FLOORS

THE DANCE FLOOR - THE MOST IMPORTANT UTENSIL FOR DANCERS

Dance. This is virtuoso technique and athletic presence, paired with elegant grace. Flowing figures cast a spell over the audience. Space-filling leaps are the icing on the cake of this visual delight. They radiate a lightness that makes the audience unaware of the effort required. A moment of weightlessness. The dancers' feet touch down silently on the dance floor after the breathless moment. A perfect performance.

The right dance floor is essential for any professional dance performance: dance carpets and dance floors with the optimum surface and footfall sound absorption are part of the dancer's basic equipment. At the same time, the sprung floor provides support with every movement.

Gerriets Flooring Solutions are known worldwide for their outstanding quality and durability. What began over four decades ago with the introduction of the VARIO CLASSIC dance floor has developed into an extensive and constantly optimized dance floor range.

Today, you will find a large selection of high-quality and first-class dance, event and sprung floors, as well as stage and exhibition carpets, dance floors and floor covers for temporary or permanent applications in our range.

 We have the right floor for you - whether you are looking for matt, high gloss, textured, custom printed, reflective, ergonomic or chromakey floors for digital effects in film and television.

Our dance floors and dance carpets at a glance

Mobile dance floors

VARIO PRO 1.2: The bestseller!

Very flexible to lay, but still dimensionally stable thanks to the glass fleece reinforcement. No edge or “belly waves” and no thermal shrinkage or expansion problems. Roll out and, if desired, bond with our tried and tested VARIO TAPE and the dance floor will lie perfectly. VARIO PRO 1.2 can be used on both sides, has a matt surface, is hard-wearing and durable. Can be used for all types of dance and events with average load scenarios.

VARIO BEAT 1.6: The “hard one” as a world first!

The VARIO BEAT 1.6 mm is characterised by its harder design and is therefore ideal for dance styles that use floor resonance, such as tap dancing. Its improved resonance behavior is accompanied by less wear. The floor texture also enables the practice of dance sports such as ballet, modern dance or jazz dance. Due to its robustness and higher Shore hardness, VARIO BEAT 1.6 is also ideal for permanent installations in dance studios and dance schools. The dimensionally stable intermediate layer ensures easy and even installation, both for permanent and temporary applications.

VARIO MOVE 2.0: Inexpensive - with perfect positioning and usable on both sides!

VARIO MOVE 2.0 mm has a silky matt surface embossing. The reinforcing fleece makes the dance floor extremely dimensionally stable. Its high robustness makes it suitable for touring use and all types of dance. No edge or “belly waves”, no thermal shrinkage or expansion properties. Roll out and, if desired, bond with our VARIO TAPE and the dance floor will lie perfectly. VARIO MOVE 2.0 can be used on both sides, has a matt, attractive surface, is hard-wearing and very durable. Extremely robust dance floor with a relatively low surface weight. Can be used on all event, theater and opera stages with increased load scenarios. Also for high loads due to rolling backdrops and other rolling equipment. 

VARIO MOTION 2.6: The doubled and robust!

Perfect flatness, dampening every movement and every dance step in a pleasant way. No edge or “belly waves”, no thermal shrinkage or expansion properties. VARIO MOTION 2.6 has a matt surface, is extremely hard-wearing and extremely durable. A strong dance floor with a high grammage and a pleasant surface. Can be used on all event, theater and opera stages with very high load scenarios. Also for very high loads due to rollable backdrops and other rollable equipment. We generally recommend the use in stationary areas, either floating or firmly bonded. VARIO MOTION 2.6 is ideal in combination with our sprung floor VARIO ERGODANCE.

VARIO MET: The classic mirror floor!

The very first mirror floor on the market! Hard-wearing, mirrored with structure and therefore less sensitive. It is therefore very popular for use on stage, in theaters and opera houses, for fashion shows and ballet productions.

VARIO REFLECT: The magician!

With its smooth, mirrored surface, VARIO REFLECT looks almost like a horizontal mirror and has a wide range of applications in the art and event sector. VARIO REFLECT is often chosen as a special design element for fashion shows, major events and sophisticated set design for film and television shows.

VARIO LACK: The classic high-gloss floor!

High-gloss, robust and elegant. A popular dance floor, especially for ballet productions and theater and opera stages. It is also often used in the event and fashion sector and, despite its high gloss, surprises with its robust surface.

VARIO TRANSPARENT: The inconspicuous one!

The areas of application for the VARIO TRANSPARENT design floor are very versatile. For example, it can also simulate an icy surface. The vinyl floor is also used as a decorative floor for special designs. VARIO TRANSPARENT can be used as a backlit floor on LED panels, for example. VARIO TRANSPARENT is also often used as a protective floor for existing, particularly beautiful and sensitive floors.

VARIO PRINT: The individual one!

With our VARIO PRINT, you can create your own personal and exclusive design floor. Simply send us your individual motif. We print VARIO PRINT with UV-curing and UV-stable inks.

