Come and see the Harlequin dance studio at schools exhibition

British Harlequin plc, world leaders in the development and supply of floors for dance and the performing arts, will be exhibiting at BSEC 2010. 

The Building Schools Exhibition & Conference 2010 will take place at ExCel, London on the 24th and 25th February 2010 where the British Harlequin stand (634) will showcase an example of a dance studio, complete with sprung floor and ballet barrres. The event will provide an opportunity to talk to experts and to view Harlequin’s floors which are widely used in schools, colleges, universities, performing arts centres and dance facilities. 

Harlequin floors, whether portable or permanently installed are durable, hardwearing and easy to maintain. Choosing the correct floor for dance is important for health, safety and artistic performance. Harlequin offer a choice of sprung sub-floors plus a range of dance surfaces, developed to meet the needs and rigours of different forms of dance. Harlequin floors are fully tested in accordance with DIN Standard 18032 Part II. They have become the preferred choice of many professional dancers and are also being endorsed for BSF projects. British Harlequin also offer a RIBA approved core curriculum CPD – ‘Specifying Floors for Dance, Drama and Performance – a Guide for Architects”. 

- ENDS –

Photo credit: Harlequin dance floor at SLP College, Leeds, photographer David Jenkins.

Kent Dance Challenge takes place on Harlequin dance floors

The Kent Dance Challenge once again was staged on a Harlequin Studio dance floor. British Harlequin plc were pleased to provide the floor for the finals of Kent Dance Challenge 2009 which took place on Saturday, 24th October in Maidstone, Kent. 

Harlequin Studio is a special hardwearing floor covering designed for dance, studio and stage use. It was quick and easy to install at the venue having been transported there rolled up in sections and contained in Harlequin Roll Storage Bags. The slip-resistant surface provided performers with confidence against the risk of falling, allowing them to concentrate on performing demanding choreography and movement. Thanks to a firm but lightweight foam backing it also offers a degree of protection against hard sub-floors. Studio can be laid on any hard, smooth surface such as the stage, where once put down it stays firmly in place. It is also an excellent surface for a sprung sub-floor and for touring. 

For more... click here.

Harlequin Studio dance floor at British Troupe Championship finals

The British Troupe Championship Finals held in Wolverhampton opted for Harlequin Studio dance floor. 

Harlequin Studio has established great popularity with dancers thanks to both the dance surface it provides and the ease with which an ordinary stage can be converted into a dance floor. The flooring used at the British Troupe Championships was transported to Wolverhampton in four Harlequin Roll Storage Bags and was laid and ready for use in just twenty minutes. The wooden stage floor on which it was put down was not suited to dance, being both too hard and with a surface that did not offer the right degree of traction. The special surface of Harlequin Studio provided a slip-resistant floor that gave the dancers confidence to concentrate on their performance without the fear of slipping or falling. Harlequin Studio also has a firm lightweight foam backing that provided some cushioning against the hard stage floor beneath. In fact Studio can be laid on any hard, smooth surface and stays firmly in place. It is also an excellent surface for a sprung sub-floor and useful for touring. 

Read the full story on the Harlequin web site Virtual News Office. 

New studios open at DanceEast

Members of the British Harlequin marketing and sales teams were recently invited to one of a series of events associated with the new DanceEast facility in Ipswich which has dance flooring provided by Harlequin. 

Harlequin extends range of ballet barres

British Harlequin has continued to develop and expand the range of ballet barres, both freestanding and for permanent installation, and can now offer a comprehensive selection to suit a wide variety of requirements. Whichever type is selected the value of a sturdy, robust ballet barre is regarded as essential for warm up and stretching exercises to properly increase blood flow to muscles and reduce the risk of injury before taking to the dance floor. Harlequin’s wall mounted ballet barres include both single and double barre versions and can be installed using a choice of various shaped mounting plates to suit the particular needs of a studio. The new pillar-mounted brackets are used in conjunction with floor-mounted brackets to reduce intrusion into studios that have pillars. 

