Shannon Gallagher
Portable Dance Floor Review
Updated: Dec 9, 2020
The pandemic has lead us all in directions we never thought we would go... like dance classes at home! Who would have ever imagined that we would be taking dance classes from home? It's not ideal, but it's what many of us are forced to do now. And if you want your child to get the most out of their online experiences, then you want to set up your "dance room" as best you can to give them every advantage you can. There are a ton of choices for portable dance floors, and many people will not find it necessary to purchase one, but if your dancer is begging for it, or you just want to find a way to make class at home special, then check out the reviews below before you make your choice. I don't have a particular favorite, but there are positives and negatives for each of these that might help your decision making process.
This Portable snap floor comes with 9 interlocking pieces, each 3'x3'. That will make a nice size dance floor, if you want! The positives, in my opinion: it can be as big as 9'x9' or as small as 3'x3', with nice edging to avoid stubbed toes if you leave it out. The pieces stack, so if you prefer to put it away between classes, it's easy to store. And it comes in several just color choices, so if you are looking for a certain style to match your decor, you've got several choices. This floor is especially great for a dancer who takes tap class. As you probably know, tap shoes leave marks on your good wood and tile floors, and of course, they don't make sound on carpet. This is a great way for your dancer to practice tap in their own space without ruining your floor! The negative could be that it could be slippery in pointe shoes, and not what dancers are used to dancing on at the studio, since most dance studios now have marley floors. Which leads me to the next one...
I love marley floors and this option by dot2dance is incredible for advanced dancers who are taking class from home, or even traveling to competitions etc... it comes in four different sizes so depending on how you plan to use it (just for taking barre and practicing turns, or to travel with you to competitions) you can choose how big of a space you need. The best part about this is it is sturdy and safe for any surface. It doesn't slip and it's sturdiness allows for it to be on carpet (or even grass!) and still feel safe. It's the same material that most studios have on their dance floors, so your dancer will feel like he/she is in the studio, even when dancing at home.
If you want to look some more, here are several different options. Your decision will probably be based on cost, space needed for use and storage, as well as what would be best for your dancer. Look for something that will allow your dancer to do what he/she needs to do from home - if tap is an option, you probably need a hard floor. If he/she is advanced and wants class to feel like it does at the studio, some form of a marley floor would be the best choice. Your dancer will be happy, no matter which you choose! We all just want to dance, and we'll take what we can get to help us do that!