Flooring

[Pacion]

I have noticed that some salsa events use a black and white checkered portable floor. Does anyone happen to know why that is? I don't think it is to do with what is available :wink: ie. you can have this type of flooring in any colour you want, as long as it is "black and white checks" :lol:

I have also heard people saying "it's a fast floor" or "medium fast". How do you judge this? What makes a floor fast/medium fast or slow? I am aware that your shoe soles can affect your speed generally and therefore you sometimes have to do other things to compensate.

What about "slippery" versus "fast floor"?

Some places I go to, I become aware of the floor, in the sense that I can feel it in my legs that there is no give and therefore my legs feel it more. Is there a more "scientific way" of assessing this rather than having to dance 10mins or so, first of all?

[tsb]

I have noticed that some salsa events use a black and white checkered portable floor. Does anyone happen to know why that is? I don't think it is to do with what is available :wink: ie. you can have this type of flooring in any colour you want, as long as it is "black and white checks" :lol:

I have also heard people saying "it's a fast floor" or "medium fast". How do you judge this? What makes a floor fast/medium fast or slow? I am aware that your shoe soles can affect your speed generally and therefore you sometimes have to do other things to compensate.

What about "slippery" versus "fast floor"?


i'm assuming that it's a means of describing the frictional coefficient (the amount of wax, perhaps). i don't know what brands of portable floor are available overseas, but here in the states one of the best portable floors here is/was (their newer version is clearly inferior to the older version) master dance floor. i have panels which i put in the back yard to supplement the dance floor i have in my home when i have parties.

Some places I go to, I become aware of the floor, in the sense that I can feel it in my legs that there is no give and therefore my legs feel it more. Is there a more "scientific way" of assessing this rather than having to dance 10mins or so, first of all?

this isn't foolproof, but look at the construction; to have a "floating" construction, the panels/piece of a floor (if they are not independently "sprung") need to be interconnected so that the whole floor can rest upon a suspension/padding/whatever which absorbs impact. something like a parquet floor or anything else tiled has to be attached to whatever's underneath, usually (but not always) concrete or something equally unforgiving. one could put parquet on top of a floating platform i suppose, but that gets expensive and is overkill if you've already got a wood surface to dance on. otherwise, i suggest that you just jump on and down on the surface and ascertain the amount of 'give' you feel.

[jon]

Is there a more "scientific way" of assessing this rather than having to dance 10mins or so, first of all?

Knock on the floor. If it sounds hollow that's probably a good sign. Kinda like selecting melons.

[bordertangoman]

a sportsor dance studio floor eg a suash court is wooden usually beech strips laid on wooden battens 2 by 2" on rubber resilient strips so it is resilient and springy rather dead mass and unforgiving. Dancers espeically if involving a lot of jumping, and athletes can suffer compound fractures if the floor is too hard. Therefore a sprung or suspended floor is better for dancing on. Though I have known floors that bounce if too many people are moving around in unison thats why soldiers break up their marching across bridges.