As well as wall-mounting, several other mounting bracket options have been developed. Harlequin also offers a range of freestanding ballet barres, lightweight for transportation thanks to their aluminium construction and with a choice of aluminium or beech barre.

Photo:

New single and double barre pillar mount brackets for the Harlequin ballet barres are available in black or grey colourways.

New Jerwood DanceHouse at DanceEast has Harlequin floors

Dance floors have been provided by British Harlequin to the new Jerwood DanceHouse for DanceEast. 

DanceEast is one of a growing number of centres for dance globally that have been created to reach out to communities and act as magnets for national and international dance artists. This £8.9 million development on the Ipswich waterfront is the cultural hub of the regenerated dockside and will be the hothouse for the development and presentation of new and emerging dance talent. The DanceHouse houses three dance studios, a 200-seat flexible space studio theatre, fitness and Pilates suites, the Danceeats! café and Dance Vibe dancewear shop.

Photo: DanceEast.

Harlequin sprung floors for Shanghai international school

Harlequin’s Hong Kong office recently supplied more than 270m² of Harlequin Liberty Sprung panels covered with a Harlequin Fiesta dance surface to the Concordia International School in Shanghai. 

New, informative publication issued by Harlequin

British Harlequin has just released a publication reviewing a number of recent installations and applications using products from the company’s range of floors for dance, stage and display. 

Published as a convenient A5 magazine style review, Harlequinade is colourfully illustrated throughout and showcases a diversity of flooring uses from the new Scottish Ballet HQ in Glasgow to a dance school based in a village hall in Kent. Stories range from Hollywood to Shanghai and Sydney and from dance to television. Even aerial dancers in Denver appreciate landing on a Harlequin floor it seems. 

Copies of Harlequinade can be requested by calling British Harlequin or by registering on the web site. 

British Harlequin Scholarship winners at Wells Weekends

British Harlequin plc has been associated with what are now known as  The Wells Weekends, since its beginnings  at Beechwood Sacred Heart School in Tunbridge Wells. Organiser Francesca Filpi now brings the story up to date. 

The Wells Summer School has an exciting new format. It is now being held over weekends, known as the Wells Weekends, the first of which took place at the end of August at the Royal Opera House. The students were very privileged to have the chance to dance in the beautiful studios used by the dancers of the Royal Ballet. The studio floors are all supplied by British Harlequin plc. Francesca Filpi, who organises the Wells courses said, “Dancers and serious students have come to expect floors of the high quality which only Harlequin can provide. Floors are something we all take for granted, until we don’t have them! Only then do we realise how much more vulnerable to injury we are, if we have to work on hard floors, not specifically constructed for ballet “.

Photo: courtesy of Francesca Filpi - taken in Clore Studio, Royal Opera House Winners of the British Harlequin Scholarships, Anna Rose O'Sullivan and Laura Jane Fenney, both pupils of RBS with Francesca Filpi.

Yorkshire Ballet Summer Schools continues association with Harlequin

Harlequin’s involvement with Yorkshire Ballet Seminars dates back more than 20 years and both David Gayle, who started the Seminars and Marguerite Porter who has taken up his mantle, have always insisted on the best dance floors. This year was no exception with Harlequin Cascade and Harlequin Liberty sprung floor panels once again the preferred choice. 

Photo: Elizabeth Harrod by Sophie Harris-Taylor.

Harlequin floors for ballet performance at Sydney's Pink Ribbon Ball

When Remi Wortmeyer and Miwako Kubota stars of the Australian Ballet performed at Sydney's Pink Ribbon Ball last month they were dancing on a black Harlequin Studio dance floor.  The flooring was supplied thanks to Gunter Goetz, Managing Director of Harlequin Australasia Pty Ltd. Harlequin Studio is a hard wearing floor covering specially designed for dance, studio and stage use. The 16th Annual Pink Ribbon Ball is a fund raiser for the Sydney Breast Cancer Foundation.

