Northern Ballet continues to put trust in Harlequin dance floors

British Harlequin recently installed Harlequin WoodSpring™ sprung floors with Harlequin Studio™ vinyl dance surfaces in all the dance and performance studios for Northern Ballet’s new building in Leeds. 

Talking to British Harlequin, Andy Waddington, Head of Technical Services stressed the importance of sprung floors that benefit not just ballet dancers, but dancers of all styles and age groups that use their facility. When the architects were appointed a Harlequin sprung floor was high on the priority list. "Harlequin is something I can trust and I know it is going to work", said Andy. He explained, "Northern Ballet has a long history with Harlequin; we’ve still got working floors that we bought in 2000! Harlequin means reliability. I’ve got confidence in their products and go back to them time and time again". 

Andy continued, "With our long association with Harlequin, we couldn’t think of going anywhere else. WoodSpring just works. It’s perfect. The dancers really appreciate it; they know that they’re safe and they can bounce up and down for days and nothing’s going to go wrong. That’s piece of mind! The dancers know they’re getting a top quality floor; that it’s going to be right and that they’re not going to slip, fall over or hurt themselves. And I know the floor’s not going to fail; it delivers every time". 

The full interview with Andy Waddington can be viewed on the Harlequin video channel and on their YouTube channel. 

Harlequin is the floor Phoenix Dance Theatre keep coming back to!

"I am very happy with the Harlequin floors in the building" . said John Slater, Technical Manager of Phoenix Dance Theatre. " I’m yet to find anything else that makes the dancers happy". 

The Leeds based contemporary dance company, founded in 1981, is now sharing a purpose-built facility that includes studios equipped with Harlequin WoodSpring™ sprung floors and Harlequin Studio™ vinyl dance surfaces. Phoenix Dance Theatre effectively re-launched about three years ago with new dancers and new management, but retained the "amazing legacy for the quality of work". John continued, "We are a contemporary dance company and they dance not in ballet shoes but barefoot and in socks. It is difficult to find a floor that has the right amount of traction so they are not slipping around when they are in socks, yet allows them to move when they are barefoot and Harlequin seems to be the one they keep coming back to". 

"For touring I have used Harlequin floors in the past and I am about to buy some more...the dancers and the rehearsal director won’t allow me to buy anything else! " 

The interview with John Slater can now be viewed on the Harlequin YouTube channel or via the Harlequin video channel .

Harlequin support for Laban symposium

Thanking British Harlequin for its "generous support " Dr Emma Redding said, "over 100 delegates attended the Passion, Pathways and Potential in Dance symposium held at Trinity Laban." The symposium launched the findings of a three-year interdisciplinary research project into the development of dance talent among young people. 

The largest project of its kind involved nearly 800 young dancers training at eight government-funded Centres for Advanced Training (CATs). The interdisciplinary research measured a wide range of characteristics related to dance talent (physiology, anthropometry, psychology, injury, adherence, creativity) and explored the factors that may contribute to optimal talent development. Qualitative interview-based research also investigated how these factors relate to both creativity and commitment. 

Delegates who attended the event came from a wide range of backgrounds and included dance educators, industry professionals and leaders, academic researchers and policy makers. The research findings presented were received with great interest and feedback from delegates was extremely positive. 

Harlequin Group Marketing Manager, Mark Rasmussen said, "Harlequin was delighted to be able to provide financial support to the symposium and applauded the contribution the project has made to the dance community." 


Photo: L-R: Imogen Walker, PhD Candidate on the project, Dr Sanna Nordin-Bates Research Fellow on the project & Dr Emma Redding, Principal Investigator on the project. 

Harlequin Cascade™ makes Riverdance a better show for everybody

Photo:Joan Marcus

Since its beginnings as an interval act during the Eurovision Song Contest staged in Dublin, Riverdance has gone on to conquer the world. And where Riverdance goes so do rolls of Harlequin Cascade™ dance floor. 

