Issues with slippery floors

[msemily]

What is often used on wood floors is a product called "Slip No More". It is easy to put down (just dilute it and mop it onto a clean floor and then allow it to dry). It wears away over a period of time (depending upon how much use the floor gets) and doesn't have any harsh chemical warnings associated with it.

Thank you, Pas de Quoi. I was thinking of experimenting with both Slip NoMor 2000c and Harlequin's analogous product "ConfiDance". Hopefully they will work. Honestly, I wish Basic Coatings would continue to make the Hydroline Plus finish, because it required no mop on or rosin, and was actually less slippery than marley. Hopefully either ConfiDance or Slip NoMor 2000 will work...

[munchkin16]

Leather shoes for wood floors. But then I first started dancing on wood so to me most Marley even in canvas shoes feels sticky. Maybe I'm weird and prefer a slicker floor, I actually find it easier to turn on a slippery floor as I don't get stuck! Pointe is a completely different matter though, slippery is scary then. Definitely give a leather shoe a try.

[BlleFille]

I have to perform on a hard wood fairly slick floor soon en pointe.

I'm nervous as all hell!!! Anyone have new suggestions for what I can use on my shoes? Will darning or platform covers help? Will wetting them help? A friend suggested Coca Cola!?

Thoughts would be highly appreciated!

[SewRibbons]

I would definitely put moleskin on the platforms!

[BlleFille]

Ok thanks. Do you glue it on? It's not real mole is it!? Probably a dumb question

Where can you buy it?

Edited to add that I FOUND A VIDEO yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[trogoz]

I've been in several studios with wooden floors. At one, the teacher used to clean the floor with Flash before class and this reduced the slipperyness, although some patches remained. We knew where these were, and danced around them. We had a rosin box there which was useful if she hadn't time for the mop. When the local council closed the place, we had to move to another studio which too had a wooden floor. It wasn't slippery, but it did have obstacles - the room was an odd shape, there was a massive pillar in the centre, a 15x10cm hole close to one wall and part of the floor slopped downhill - this I guess gave us idea what it would be like on a raked stage. Again, we danced around the obstacles.

 

Regarding mopping the floor with Coca Cola - it does work - my teacher did this once, in an Australian studio with a Harlequin floor that was quite slippery. The problem was, that we were dancing with ants in the next class.

 

I have leather soles on my shoes, and if the floor is a bit slippery, I fiind that a few drops of water on the floor and stamping in it helps. We don't have a rosin box where I go now, which is strange 'cus the Birmigham Royal Ballet are in the same building and sometimes use the studios that we do. Maybe they take a box with them.

[BlleFille]

I have heard from pros that rosin makes wood worse-MORE slippery... not true?

 

And I can't put cocoa cola on the actual floors as other acts are performing; music, speakers etc.. Was more thinking of putting on the shoes.

I tried moleskin right now on my shoes, dancing on my floors at home and they don't really make a huge amount of difference

 

I think wood just scares me really badly which may be partly just ME... psychological!

 

I enjoyed your tales, Trogoz.

 

By the way is moleskin on pointe shoes ok for my regular marley studio floors too?

[SewRibbons]

I can't understand why rosin would make wood more slippery; I don't think it does. I've used rosin on wood and it works well. When I was a teen, we used to use a rosin bag and wack it on the floor to get good coverage. I've not seen those in a long time and you may only have a rosin box to rosin the shoes. I don't know about moleskin on marley. I had always thought that was not workable but I'm not sure if that was just in my head. I've never tried it.

 

Also, rosin the platforms that have the moleskin. The moleskin will help hold the rosin.

[Lucycat]

We have a wooden floor at the school I dance. We use rosin and it really helps. Water helps too but you have to be carful not to damage your pointe shoes. Personally I darn around the edges of the platform and use rosin, pancaking my shoes seems to take away a bit of slippiness too.

Some schools/venues don't allow the use of rosin as it can damage wooden floors. Though I would ask before.

And to some extent it really is a bit of a getting used to it thing. I was horrified when I started at this school and thought I would never be able to do pointe there. I still prefer marley though!

[BlleFille]

Agreed that it's weird that some dancers have found rosin unworkable on wood. I'll think I'll get some and try it on top of the moleskin as suggested.

Just hoping my shoes will still be ok on the marley at my regular studio as I need to rehearse there.

Should I buy powdered, whole rock or crushed rock rosin?

Thanks everyone!!!!

[SewRibbons]

If I were you, I'd get powdered. Let us know how it goes!!

[BlleFille]

Thanks! Is all rosin the same whether sold for pointe shoes, sports or instruments?

[trogoz]

Personally, I think rosin rocks is better than powdered. The crushing action when you stamp in it, really drives it into the shoes. I have done pointe on wooden floors. I used to do a bit of trapeze and powdered rosin was preferred on the hands, but I stuck to rocks, because that's what I had.

[BlleFille]

K thanks... perhaps I will get crushed rocks as the are something in between ;)

I appreciate the help everyone

[sugarinko]

My DD's studio is wooded floor. Rodin works well. You can buy crashed rosin at Capezio.