Scottish Ballet opening in the news

The new Scottish Ballet facility equipped with dance floors by British Harlequin is now officially open. See the news report carried by the BBC in Scotland and STV.  All studios are furnished with Harlequin WoodSpring and completed with Harlequin Cascade vinyl dance surface.

Further information can be viewed at the Harlequin Virtual News Office.

New Scottish Ballet HQ review

Architecture Today has reviewed the new Scottish Ballet HQ in Glasgow which has been equipped with Harlequin WoodSpring sprung dance floors. 

Dance champion appointed

According to BBC news channels former 'Strictly Come Dancing' judge Arlene Philips is taking on a new role promoting dance.  The Stage reports that the "Former Strictly Come Dancing judge and Youth Dance England patron Arlene Philips is to lead a group of “dance champions” in a national campaign to boost participation in the artform in the run up to the 2012 Olympics.

Photo: Jonathan Hordle/Rex Features. Tom Chambers and Camilla Dallerup from ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ host a free dance class at the Peter Jones Store, Chelsea, London on a Harlequin Fiesta dance floor.

RIBA approved CPD Seminars for architects from British Harlequin

Leading dance floor manufacturer, British Harlequin plc, has announced that the company is now approved to offer RIBA recognised CPD seminars on the subject of 'specifying floors for dance, drama and performance'. These seminars are designed for architects who are required to undertake some 35 hours of CPD - Continuous Professional Development - training each year. The Harlequin seminar has been developed in conjunction with RIBA - the Royal Institute of British Architects. It explains how important it is to specify a floor that suits the dancers requirements, for performance, safety and according to the type of use. Also why sports floors are not suitable for performance any more than aesthetically attractive wood floors, or for that matter regular industrial and commercial grade floors. For dancers the floor is an essential part of their work environment something not always appreciated by architects. More information can be found on the Harlequin web site where there is an Architects' Area full of useful specification data, downloads, links to specification clauses and project references.

Harlequin WoodSpring sprung dance floor in new studios for Scottish Ballet

Scottish Ballet now has a new purpose-built headquarters on the south side of Glasgow. All the studios are equipped with Harlequin's WoodSpring basketweave sprung dance floors. Harlequin last year put in WoodSpring into two studios in converted stables at Tramway. Now three more studios have been added in the new building, one being a huge 382 sq. m. - probably the largest in Europe. All these 3 dance studios have a Harlequin Cascade vinyl dance surface. The new building was designed by Edinburgh based Malcolm Fraser Architects. The full story can be read at the Harlequin Virtual News Office.

The Curve Foundation Dance Company on tour with Harlequin

Regular Harlequin customer The Curve Foundation Dance Company is preparing for an autumn tour which includes the UK premiere of Passomezzo by Ohad Naharin. Ross Cooper told Harlequin that the company will be embarking on a powerful brand new European 'tour de force' that takes in Greece, Germany, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland as well as rural outlying communities in Scotland plus the Hebridean and Shetland Islands. For the resident dance company at the Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh working in conjunction with the internationally renowned choreographer Ohad Naharin and Artistic Director of Batscheva Dance Company is an exciting prospect and a first for a Scottish company.

Cascade at Dance-Print event at Camberwell

Thanks to independent dancer-choreographer Rachel Thew for sending us images from her Dance-Print event that was staged on Harlequin Cascade dance floor at Camberwell College.

Harlequin Hi-Shine stars at ABTT Show

Despite a strike that closed down most of the London Underground network for both of the two days of the ABTT Theatre show at the Royal Horticultural Halls many visitors still made their way to the event this week. The Harlequin stand featured a section of Liberty Sprung floor with Hi-Shine top surface. Harlequin Hi-Shine has a special laminated hard polymer ultra-gloss surface which is superior to polyurethane for scratch resistance and rolls out instantly to provide a breath-taking wet look finish - a perfectly display floor for the theatrical and display effects.