Recently British Harlequin Marketing Manager, Caroline Reilly caught up with the show and Executive Producer Julian Erskine, in Killarney. In a recently released video interview published on the the Harlequin video channel and YouTube, Julian explained how an extensive search for the right floor ended with choosing Harlequin Cascade™ - a floor that has since toured the world with Riverdance for seventeen years. On a recent 22 week tour of North America, the floor was rolled out in 77 cities. "The floor went out 77 times….and without any need for repairs. It’s a credit to the product that it does that." In the video Julian emphasises how important the floor is to the dancers’ confidence, so they don’t "hold back" and can "go all out" without fear of slipping. Slipping was a real problem in the early days before Cascade™ as the special shoes used for Irish dance polished the traditional wood surface to a shiny and slippery gloss. "Our dancers’ reaction to the floor is completely positive. When we found Harlequin Cascade™ the confidence arrived to go out every night knowing the major issue of whether they were going to slip or not was over. We find with Cascade™ dancers have no fear and can go as fast as they like, it makes the show better for everybody." In the video interview he also talks about the importance of floor colour to work with lighting and scenic projection. Summing up what Harlequin meant to him is ‘confidence’ in the floor and ‘satisfaction’ with the service received over the years. 

The full interview can be viewed on the Harlequin video channel showcasing the continuing role of Harlequin Cascade™ in this long running success, plus a look back at Riverdance history and an interview with a dancer. 

The American Harlequin Team at LDI

The American Harlequin Team at the 2011 LDI Show in Orlando, Florida. From left to right: Bob Dagger, President; Patricia Basileo, Vice President; Mark Rasmussen, Harlequin Group Marketing Manager; Suzanne Costanza, Sales Manager; Larry Sullivan, Contracting Manager; Maria Gil Dybalski, Account Executive; and Guy Dagger, Harlequin Group Director.

Tickets go on sale for first ever Dance Proms

British Harlequin will be a sponsor of the first ever Dance Proms when the UK’s rising stars will be performing at the Royal Albert Hall on 13th November 2011. Dance Proms is open to the public and tickets are now on sale through the Royal Albert Hall Box Office and website. Twenty-four dance acts from around the UK will perform together at this major new national dance festival which was launched in February 2011 to find the UK’s most talented dance students - in all dance genres, from ballet to ballroom, salsa to street dance and jive to jazz dance. 

Along with guest appearances by Marianela Nuñez and Thiago Soares, principals of The Royal Ballet, Strictly Come Dancing stars Darren Bennett and Lilia Kopylova will be adding to the excitement. The shortlist of 24 acts - involving over 400 dancers - was selected from over 300 entries. 

Dance Proms - organised by the UK’s leading dance organisations: the International Dance Teachers’ Association (IDTA), Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) and the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) in association with the Royal Albert Hall - celebrates dance in all its forms and the unique relationship between students and their dance teachers. 

Covent Garden Dance Company perform on Liberty floor at Hatch House

Photo: James Whitty Photography.

The Covent Garden Dance Company hired Harlequin Liberty™ panels to create a 10m x 5m sprung dance floor for use with their own custom yellow Harlequin Cascade™ dance surface when they performed recently at Hatch House in Wiltshire. 

Matt Brady said, " With three world premiers and eight world class dancers appearing over the two nights expectations ran high" for the event presented in the depths of the English countryside. More on Hatch House 2011 can be found on their web site .

The Covent Garden Dance Company " aim to combine new and established talents in the fields of production, music, design and choreography and thus produce entertaining and challenging work and are strongly committed to building and educating new audiences". 

Northern Ballet continues to trust in Harlequin’s dance floors

British Harlequin recently installed Harlequin WoodSpring™ sprung floors, with Harlequin Studio™ dance surfaces in all the dance and performance studios for Northern Ballet’s new building in Leeds. 

Talking to British Harlequin, Technical Director Andy Waddington stressed the importance of sprung floors that benefit not just ballet dancers, but dancers of all styles and age groups that use their facility. So when the architects were appointed, a Harlequin sprung floor was high on the priority list. "Harlequin is something I can trust and I know it is going to work," continued Andy. He explained Northern Ballet had a long history of successfully using Harlequin Floors – " it’s the industry standard." 

