slippery floors

[Guest Katalina]

I was practicing pointe work on my wood floor at my house and I fell because it was too slippery. There are many things I would like to improve on that I don't have time to do during class and I don't want to risk injuring myself by continuing to practice on the floor at my house as is. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions to fix this problem such as maybe putting some type of mat or something over the floor. Suggestions would be appreciated, Thanks!

[Mel Johnson]

Now, I'm going to assume something here, which is always dangerous. You've told us that you take six ballet classes a week. What's your schedule like? Day by day, what kinds and lengths of classes are you taking? And at what level?

[Guest Katalina]

I probably didn't make it clear enough in my previous post. Last school year 2004-2005 I took six classes a week. This school year 2005-2006 I am only taking two classes a week. Because of things I'm doing at school I don't have time to get over to the studio five nights a week, but I do have some extra time at home to practice, which I really want to do because I want to be ready for next year when I'm going to take six classes a week again and I don't want to be too far behind. Thanks!

[Mel Johnson]

OK, I thought there might be a wild variable in there. I thought that you were changing your schedule to enable you to take six classes/week again this year. The problem here is that you are working unsupervised the majority of the time, and could very well be rehearsing mistakes. For this reason, I don't much hold with home practice, except for very very basic things, to work for mastery. If you must work on a surface at home, you could get a single roll of marley, either from a dance supplier, or even get the original product, MARine LInoleum, from a boating dealer.

[Guest Katalina]

Thankyou for the suggestion of marley, Mr. Johnson. I will just be working on releves and such to keep the strength in my arches and ankles, nothing too advanced.

[Guest 4dancers]

You can also try a product called rosin. It's a whiteish/yellowish powder that you put on the bottom of your shoes. It resists the floor and makes it alot less slippery and more like marley. You can get it from any dance retailer. Hope I helped!!!!

 

-Amy

[Mel Johnson]

Yeah, but it messes up the floor something fierce!

[balletbum74]

At my studio we have Marley floors and my director doesn't make them sticky (I have no idea what he puts on our floors) often. We aren't allowed to use rosin so I scuff the tips of my pointe shoes. When I dance on flat, I fall out of things that I can normally do with more resistance. We are required to wear leather shoes too, but there is still a lack of resistance. Putting water on the soles of my shoes just makes them even more slippery.

[Guest deliriousdancer24]

i remember someone telling me to spray some hair spray on the bottom of shoes to help from sliding(i dont know if it would work with pointe shoes or not?¿?¿?)

[Xandra]

Hi Katalina I think i'm from your class. What i have at home are lamnite floring. It's not the best thing to dance on. I think the Wissemans catalog has a "tap floring" that goes down on the floor like a mat. It's what Brava has at their store when trying on pointe shoes.