Photo: Karen Woodward and Sue French of British Harlequin on the stand at ABTT 2009.

Beat the credit crunch with special stage floor offer

British Harlequin, in recognition of budget restrictions due to the credit crunch, are offering their Stagefloor 100 product at just £10.95 per square metre. Stagefloor 100 is a bargain with a high level of specification, fire-rated for safety, quick to roll out and suitable for permanent installation, or for portable use. There is a choice of black, dark grey, light grey and hazelnut - all highly tear resistant and tough enough to stand up to props, equipment, street footwear - pretty much most things. It is in stock now - ready to ship in 2 metre wide rolls from 10 to 25 metre in length. Ideal for stage or drama studios this is however a limited offer so quick response is recommended by calling 01892 514888 to place orders or request samples. Or you can e-mail stagefloor@harlequinfloors.com. 

Latest on Dance-Print event

News from Rachel Thew that details of Thursday's Dance-Print event are now posted online. The event will use Harlequin Cascade dance flooring. More details can be found by following any of these links.

Dance-Print debut at Camberwell College

Harlequin Cascade dance flooring will play a part in the debut performance of a unique dance-print event - a trio - at Camberwell College, University of the Arts London on 28th May. 

Developed by independent dancer-choreographer Rachel Thew the event will be "performed and filmed in the fabulous setting of 'Wilsons Hall' (with original wooden carvings and stained glass) which belongs to the university." The free event is for students and staff of the university and open to members of the public and a repeat performance during the MA Visual Arts Courses' Final Shows in July is on the cards.

 Rachel explained the concept to British Harlequin. "Dancers create marks with water-soluble paint as they dance. A large print (4 x4 m) is taken on cloth from the surface of the dance floor. The print is suspended and becomes the 'backdrop' for the following dance. The whole process is repeated until the stage area is totally enclosed. The event is filmed and projections of edited 'snippets' of the action are projected on a large screen in the pauses between acts."

A trailer has just been released by Moshe Ladanga.

dance+print trailer from mosheladanga on Vimeo.

Portbarres at special end of line prices

Because the Harlequin Portabarre range is being phased out, British Harlequin currently has a special price offer available through the Harlequin Shop or by calling 01892 514888. 

The Portabarre is a great idea for students to own as an essential for warm up and stretching routines to increase the flow of blood to muscles to reduce the risk of injury before taking to the dance floor. It is quick and easy to set up and secure with double snap locks. Non-slip rubber feet offer grip. Then when you are finished, it just folds up into a stylish carrying case. There are 2 different lengths - 1.4m & 2.74m - with black or pale grey options. 

But hurry - stocks are limited.

Harlequin at PLASA Focus in Leeds

British Harlequin exhibited at the recent PLASA Focus event held at the Royal Armouries in Leeds. Photos of the event that took place on 28th & 29th of April can be viewed at etnow.com where Harlequin demonstrated examples of flooring and accessories for dance, theatre and display.

Photo: Rebecca Conway & Karen Woodward on the British Harlequin stand at PLASA Focus. Entertainment Technology.

See Harlequin at ABTT Theatre Show

Today is the closing day for PLASA Focus exhibition in Leeds, but plans are already in hand for the next exhibition where you can see Harlequin floors, this time at the ABTT Theatre Show in London. From the 10th to 11th June the annual event for the the technical side of theatre will be at the Royal Horticultural Halls in London. Harlequin offers a range of stage floors. To discover more visit the Theatre Area of the Harlequin web site.

An article inspired by Harlequin floors

We recently came across an article - Achieve Optimum Performance with Harlequin Floors -  that starts off with the view that " Dancing is not only limited to entertainment but it can be a form of keep fit  program ..." and goes on to say " Most of us don't even give one thought to the kind of floor we are dancing on."  The full article can be read at www.hotdancefloors.com. For full information on the full range of Harlequin dance floors why not check out www.harlequinfloors.com .