The full interview with Andy Waddington will soon be published on the Harlequin video channel and on our YouTube channel. 

Busy start to LDI for Harlequin in Orlando today

It is already busy today at the Orange County Convention Center, Florida where Harlequin are exhibiting at LDI until Sunday 30th October. 

Harlequin is the floor Phoenix Dance Theatre keep coming back to

 John Slater

British Harlequin recently installed a Harlequin WoodSpring™ sprung floor, with a Harlequin Studio™ dance surface in Phoenix Dance Theatre’s new building in Leeds. 

" I am very happy with the Harlequin floors in the building." said John Slater, Technical Manager of Phoenix Dance Theatre. "There are no complaints from the dancers at all…trust me, if there were any problems, I would know about it." 

" For touring I have used Harlequin floors in the past and I am about to buy some more...the dancers and the rehearsal director won’t allow me to buy anything else! " 

The interview with John Slater will soon be published on the Harlequin video channel and on their YouTube channel. 

Harlequin team engage with IADMS dance health conference

Harlequin delegates - Mark Rasmussen,
Pat Basileo & Claire Londress.

When the 21st Annual Meeting of the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS) convened in Washington DC this month representatives of dance floor specialist, Harlequin numbered among the delegates. 

Summing up the event, Patricia Basileo, Vice President of the American Harlequin Corporation said "Supporting the work of IADMS is part of our worldwide commitment to healthier dancers. The Washington DC meeting was a great success and full of enthusiastic delegates sharing that same commitment. In addition, it was a wonderful opportunity for us to meet with customers and friends old and new." 

Harlequin – Annual Sponsors of IADMS - is a brand well recognised throughout the dance community as leading the way in developing and evolving the modern dance floor. This is thanks in no small part to a close relationship forged between dancers and a manufacturer intent on developing floors that dancers choose to dance on. In recent years Harlequin has supported various researchers to gain a greater insight into understanding of the important contributing factors that constitute a "good floor". Dancers are naturally well aware of the importance of the dance floor. 

The IADMS annual conference provided an important opportunity for Harlequin to interact with the dance community. 

Harlequin Cascade gives Riverdance confidence to go all out

Julian Erskine

Since its beginnings as an interval act during the Eurovision Song Contest staged in Dublin, Riverdance has gone on to conquer the world. And where Riverdance goes so do rolls of Harlequin Cascade™ dance floor. 

Recently British Harlequin Marketing Manager, Caroline Reilly caught up with the show and Executive Producer Julian Erskine, in Killarney. In a soon to be released video interview to be published on the Harlequin video channel and YouTube, Julian explained how an extensive search for the right floor ended with choosing Harlequin Cascade™ - a floor that has since toured the world with Riverdance for seventeen years. "We found Cascade™ solved our problems – enough slipperiness for the tappers and enough bite for the Irish dancers. " In the video Julian emphasises how important the floor is to the dancers’ confidence, so they don’t "hold back" and can "go all out" without fear of slipping. Slipping was a real problem in the early days before Cascade™ as the special shoes used for Irish dance polished the traditional wood surface to a shiny and slippery gloss. He explains too the importance of floor colour to work with scenic projection and even the effect of temperature. 

The full interview will be released next month showcasing the continuing role of Harlequin Cascade™ in this long running success, plus a look back at Riverdance history and an interview with a dancer.

Harlequin goes green for the day

Harlequin has gone green today to raise funds for Hospice in the Weald’s ‘Wear Green for the Hospice’ appeal week. 

"As most people know someone who has been affected by a terminal illness we are all dressed in green today to raise money for our local hospice in Pembury. It has been a week-long campaign run by the Hospice in the Weald to raise money. It is a fantastic cause that we are delighted to support, as they provide care to people with life limiting illnesses, to their families and carers."

