DIY at-home dance studio
By: Ashley C. Mariani
We have all heard that a clean home is a happy home. Feeling good correlates with looking good. Well, when it concerns ballerinas, dancers in general, clean and de-cluttered space helps work on technique and creative moves. The three key elements of a good dance studio are smooth floors, mirrors without smudges, and a firm ballet barre.
Making space at home for your ballerina is just as important as not missing any lessons. Building an at-home dance studio is completely doable, with knowledge of important equipment to include along with a set budget.
Claim and Clear Your Dance Space
First and foremost, it is important to claim the space where you ballerina will be dancing in your home. While not every home includes extra recreational space, there are still ways to make room for a home dance studio. If you have a game room, a garage or a large living room, you are ready to build your at-home dance studio!
With a little bit of rearranging of furniture, and envisioning the dance space, you can easily craft your studio in no time. For example, picking out a corner space is arrangeable when using a multi-purpose room like a living room. With this designated area, your studio can be spacious enough yet to not disrupt the already established purpose of the room.
Step 1:
Have your dance stand nice and tall in the space you have selected and measure the height of your dancer.
Step 2:
Take this measurement and use it for the dance area length as well as width, creating a square.
Step 3:
Set the ground rules for your personal dance studio with household members. Then envision what your at-home dance studio will look like in the measured space.
Tip: Continue to measure in other areas or rooms of your house until it feels right for your ballerina.
Ballet Barre for your home dance studio
Most dancers need a barre and a cleared floor to make the basic techniques feasible. A firm barre that supports your dancer when finding balance and warming up is essential. There are several types of barres that can work for various spaces.
The two best options for your dancer are either a portable free-standing barre or a wall-mounted barre. Both options come in choices of either wood or aluminium.
- Freestanding portable barres are an excellent choice if your ballerina is still growing and is below the age of 10. You will have a choice of either single or double, which allows for more range of motion for your dancer. With this equipment will allow you to move around the space and store if need be. You will also be able to adjust the height once your ballerina starts growing healthy and strong over time.
- Wall-mounted barres, on the other hand, are great for mirrored walls. You can DIY ballet barre to match your dancer’s height once they are in the teenage years. If you choose a wall-mounted barre, you can contact your local home depot or lowes for the proper pieces. This is ideal if your dance studio is a private room or garage in your home, making the barre permanent.
Tip: There is also the option of ordering online. Website stores such as VitaVibe will be able to help you with building your at-home dance studio for a reasonable price. Always be sure to read reviews before investing in this equipment for your tiny dancer.
Floors Galore
Marley floors are the most used for dance studio spaces, which can be costly if you are covering an entire room. Laying out the material takes at least 24 hours and requires specific room temperatures. However, this is your at-home dance studio and you need not follow the norms to complete your dance studio. You may choose the best options that interest you and that fits your budget. There is a wide variety of flooring options available out there.
Practice Dance Tile Kits
These practice dance tiles are thick and provide spring, which is great if your ballerina works on jumps or is a tap dancer. Given a specific section, these tile kits are portable, you can remove the flooring all in one piece or pulled apart and put away in a storage bin or small closet allowing your dance studio to be multi-purpose.
Rosco Marley Mat
This flooring is taped down, therefore is harder to remove and would be best used in a room solely dedicated to the studio. This type of floor is good for all dance shoes, including tap as well.
Tip: The rule of thumb with dance floors is if you wear your shoes outside, you do not wear them in the studio. It would be best to keep this rule for your home dance studio to preserve your floor.
Mirrors Mirrors Mirrors
From an audience perspective, dancing is all about the visual appeal. Does your posture look good? How is your turn out? Could you jump a little higher? Looking good is a very important part of the environment where ballet training takes place.
Having your personal dance studio means that your dancer is able to have their own space to focus on dance skills without the pressure of an entire class watching. Therefore, including mirrors in the dance studio with help to create confidence in your dancer and allow for technique accountability. Whether you are turning and spotting the mirror, or pointing your feet in a jump, the technique must be applied.
Full-length mirrors for your at-home dance studio
Full-length mirrors are preferable for your at-home dance studio. You can place the mirrors adjacent onto the wall with some command Velcro strips. Place them about 6 inches above the floor in the edges of your a room that is solely dedicated to your dance studio. The alternative for a multi-purpose room is to lean them up against the wall side by side along the width of your designated area. Play around with the location of your mirrors, as they can be placed to give the illusion that your dance studio is bigger.
Tip: Invest in a few dry erase markers for your ballerina to write reminders, notes from dance lessons and long-term or even short-term goals.
Sound Check
The last piece to the puzzle, now that your space is set up for use, is music! These days everyone uses Bluetooth speakers, which allows you to control music from your phone. This is a great option or music in general! Especially a speaker that is wireless and includes a hand-held remote. Having control of the speaker with a remote, allows your ballerina to focus better without the periodic interruptions of a phone.
Test your at-home dance studio and enjoy!
The final step is to dance it out! Have your ballerina give the dance studio a try. Include turns and jumps during this time. It will be helpful to ensure all the pieces work together nicely and feel right for your ballerina. Enjoy.
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