An Ode To Marley Floor

When dancers are asked to describe a dance studio, there are three things that come to their mind: the mirrors, the barre, and the floor. While the first two are important, most dancers will agree that it is the vinyl “marley floor” that is essential for their everyday work. A good marley floor provides a feeling of safety and security to a dancer – not only to adequately perform, but to also push their own skills and artistry in the art of dance performance. It provides a stabilizing foundation that eliminates a dancer’s sense of worry so that they can wholly focus on the art they’re contributing to the stage.

The surface of a marley floor serves as the perfect union of floor and performer – in pointe, tap, jazz, modern or other styles of dance – in their efforts to create the extraordinary. Most dancers may not realize it, but they’ve been looking at a marley floor most of their lives; it is a timeless object that, if not consciously, then subconsciously, they associate with safety – especially when tackling new skills.

Most young dancers don’t have an appreciation for what marley actually is, however, as they grow and pursue more advanced forms, the surface of the floor grows in importance. The marley floor is, literally, always there to support them. Professionals who dance from before kindergarten through college will not only master their dance techniques, but they’ll also learn many life-lessons on a marley floor. As a dancer progresses, the marley floor will come to represent their hard work, their determination, their sweat, and their perseverance. That’s the floor where they first went en pointe. That’s the floor where they executed their first Grand Jete and their first single (then double, then triple) pirouette. That’s the floor where they learned to dance.

The marley floor inside a dance studio is important. That means that choosing the right marley floor is just as important. Rosco’s range of vinyl “marley” dance floors provide the perfect support for professional company members and students alike, as they learn, experiment, grow and create their art. Rosco offers a wide array of floors, each with its own unique combination of grip and slide, to match up to the styles of dance inside your studio. Visit the Rosco website –  www.rosco.com/floors – to learn more about all the types of marley dance floors we have to offer and to find the right one for your studio.