"With a minimum donation was £1 and almost everyone taking part we have managed to raise £100 - every penny helps! " 

American Harlequin supports dancer safety at IADMS conference

Company Sets the Stage with Sprung Performance Flooring

Washington, DC, October 13, 2011 – American Harlequin (Harlequin), a world leader in floors for the performing arts, along with British Harlequin and Harlequin Europe , is proud to partner with the International Association for Dance & Medical Science (IADMS) for its 21st Annual Meeting, held in Washington, DC from October 13-15, 2011, to support those involved with the healthcare, education, administration and supervision of dancers. 

"Harlequin has been an annual sponsor of IADMS for nearly a decade, " said Bob Dagger, president of American Harlequin. "We believe this partnership is a testament to our Company’s long-standing philosophy to deliver performance flooring products that enable dancers to sustain a long, healthy career." 

Illustrating its dedication to safety at IADMS, American Harlequin displays its cost-effective Harlequin Liberty™ Sprung Floor Panels, which feature uniform suspension and point elasticity to enable compression at the point of contact. Further adding to performance safety, Liberty flooring, available in portable and permanent options, also features: 

• “Area elasticity” to provide flexion and support where a performer lands 
• Consistent shock absorption to reduce injury risk 
• Limitation of flexing to avoid disturbance of neighboring performers
Performance flooring experts from Harlequin will be available throughout IADMS to address the needs and concerns of attendees, including physicians, physical therapists, artistic directors, educators and dancers. 

IADMS was formed in 1990 by an international group of dance medicine practitioners, dance educators, dance scientists and dancers. Membership is drawn equally from the medical and dance professions, and has grown from an initial 48 members in 1991 to over 900 members at present world-wide, representing 35 countries. 

Gala event raises funds for The Hunger Project

The Royal Ballet's Liam Scarlett 
dances Texan Kangaroo Rat
 - ‘Still life’ at the Penguin Café. 
© All rights reserved by
 The Hunger Project UK

The Gary Avis & Friends Charity Gala, which took place in September, turned out to be an important fund-raiser for The Hunger Project. A Harlequin Liberty™ sprung floor used in conjunction with black Harlequin Reversible™ dance surface was installed at the Ipswich Regent Theatre for the two performances, which included dancers from The Royal Ballet and English National Ballet. 

Gary Avis, a Principal Character Artist and also Ballet Master at the Royal Ballet brought a glittering array of talent to his home town of Ipswich. "It was a fantastic success, we had two packed performances with 2600 guests and we raised £50,000 for The Hunger Project which was incredible" said Mark Speirs Marketing, Communications & Fundraising Manager of The Hunger Project UK. 

Bryony Wells of The Hunger Project explained, "the performances, hosted by Angela Rippon involved 10 Principal Dancers from the Royal Ballet and we therefore needed to put in place a good sprung floor. " She continued, "Harlequin provided the floor for an event involving the Royal Ballet last year in Lagrasse, and all the dancers were very happy with this floor. Additionally, Gary Avis teaches at the Wells Summer Schools at which a Harlequin floor is used, and has been very impressed with it. " 

This "World Class Dance Event"included 80 performers supported by 250 volunteers backstage. Performers included The Royal Ballet’s Steven McRae, Jumoké Fashola, Roberta Marquez, Nehemiah Kish, Melissa Hamilton, Paul Kay, Leanne Cope, David Pickering, Yuhui Choe, Ryoichi Hirano, Yasmine Naghdi, Nigel Cliffe and; English National Ballet’s Principal Ballerina Begoña Cao and from East Anglia - The Co-op Juniors, Ipswich Operatic Society, Appeal Theatre Group, The Gallery Players and young performers from the Linda Shipton School of Dance. 

A round up of the gala is published on The Hunger Project blog and there is still an opportunity to give at Gary’s fundraising page on Justgiving.com. 

Ten glorious years of Princess Margaret Awards at Francis Holland School, London SW1

Rimbaud Patron and Mami Fuji
 danced the Pas de Deux
 from Raymonda by kind permission
 of the Directors, 
English National Ballet School.Photo:David Neville.

