It’s risky for dancers to hold rehearsals in locations that don’t have a “shock-absorbing” surface, i.e. a surface that doesn’t have a certain elasticity and doesn’t “bend” a few millimeters under the impact of a shock.

Many types of surface can have the necessary level of elasticity to provide a safe working environment for rehearsals. For example, a hardwood floor or grass surface has sufficient elasticity to absorb the shock generated by a dancer. However, in addition to being absorbent, a “dance floor” must also be smooth and non-slip, which generally means covering the floor with a stable base and a carpet (often made of vinyl or other synthetic materials).

However, if an inelastic surface (the most common examples of an inelastic surface are a concrete, marble or asphalt floor) is covered with a vinyl mat, the result is generally not sufficiently absorbent to ensure the safety of rehearsing dancers.

In view of the above, a safe dance floor for a rehearsal space is generally a surface consisting of three successive elements:

• An “absorbent base” (this may be a rigid structure (wood, plastic or metal) providing separation from the floor, or a layer of absorbent material such as polymer foam),
• A floor or carpet pad to secure the third layer (i.e. the carpet) to the seat, and
• A non-slip mat (sometimes called a “Marley”).

This surface can be permanent and/or fixed, just as it can be temporary and/or removable.

• If you are a producer and need to provide a rehearsal space for one (or more) dancer(s), it is essential that you ensure that said space has a surface as described above.

• If you are a dancer and need to provide services to a producer in a rehearsal space, you have the right to demand that the space where you dance meets the above description.

Note that the principles set out in this memo apply only to dance floors in rehearsal spaces; it is possible that, for the purposes of a dress rehearsal or recording, a dancer may be called upon to perform on an atypical surface. In such a case, the producer must nevertheless ensure the safety of the dancers, which implies in particular that, if it is not possible to perform the dance on an elastic surface (for example, if the scene involves a dance performed on an asphalt street), other measures must be considered to eliminate the risks (such as minimizing the duration of the performance, allowing the use of suitable shock-absorbing footwear, etc.).

If you have any questions about this memo, please contact us at montreal@actra.ca.