORS


There is no one floor that fits every need. There is a best floor or flooring system that fits your needs.

There are other factors to consider when choosing a floor/floor system. They include:

1. Does the flooring system have a means of reducing vibration after impact?

2. Can the system be modified easily for special conditions (multi purpose/heavy equipment)?

3. Is the surface consistent?

4. How do I repair damaged areas without replacing the whole floor?

5. What type of maintenance is required?

Can I take the floor or flooring system with me if I move?

There are options. The company that knows how you move (ballet, tap, jazz, modern, theatre dance, multi-purpose) will be qualified to help. Call us with your questions. We will be happy to discuss the
important factors in selecting the right floor for you. Call toll-free 800-523-0960 (U.S.) or 866-658-0456
(Canada).

NON-SLIP RATINGS


Safety is the number one issue with dancers and their teachers when it comes to floors. The first safety concern is the non-slip characteristic of the surface. Ballet dancers need very non-slip surfaces while modern dancers in bare feet need smooth giving surfaces so the floor doesn’t cause injury to the bottom of their feet. Tappers need some give, yet also need the assurance under foot of a nonslip surface. Ballroom and theatre dance require a “fast” (less non-slip) surface. What to do? In an ideal world each dance discipline would have it’s own unique floor surface. Since this is unlikely, Stagestep offers floors that can be “adjusted” to meet the average needs of different dance disciplines.We have finishes and treatments that can modify a floor surface to be more accommodating to other dance styles.

DANCE FLOOR SYSTEMS


The second safety concern dancers have is the ability of the floor to absorb and dissipate energy, and/or safely return energy (resilient energy). If the floor fails to absorb or safely return energy, the body becomes the shock absorber, resulting in fatigue, pain and injury. A dancer and actor’s nemesis is concrete or any other surface that is hard and unyielding.

SAFETY AND SHOCK ABSORBANCY


The guaranteed way to get injured is to work on an unyielding, non-shock absorbing flooring system. Concrete is your enemy. Stagestep features roll out floors and subfloor systems that protect your body from stress fractures, excessive fatigue and joint stress.

SUBFLOORS


Stagestep offers five different floating wood subfloors (with customized variations) to absorb, dissipate and provide safe resilient energy return. Tourflor, a portable floating wood subfloor, requires no tools to assemble.

All floor surfaces without foam underlayment provide no relief from a hard concrete slab. Check the following flooring charts for relative characteristics and the ideal combination for your movement activity.

Springstep IV Easy to assemble panels, no tools required assembles in 1/5 the time of a standard sprung floor.

DANCE FLOORS WITH SELF-CONTAINED SUBFLOOR


Stagestep offers three rollout floors that have heavy-duty wear surfaces and high density foam underlayments. Both can be installed directly over concrete and have very good to excellent absorbency, excellent performance, but conditional sound (they reduce the level of sound generated). They are rated ideal for residual vibration and are excellent multi-purpose use flooring.

Dancestep available in tan and gray.

Woodstep Plus available in oak woodgrain pattern. See the floor use comparison here.

Woodstep Ultra available in oak wood grain pattern.

All Springstep subfloors provide ideal lateral foot support, the ability to keep you balanced. Enhanced performance deals with sound amplification, jumping support, balance and residual vibration. The ability of a subfloor to absorb post impact vibration is important because keeping the floor still makes it easier to balance.