Ballet barres that span wall mirrors

Did you know that as well as the popular range of Harlequin Ballet Barres that can be bought online 24/7 from the Harlequin Shop there are now a whole range of ingenious custom versions, including options to span wall mirrors - as seen in this photo. In fact Harlequin can provide solutions to go under windows too, or for  other situations where conventional wall fixing is not an option. 

Thanks to clever bracket design standard wall fixed ballet barres can be installed to give a continuous run along a studio wall. And unlike Henry Ford you can opt for another colour than standard black - even chrome plating is available to special order. With a choice of single or double barres why not check out the details on the Harlequin web site or call 01892 514 888 for more information.

See Harlequin floors at Leeds event

PLASA Focus is a new event for the entertainment technology industry run by the people who put on the annual PLASA show at Earls Court in London. The new show will be held in the Saviles Hall of the Royal Armouries in Leeds on Tuesday 28th and Wednesday 29th April 2009.

The Harlequin team will be on hand with examples of floors for dance, theatre and events. Products to be exhibited at PLASA Focus  include the popular Liberty sprung Floor Panels - now updated with an easy-to-use latching device to speed up installation and removal of sprung dance floors. Also the very popular range of display floors including Hi-Shine will be there.  

So for anyone in Yorkshire and the north of England why not come along to the show - entrance is free - and discuss your flooring needs with our helpful team.

Harlequin - the best floors for dance

It is always encouraging to read positive feed back about the popularity of Harlequin dance floors, particularly when the testimony is unprompted. Limavady High School reporting on their "Year 11 Dance Trip to Move It! in London" had this to say. "The studios were all equipped with Harlequin floors, (the best floors for dance and similar to the one we have just got for school)...". The full story of the Limavady visit to London can be read here.

The dance floor referred to at Limavady High School is a Harlequin Education Pack 'C' which is ideal for school dance and stage use, creating a floor space 10 x 7.5 m and suitable for 'A' level work.

Sprung dance floor packs now in Harlequin's education range

For the last few years Harlequin has successfully offered a range of roll out dance floor packs to suit the teaching and performance needs of schools. These are now joined by a sprung dance floor pack option based on the successful Harlequin Liberty panels. The new kit - Education Pack D - comprises 36 full size panels and 18 half size that link together using a unique and easy to use latching system to set up a professional quality dance floor, 80 metres square. Also in the kit are edge trims, a ramp and four lengths of Harlequin Cascade dance surface, plus rolls of joining tape. This new Education Pack allows schools to quickly set up a sprung dance floor and store away when not in use. As an option Harlequin also sell a Storage Cart to ease transportation and storage.

Full details can be found online at the Harlequin Shop.

Ballet barres - new brochure

British Harlequin has recently published a new brochure describing the full range of ballet barres that are now available for both permanent installation and free standing applications. Ballet barres can be bought online from the Harlequin Shop or by calling 01892 514888. Copies of the brochure can also be requested.

Dancers need Harlequin sprung floors

Conversations at MOVE-IT last week emphasised the status of the Harlequin brand and how well known and respected Harlequin floors are within the dance community. SLP College from Leeds has even gone so far as to promote the fact that their studios (see photo) are equipped with "sprung Harlequin floors". 

If you mention Harlequin floors when promoting your studio facilities why not leave a comment now.

Photo: SLP's stand at Move-IT

Plenty of Harlequin floors at MOVE-IT 2009

The MOVE-IT dance event at London's Olympia venue which ended today employed dance floors supplied by British Harlequin on stage, in the Harlequin Masterclass Studio and on exhibitors stands. A new feature of the British Harlequin stand this year was an area of Liberty sprung dance floor that visitors were invited to try out for themselves.

BBC reports on "Safe Dance Certificate"

The BBC today carried an interview with Rachel Rist about the introduction of the 'Safe Dance Certificate'. "About five million people sign up for dance classes each year in England, according to Dance UK"

Another important health factor is of course the provision of a suitable dance floor. A White Paper - 'The Facts About Sprung Floors for Dance' is available to download from the British Harlequin web site which includes comments from Rachel Rist.

