Installing a Dance Studio in Your Home: 4 Things to Avoid

A dance studio in your home is a terrific place to practice the skills that you or your children have learned in class. By staying home to practice, you or children are more likely to master the dance steps at a quicker pace. Your personal home dance studio can be easily created with the right tools and materials. There are, however, some things to avoid to make the process run as smoothly as possible.

1. Location

Choose a place in your home that is located away from the major traffic areas. You will need music to dance and its is best to find a spot where the sounds will not interfere with the activities going on in your home. The place you choose will also have to be expendable space. The existing area will either need to be empty or be removed of any furniture or storage items in order to create the dance floor for the studio.

2. Dance Floor

Whether you choose an in-home room or a garage, the floor of your dance studio should be created with a wood product. Concrete is a very hard surface and can potentially damage the joints. If necessary, have a wooden dance floor installed in your dance studio. A varnished plywood works well for a personal home dance studio floor. By installing the floor yourself you will avoid the labor costs of having someone else do the work.

The most economical wood material for the floor is ACX plywood. This wood has a smooth, flat surface. CDX plywood is cheaper but it also has dips in the surface and it will need to be sealed. You will eventually pay the same amount as the ACX in the cost of the sealant and your labor to flatten the surface. When waxing your dance floor, apply a non-skid wax.

3. Ballet Barre

The ballet barre you install should only be used for dance purposes. Children should respect the barres as part of the study of dance. Children should use the barres for support and should never pull on them or hang from them. You can avoid paying extra for barres purchased from a dance location. Visit your local hardware store and speak to a professional about your home dance studio project. You should be able to use basic handrails and brackets at a much cheaper cost.

4. Mirrors

No dance studio is complete without mirrors. The mirrors should only be installed once the rest of the studio is complete. This might be a part of the building process where you would be better off having a professional do the installation work, depending on your building skills. The mirrors should be hung on the wall opposite the ballet barre. It is possible to purchase glassless mirrors, to avoid breakage or damage accidents. If installing a mirror is not a possibility, consider using rolling stand mirrors.