VARIO COLOUR: The colourful one!

The VARIO COLOUR event floor impresses with its wide range of colours. Every RAL colour, whether in a silk matt or high-gloss finish, is available from 210 linear meters. The silk matt versions of the design flooring are dimensionally stable thanks to a reinforcing fleece.

VARIO UNI: The universal one!

Our VARIO UNI dance floor is dimensionally stable and is gentle on joints and tendons thanks to a reinforcing fleece and its foamed backing. VARIO UNI has a matt surface structure and is available in different colours. It can be used on one side. The dance floor is ideal for the touring sector as it weighs little, is insensitive (impervious oder tough) and robust.

VARIO GLANZ/GLANZ MET: Gloss, high gloss, VARIO GLANZ!

Whether GLANZ or GLANZ MET: an eye-catcher on every stage or catwalk in the world! Modern, elegant and yet easy to install - yet and hard-wearing. The effect floors lend every production an extraordinary flair.

 VARIO GRIP: The exhibition and outdoor floor!

With its roughened surface (slip class R11), this floor offers excellent grip even in damp or wet conditions. It is used in trade fair and temporary outdoor areas. The floor can also be used on inclines within a stage set where greater slip resistance is required.

Mobile dance floors

The VARIO ERGODANCE sprung floor: Sophisticated technology for healthy joints

Hardly any other sport puts as much strain on the feet as dancing. The problem lies in the maximum mobility in the foot area right down to the smallest ankle joints, which is hardly countered by stabilization and support with light ballet slippers. Added to this is the often poor shock absorption due to the lack of sprung floors. As a result, this often leads to hip dysplasia or an imbalance of the hip muscles in dancers.

For this reason, Gerriets developed the VARIO ERGODANCE sprung floor.

Features of the VARIO ERGODANCE sprung floor

• This sprung floor has optimum cushioning that is extremely easy on the joints. The highest brand quality ensures quick assembly: An eccentric locking system is combined with an ingenious tongue and groove system with guide.
• The 18 mm birch multiplex board, lacquered on both sides, is equipped with dynamically effective, highly elastic, two-layer elastomer pads, which ensure homogeneous and permanently effective vibration behavior.
• A recessed hardboard panel serves to protect the underside.

Optional accessories include the VARIO ERGODANCE trip-free wedges and the matching 90° corners for the wedges. The sturdy VARIO ERGODANCE transport trolley facilitates quick assembly, dismantling and transportation of the sprung floor.

The optimal dance floor prevents accidents and injuries

Smooth or dull: Prevent injuries with the right top layer

With the right top layer, you support the dancer in their perfect performance and, above all, minimize the risk of injury. The type of performance is crucial when choosing the right dance floor:

• Dance floor that is too smooth

If the dance floor is too slippery, dancers run the risk of falling. This can cause dislocations and sprains or even broken bones.

• Dance floor too dull

If the dance floor is too blunt, it will appear “sticky”. This also means a high risk of injury for dancers: it can lead to long-term health problems such as pulled tendons, torn ligaments or kneecaps slipping out.

Above all, blunt dance floors are not suitable for dancing barefoot on. The soles of the feet and the toes would practically “stick” to the dull surface. Because it is not possible to glide on such an unsuitable dance floor covering, abrasions or minor burns can occur. The dancers even run the risk of breaking their toes due to the constant bumping.

Ballet schools in particular are familiar with another problem that can arise, for example, with a duller PVC dance floor that counteracts sliding: Dancers can “trick” themselves into the outward rotation of the legs required in classical dance, as their feet stick to the unsuitable dance floor covering. As a result, the outward rotation does not come from the hip joint and the muscles remain passive. This leads to incorrect loading and damage to the dancer's joints.

The right dance floor, smooth or dull, depends on three factors:

• The dancer’s footwear: Hip-hop/dance sneakers are more slip-resistant than ballet shoes, jazz shoes have a more slip-resistant suede sole, tap and flamenco shoes are studded with iron treads for audibility of the refined foot rhythms.
• The choreography: Wide jumps require a duller floor than dance figures that are performed gliding or grinding.
• The respective styles of dance: Standard dance, break dance, hip-hop and barefoot modern dance require an extremely slippery dance floor, such as a smooth wooden sprung floor with a parquet covering. This prevents blisters and “sticking” during fast turns. Classical ballet and jazz dance usually find ideal conditions on a smooth, not too slippery, grippy PVC dance floor for the classical ballet elements with pirouettes and jumps.

Hard steps or soft movements - dance flooring or PVC dance carpets?

Hard dance floors

For tap dancing or flamenco, the floor covering must be harder. This is because, on the one hand, the metal profiles of the shoes would damage a soft floor and, on the other, the foot rhythms should be clearly audible. Nevertheless, the dance floor should be as soundproofed as possible so that the steps are not perceived as too loud.