Dancers - visit the British Harlequin stand at MOVE-IT next week

With less than a week to MOVE-IT 2009 at Olympia, London - 6th to 8th March, British Harlequin are busy making final preparations for the event. Harlequin dance floors will be installed on the main stage, in the Harlequin Masterclass Studio and on some exhibitor stands including the British Harlequin stand where visitors to the show will be invited to experience for themselves the benefit of dancing on a Harlequin Liberty sprung floor. 

Our photo shows dancers Jade and Emma from Mandy Ellen Performing Arts, Maidstone performing on the Harlequin stand at the 2008 event.

 

News by e-mail from Harlequin

News today from British Harlequin will be landing in the e-mail in boxes of thousands of subscribers to the company's e-News service. The quarterly service aggregates 6 recent headline stories and pictures providing an easy and quick way to keep in touch and up to date for anyone involved with dance and in particular the safety and performance importance of using the right dance floor. Any interested person can subscribe to Harlequin's e-News service.  

Harlequin master class to debut at MOVE-IT

New to MOVE-IT - 6th~8th March 2009 at Olympia, London - is the Harlequin Masterclass Studio. Described by the organisers as "an exciting new feature for 2009 the Harlequin Masterclass Studio will host a range of advanced and professional level classes taught by some of the UK's premiere teachers and dance companies. The Harlequin Masterclass Studio is a dedicated, intimate space created especially for advanced and professional classes."

British Harlequin will also be exhibiting at MOVE-IT and will offer a similar sprung floor on their stand that is open for visitors to dance on.

Dancing in Kent features Harlequin news

The Dancing in Kent web site carries news from British Harlequin including a feature on the recently announced Irish Dance Floor Panel.

Health Secretary homes in on dance in fight on obesity

According to the BBC, Health Secretary Alan Johnson has been inspired by the popular success of Strictly Come Dancing to get the whole country dancing in the battle against increased obesity. Back in August we reported on another Government announcement that in response to the Dance Review of the importance of sprung floors for dance, in particular the benefits and well-being for the health and welfare of dancers new schools would be equipped with sprung floors. 

British Harlequin has produced a White Paper - The Facts About Sprung Floors for Dance - that can be downloaded from the Harlequin web site . This is based on an article published in Dancing Times and includes the views of leading experts.

Green Harlequin Reversible floor for dance film

The chances are that anyone attending the weekend of dance work presented by Southbank Centre Artist in Residence, Rafael Bonachela at The Royal Festival Hall will have seen a  film by dancer Theo Clinkard and film-maker Mariko Montpetit. The striking green Harlequin Reversible dance floor featured in the film evoked the open green space of a floodlit stadium providing a focal interest in the surrounding darkness. The intention being to create a vast, stark, empty space with the green floor seemingly hovering in a black void where Theo then embarks on performing the choreography. Described as " a film about the making of a dance", part documentary, it follows Theo Clinkard as " he embarks on creating a dance without choreography for the very first time"

Allegro dance floor for Coventry Performing Arts Service

West Midlands Dance report that "Coventry Performing Arts Service is touting the new dance studio they have for hire". The article reports that, " we now have a beautiful performing arts studio with a professional state of the art British Harlequin Allegro dance floor. The Allegro floor is the thickest roll-out dance floor available in the world. It is slip resistant and suitable for all types of dance and performance offering young and old the opportunity to work on a professional floor." Anyone looking to invest in a new dance floor should get hold of a copy of British Harlequin's free Guide by going online or calling 01892 514 888.