Val Hitchen has taught at this prestigious Chelsea school for 46 years! In fact since leaving the Royal Ballet School where she was the first student enrolled on de Valois’s newly formed Craftsman’s Course for Teaching. 

Princess Margaret who at the time was Patron of both the Company and the school sent her daughter, the now Lady Sarah Chatto, to Francis Holland School. HRH was extremely supportive of the ballet at school throughout Sarah’s years and beyond. Sarah took all of her RAD Grades with Val and was also accepted onto the Associate programme of the Royal Ballet School. It is not surprising therefore that shortly before she died, she generously gave her name to this unique and very special competition which is now an eagerly awaited for annual summer event at the school. 

The silver rose bowl with the ‘princess’ figurines at the rim was made in Birmingham and dates back to 1910 but perhaps even more special are the two awards which were especially commissioned by parents at the school and made at the David Linley work-rooms. Lord Linley is the son of Princess Margaret. 

The Coronet and the Obelisk both bear the initial ‘M’ in the style used by HRH and the dancers on the Obelisk are taken from photographs of Fonteyn by Jennie Walton. A separate award is named after Dame Antoinette Sibley whose daughter, Eloise, also attended Francis Holland School. 

For ten years both the Royal Ballet School and English National Ballet School have sent students to dance at the Awards Day and this is only made possible by British Harlequin who provide the Harlequin Cacsade dance floor that is laid in the school hall. 

Usually about 24 children are chosen from all those who compete in classes earlier in the year. Once the finalists have been chosen they have to commit to 2 week-ends of new work to be shown on the Awards day. Ages generally range from 4 years to 16 years. 

Over the years the competitors have danced for very special Guests of Honour: Lady Sarah Chatto, Dame Antoinette Sibley, Lady Anya Sainsbury CBE, Sir Peter Wright CBE, Miss Doreen Wells, Miss Lesley Collier, Mr Will Kemp. 

"The surface on which we create our art"

Rafael Bonachela

"We chose Harlequin floors for our studios because we had to have the best," said choreographer and Artistic Director of Sydney Dance Company, Rafael Bonachela in a newly published video interview on the Harlequin Floors website. 

"We approached the purchase of the floor for our four studios with great care and consideration. The floor is a great asset for our daily working lives, it is the surface on which we make our art, so yes, we could only have the best". 

Harlequin Australasia recently installed Harlequin Cascade™ and Harlequin Studio™ for the Sydney Dance Company, working over night to avoid disrupting a busy rehearsal schedule. Rafael Bonachela explained, "the technicians came and laid the floor. We came in the morning after and it was all done, to the 100% perfection we expected, flawless and like magic! "

"When someone says to me Harlequin first of all I feel relaxed, I know I can trust it and I know its going to be a very, very professional surface and that we are going to be able to work very confidently – it’s the best we can have! " 

Rafael Bonachela concluded, "The dancers love the new floor, they are enjoying dancing on it because it’s not slippery and doesn't prevent you from turning or anything like that. Also in contemporary dance there is also very rigorous floor work that we do, that’s why it’s so important we have a great floor. " 

Sprung floors reduce impact injuries at new training centre

"When you are the market leader in Dance Floors, it’s fair to say the one call you don’t expect is from the Australian Commandos!” said Guenther Goetz of Harlequin Australasia recently “…whilst I was still coming to terms with who I was talking to, they casually dropped into the conversation ‘by the way, can your floors be mounted to the wall?’ ” 

Paul Cale, who works for the Integrated Combat Centre at Holsworthy Barracks, NSW and is President of the service’s Integrated Combat Club explained why. “We are increasing our work rate in close quarter training from something that we do a couple of times a year to something we are doing every week. We needed to reduce the rate of injury to achieve that and decided we needed a sprung floor. We needed a floor that didn’t produce a trampoline [effect] but reduced impact without destabalising the members using the facility.” 

