Dance
floors portable sprung dance floors
British Harlequin - Harlequin initiative prompts French Government to review dance floor recommendations
Thanks in no small part to Harlequin’s
leadership and innovation in dance floor technology, the choice
and performance of dance floors has advanced rapidly since
official recommendations were last published in France.
December’s biennial Monaco Dance Forum offered the opportunity
for Harlequin Europe to host a round table meeting that brought
together representatives of France’s department of Music, Dance,
Theatre and Events (DMDTS) of the Ministry of Culture with dance
community practitioners, specialists in dance medicine and
science, theatre architects and, of course, dance floor
manufacturers.
Uniquely, France has official stipulations for dance floors and
publishes a document – ‘Recommendations Regarding the
Installation of Dance Floors’ - which offers official guidelines
for their procurement and installation. This favours the double
batten basket weave style whose antecedents can be traced back
to the reign of Louis XIV, but fails to recognise the market
popularity of modern sprung floor systems. A communiqué issued
at the conclusion of the round table discussion identified three
potential areas of change to the current French legislation.
Harlequin also worked in conjunction with the Monaco Dance Forum
and the International Association for Dance Medicine & Science (IADMS)
in organising a conference session entitled, ‘The Importance of
the Dance Floor in the Development of Movement and the Safety of
Dancers’.
The Monaco Dance Forum www.monacodanceforum.com was created in
1988 on the initiative of HRH Princess Caroline of Hanover,
Stéphane Martin and Jean-Christophe Maillot and earlier opened
at the Monte Carlo Opera House with the prestigious ‘Nijinsky
Ceremony’ awards event.
Email:
rebecca.conway@harlequinfloors.com