The first choice for dance floors with a hard surface:

• The ready-to-assemble parquet
• The mobile dance floor

Soft dance floors

A soft top layer, such as the PVC dance floor VARIO, is particularly suitable as a stage floor for classical dance and acrobatic performances and as a stage floor for music events.

VARIO dance flooring is also increasingly being used as event flooring at trade fairs. This is because the prices for the cheaper dance carpets are only slightly higher than for event and trade fair floors. The design floors with special effects are also particularly suitable for this purpose, for example

• the VARIO COLOUR PVC dance floor
• the VARIO PRINT PVC dance floor
• the VARIO TRANSPARENT PVC dance floor
• the VARIO MET PVC dance floor
• the VARIO GLANZ PVC dance floor
• the PVC dance floor VARIO LACK

A soft or elastic floor is particularly important in classical ballet. A PVC dance floor softens the landing during jumps. In our range you will find floors in different thicknesses:

• the VARIO PRO 1.2 PVC dance floor
• the VARIO MOVE 2.0 PVC dance floor
• the VARIO MOTION 2.6 PVC dance floor
• VARIO TRANSPARENT dance floor with 1.1 mm
• VARIO MET dance floor and VARIO COLOUR dance floor with 1.2 mm
• Dance floor VARIO LACK with 1.5 mm
• Dance floor VARIO GLANZ with 2.0 mm

An important aspect of the PVC dance floor or dance carpet is its high inherent weight, as it adapts perfectly to any floor:

• the VARIO PRO 1.2 PVC dance floor with 1500 g/m²
• the VARIO BEAT 1.6 PVC dance floor with 2000 g/m²
• the VARIO MOVE 2.0 PVC dance floor with 2500 g/m²
• the VARIO MOTION 2.6 PVC dance floor with 3250 g/m²
• VARIO GLANZ and GLANZ MET dance floors with 1300 g/m²
• VARIO TRANSPARENT dance floor with 1350 g/m²
• Dance floor VARIO MET, design floor VARIO PRINT and dance floor VARIO COLOUR with 1600 g/m²
• Dance floor VARIO LACK with 1900 g/m²

Dance floors on tour: mobile dance floors for the big performance

Transportable dance floors are not only the ideal solution for dance events in the form of mobile dance floors. Dance carpets are also very suitable - not least as a non-slip floor covering for catwalks or open-air stages. In addition, dance carpets are an excellent alternative for smaller dance schools or for the independent dance scene, as they are inexpensive. In any case, mobile dance floors are the ideal tour companion as they are easy to transport and reuse.

A dance floor can also be visually impressive and create additional effects. Especially at dance tournaments, dance competitions or ballet performances, the stage floor should match the stage design and complement the decorative elements in a visually appealing way.

As a rule, mobile dance floors are made of various plastic and rubber materials. These dance floors have different surface textures, but they generally do not dampen quite as well. If this aspect is important to you when buying a dance floor, you should choose a version with a shock-absorbing sprung floor.

Sprung floor: elastic and easy on the joints!

The different types of dancing require not only different floor coverings (dance floor, dance parquet), but also a suitable, shock-absorbing subfloor (sprung floor). This is because dance shoes alone generally do not have sufficient shock-absorbing properties. The dancer's muscles and joints can only be protected from injury if the forces generated during a landing are sufficiently cushioned.

A sprung floor is a dance floor that gives way under load. Their vibrating substructure considerably reduces the risk of injury to dancers.

A distinction is made between the following sprung floors:

Surface-elastic sprung floors

Area-elastic sprung floors that give way over a large area under load. They are usually made of wooden slats laid double or crosswise on top of each other (the sprung supports) or underlays made of elastically deformable plastic such as rubber or elastomer pads.

Above this is a flat load distribution layer and/or a blind floor with a board spacing of 50 to 70 mm and a load distribution plate screwed to it. The wear layer can be either a PVC dance floor or a wooden floor covering. If parquet is used as the wear layer, this is referred to as sprung parquet. Resilient sprung floors are particularly suitable for absorbing heavier impacts.

 Point-elastic sprung floors

Point-elastic sprung floors have a simpler structure and usually consist of a layer of foam. Above this is a flat load distribution layer and/or a dummy floor that carries a resilient plastic floor covering. When a load is applied by dancing, a so-called deformation depression is created, which, however, is hardly larger than the load-bearing object.

Mixed-elastic and combined-elastic sprung floors (according to DIN 18032)

Mixed-elastic and combined-elastic sprung floors combine the advantages of area-elastic and point-elastic sprung floors. They are a good compromise because the protective function of sprung floors - shock absorption - depends largely on the weight of the dancer. In contrast to their usually heavier male colleagues, light female dancers do not have the mass required to benefit from the optimum shock absorption of conventional area-elastic sprung floors, even when landing from high jumps. In this respect, area-elastic sprung floors are only suitable for lightweight dancers to a limited extent.

Mixed-elastic floors, however, provide sufficient shock absorption for all dancers. The usual deformation depression in the dance floor during landings remains small. This reduces the so-called counter-vibrations, which put additional strain on the movement system.