The products the Commandos chose were Harlequin Liberty™ sprung floor panels with Harlequin Cascade™ vinyl surface. Technical support on wall-mounting the floor came from Harlequin engineers in the UK and the installation was carried out by Harlequin’s Australian installation team, described by Paul in typical military fashion as “quick and efficient”. 

When asked about the finished result Paul said “It’s something that has very much impressed people that have come to see the centre, particularly when they realise how much effort we have put in to reducing risk and creating a world class facility. Now Commandos can train at full power and full impact…and not sustain an injury.” 

The way that Harlequin Liberty™ sprung floor panels create an even return of energy rather than a bouncy, trampoline degree of spring is exactly why dancers appreciate the impact absorbing properties of the floor. Research continues to demonstrate that a sprung floor of this type can help reduce injuries that dancers receive. Now it seems these properties are also helping Australian Commandos reduce injuries in training. 

Harlequin to present floor health matters talk at dance teachers’ conference

Mark Rasmussen, Harlequin Group Marketing Manager will be talking about floors and health matters tomorrow, at the first ever International Dance Teachers’ Conference currently taking place at The Royal Ballet School in London.

Sponsored by Harlequin, the International Dance Teachers’ Conference is described as “four days of inspiration, innovation and imagination.” The conference opened last night with a glittering Gala Evening featuring top calibre performers including Wayne Sleep, Steven McRae, Sarah Lamb, Lizzie Gough and Two and a Half Men. “What an incredible lineup!” commented Mark and “oh yes, they all performed their magic on Harlequin Cascade”.

Addressing the conference Tuesday morning, Mark will turn to the subject of dancers’ health and the importance of a good quality sprung floor in helping reduce the high levels of injury associated with dancing on hard, unyielding floors. His presentation will recognize the outcomes of research studies correlating the contribution of a sprung floor with providing a safer working environment for dancers.

Charity dance event to be staged on Harlequin sprung floor

The Gary Avis & Friends Charity Gala event in aid of The Hunger Project. is due to take place at the Ipswich Regent Theatre on Sunday 11th September. A Harlequin Liberty sprung floor used in conjunction with black Harlequin Reversible dance surface will be installed for the performance.

Gary Avis is a Principal Character Artist and also Ballet Master at the Royal Ballet. Bryony Wells of The Hunger Project explains, “the performance, which will be hosted by Angela Rippon involves 10 Principal Dancers from the Royal Ballet and we therefore need to put in place a good sprung floor.” She continued, “Harlequin provided the floor for an event involving the Royal Ballet last year in Lagrasse, and all the dancers were very happy with this floor. Additionally, Gary Avis teaches at the Wells Summer Schools at which a Harlequin floor is used, and has been very impressed with it.”

Tickets for the event are still available from the box office of the Ipswich Regent Theatre.

Expressions Dance Company scoops Harlequin sponsored award in Australia

Expressions Dance Company won the Harlequin sponsored ‘Outstanding Performance by a Company Award’ for Where the Heart Is, at the 2011 Australian Dance Awards, held in Brisbane.

Natalie Weir, Artistic Director of EDC and choreographer of Where the Heart Is said "EDC was both proud and humbled to be awarded in a category with such amazing artists and companies from around Australia. Where the Heart Is was a joyous journey for the creative team" she added.

Where the Heart Is was nominated by the judges "for the dancers’ beauty and technical excellence in telling a powerful emotional story with great characterisation and intensity".

Taking two further awards on the night were dancer Amy Hollingsworth and choreographer Rafael Bonachela, both from Sydney Dance Company.

‘Outstanding Performance for a Female Dancer’ was awarded to Amy for Irony of Fate for her “outstanding technique articulation, clever variation of dynamics and powerful stage presence; an exceptional artist”.

Rafael Bonachela’s award meanwhile, in the ‘Outstanding Achievement in Choreography’ category, was for 6 Breaths. Cited for "a delicate combination of skill and vision to create an exquisitely crafted beautifully balanced work; for a wonderful collaboration with video artist and musician".

