Your very own flamenco dance floor

If you dance flamenco for a while, a day will come when you decide you need your very own flamenco dance floor. There is definitely not a one good resource on the web describing how to make, a or where to get, a flamenco dance floor! I've also been in your situation and it took me quite a bit of research as well as trial and error. The result is superb and I have a great dance-floor in my home studio. While I needed the entire studio floor covered, you may only need a small portable board, hence I'm breaking down my ideas:

1. Small portable floor:

First and most importantly, do not buy a piece of plywood to dance on! Plywood is very fragile, you will destroy it quickly and end up with lots of wooden chips all over your house. Not to mention that, plywood will damage your carpet or wooden floor underneath. Also, there are no paints or coatings that will protect the plywood from chipping. Trust me, I've tried them all! My recommendation is to get a tap board instead, especially, if all you need is a pull out, small, portable floor to exercise your footwork. My favorite 4' x 3' board can be purchased from Stagestep. (Pre-pandemic it used to be also available at Discount Dance for a cheaper price.) You may be tempted to get a modular dance floor instead but these floors are pretty slippery and don't produce much sound. 

2. Bigger dancing space:

If you have a dancing space that is bigger than 4' x 4' and wooden floor, my recommendation is to get a dance mat or floor cover depending on your space. I only recommend it if you have wooden floors or carpet over wood floors because dancing on tiles or concrete is really bad for your knees and back. A dance mat is my favorite solution because you don't need to build or attach anything permanently and your wood will never get damaged. These mats and covers are extremely durable and produce very nice sound over wood. One of the best mats is Timestep T from Stagestep. It comes in 4′ x 6.56′, or 8′ x 6.56′ sizes and is durable and lightweight. It used to be possible to buy them from Discount Dance for less. Check just in case they are back in stock! If you want to cover the entire room's floor permanently, I recommend getting a floor remnant from Stagestep. They come in 6.56′ x 10′ or larger pieces. I love the Super Timestep because it is great for touring as it lays flat as soon as I lay it on the floor. Some of the the thinner and harder floors need time and tape to make them lie flat. It's a big factor when it comes to festivals and private events as I need the floor to be dance-ready immediately after set-up.

3. Permanent floor in a small studio:

The most common misunderstanding in flamenco is that the floor should be wood. Yes, wood is an important part of the stage but for best results it should be covered with one of the covers I described before. I've tried the toughest wood out there, hickory, and still created dents and chips. I've also tried to cover the wood with coatings yet they made the surface slippery and didn't prevent chipping. If you are intending to cover the entire surface permanently you should consider creating a semi-spring floor. Professional spring floors are of course easy to order on Stagestep, however they are quite expensive. Instead I would recommend laying out wooden panels (hickory would be best) over a layer of foam. Finally, cover the panels with one of the Stagestep remnants that is suitable for percussive dances. Dancing on the panels directly is not recommended because they are extremely slippery and there is no way of removing the slippery coating. 

4. Dancing on tiles:

Dancing on tiles or concrete is not recommended. You can damage your knees and joints from the impact against these hard surfaces. One idea I recently had was to use a pallet. Here is one guide on how to build a dance floor with pallets. The article shows a large dance floor example, however, I recommend that you grab one pallet, with a standard measure of 48" x 40", go to a home improvement store, ask them to cut a piece of plywood with the same measurements, and assemble that plywood on the pallet. Oak pallet will last the longest but as you do your footwork on it, the wood will be chipping over time no matter of the wood type. Alternatively, you can buy the cheapest plywood and cover the surface with the Stagestep remnant. The latter would be the most durable and professional solution. Overall, the only drawback of this type of floor is that it will be pretty heavy. The standard size pallet can weigh up to 50 pounds, plus plywood, plus the floor cover... It's best if you have it set up permanently or have someone help you take the floor in and out of its stowage place. 

Good luck creating your floor! Once you have your dance floor, you are ready for some footwork exercises!

I would love to hear your feedback, do you have a better idea for a simple floor?

Additional articles I found useful for how to build a dance floor:

Home Base Mom