Floor for Irish dance

Harlequin Liberty Sprung Panels are remarkably versatile. The popular sprung floor is proving ideal for a variety of dance forms with the Irish Dance Panel being just the latest to owe its origin to Liberty. The history of the latest incarnation can be traced back to 2004 when Spanish flamenco star Maria Pages was looking for a floor that not only was right for dance but produced the right sound as well. Harlequin recognised that Irish dancers face many of the same issues as flamenco and other forms of percussive dance and adapted the Liberty system into  1 x 1 metre panels specifically for Irish dancers to use as practise floors.  The dance surface is Harlequin Cascade, the heavy-duty non-slip vinyl preferred by Riverdance and used in their performances for many years.

Harlequin Fiesta floor ideal for ballroom

Just before Christmas the Peter Jones store in Chelsea staged a Strictly Dance evening which featured Tom Chambers and Camilla Dallerup just a few days before winning the highly popular Strictly Come Dancing prize on BBC Television. An estimated two thousand  evening shoppers thronged the galleries to watch, but few probably gave any thought as to how the hard terrazzo surface of the ground floor had been transformed into a ballroom. That in fact was the challenge for Rain Communications UK who put on the event for Peter Jones. Spokesman Neil Cassley of Rain Communications said, "Harlequin added the perfect sheen to our event delivering a bespoke ballroom dance floor in remarkable time." For the 'one night only' event Harlequin had brought in portable Liberty Sprung Panels that link together to create a professional quality sprung floor. The Harlequin Fiesta dance surface has an oak stripped pattern and is proving popular for social dancing but also stands up to the rigours of  percussive dance such as tap and Irish. Later in the evening the general public were able to take to the floor themselves. For Harlequin creating professional quality dance floors for special events is all in a days work.

Photo credit: Jonathan Hordle/Rex Feature.

Hot off the press

The latest issue of Harlequinade  magazine is now available. 

Despite the wide spread acceptance of on line information there is still a place for the printed word. This conveniently sized A5, 16 page publication is ideal to read anywhere - on a train or bus, at home, or during a quiet moment at work.

Published twice a year by British Harlequin this issue reviews a diversity of events where Harlequin floors have been used - not only by the dance community, but in exhibitions and display. Read how a sprung dance floor was installed at the Royal Albert Hall for  Overture 2012 staged by Dance Umbrella and how the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing winners Tom Chambers and Camilla Dallerup wowed shoppers at the Peter Jones store on a Harlequin Fiesta floor - a floor that is rapidly gaining acceptance for ballroom dancing. News too of dance competitions and projects from around the world - America, France, Luxembourg,  Australia and Manila. Plus news of additions to the range of ballet barres and the introduction of a dance panel for Irish dance. There is an interesting story about the owner of the first Irish Dance Panel as well.

You can request Harlequinade online or just download  a copy.

Harlequin Shop opens with 20% discount offer

Good news from British Harlequin. Ballet barres, storage bags, straps, tape and cleaning products can now be bought online at the newly launched Harlequin Shop. Even better news is that for the rest of January, as a special introductory offer, there is 20% off most of the products sold online. Now you will need the discount code and this has been e-mailed out to subscribers to Harlequin e-News. Or you can visit the Dance Area of the British Harlequin web site and check out the current offers at the Harlequin Shop. 

Of course if you want to buy a new floor then there is plenty of information on the main web site where you can request a free guide or call the British Harlequin team on 01892 514888 for guidance and advice in making sure you have the right floor for your needs.

Another way to be kept informed of any special offers at the Harlequin Shop is to follow this blog or add the RSS to your browser toolbar.

We also welcome your feedback and ideas. Let us know what you think about the Harlequin Shop and Harlequin web site - why not leave a comment now.

Dance Umbrella uses Harlequin sprung dance floor

Once again Dance Umbrella called upon British Harlequin to provide a sprung dance floor for a major event - Overture 2012 staged at London's Royal Albert Hall.

Harlequin's installation team installed 85 panels of Harlequin Liberty Sprung floor completed with a black Harlequin Cascade dance surface on Steeldeck staging to transform the venue's hard flooring into a professional quality sprung dance floor for a company of some 120 young dancers.

Photo:Sisi Burn