Harlequin Group Marketing Manager, Mark Rasmussen who was on hand to congratulate the winners said "… just a few days earlier I had been in Sydney filming an interview with Rafael about his new Harlequin floors and the next thing I knew I was in Brisbane applauding his win. Congratulations not only to all the winners on the night, but to all the nominees given that the standard of the shortlists were so incredibly high. What a wonderful celebration of Australian dance."

Photos:

Expressions Dance Company's Richard Causer, photo by Justin Nicholas, Atmosphere Photography.

Natalie Weir, Artistic Director of EDC winners of Outstanding Performance by a Company award.

Winners Amy Hollingsworth & Rafeal Bonachela both of Sydney Dance Company with Mark Rasmussen, Group Marketing Manager Harlequin (centre).

"We could only have the best" for Sydney Dance Company

In a soon to be published video interview, choreographer and Artistic Director of Sydney Dance Company, Rafael Bonachela explains the reasons why Harlequin Australasia recently installed Harlequin Cascade™ and Harlequin Studio™ in their four rehearsal studios. "We chose Harlequin floors for our studios because we had to have the best," he said. The interview reveals why Harlequin was chosen, how the installation proceeded and most importantly, what the dancers think of the new floors.

The full interview will be published on the Harlequin YouTube channel next month and streamed through their website.

Rafael Bonachela moved to Sydney in 2009 after many years with the Rambert Dance Company in London. A few days after the interview, Rafael collected the Outstanding Achievement in Choreography award at the 2011 Australian Dance Awards in Brisbane for his work "6 Breaths".

Photos:

Guenther Goetz of Harlequin Australasia with Rafael Bonachela.

Harlequin Group Marketing Manager, Mark Rasmussen with Rafael Bonachela.

Rafael Bonachela being interviewed.

The first international ballet competition in Beijing sponsored by Harlequin Floors

Harlequin, world leaders in dance floor design, were proud to be a sponsor of the first annual Beijing International Ballet and Choreography Competition and to have provided the sprung floor for the main stage.

Hosted by the National Centre for the Performing Arts and strongly supported by China's Ministry of Culture, 80 dancers competed in the classical ballet and choreography contest. Judged by an international panel drawn from 10 different countries, the panel included Tamara Rojo, the Royal Ballet's principal dancer, appearing in a judging role for the first time.

Harlequin Liberty™ sprung floor panels with a Harlequin Cascade™ dance surface allowed the contestants to perform with the total confidence that comes with knowing you are dancing on a first class sprung floor.

Madame Zhao Ruheng, former artistic director of the National Ballet of China,now Artistic Director of Dance at the National Centre of Performing Arts, said that she envisioned the event with the help of Frank Andersen, artistic director of the Royal Danish Ballet. Zhao and Andersen first met at a competition in Korea and talked about hosting a Chinese event for years. "Now, our dream has come true, " Madame Zhao said.

Renowned Finnish ballerina Doris Laine, who chaired the ballet portion of the competition, first visited Beijing 21 years ago. She said the Beijing event has the potential to grow into an influential world contest…like the city's grown."

Covent Garden Dance Company in Wiltshire

Salisbury Life features a story about a boutique ballet event in the grounds of a Wiltshire country house that will be performed on a Harlequin dance floor.

The Royal Ballet to debut at O2 on Harlequin floors

The Royal Ballet is set for a three-day residency this weekend at London’s O2 arena. The venue more typically home to pop concerts will be bringing ballet to large audiences and of course be danced on Harlequin floors. Performing Kenneth Mac Millan’s timeless classicRomeo and Juliet "this will be the first time the world renowned ballet company has performed in a UK arena and promises to be a ballet spectacle to remember."

"The Royal Ballet, usually based at the Royal Opera House in London’s Covent Garden, will move lock, stock and barrel into the arena for these special performances which will feature a filmed introduction to each Act, on giant, live-relay screens, as well as the virtuoso performances from one of finest ballet companies in the world.” Previous tours have been performed in the relative intimacy of theatres and not to audiences in a 20,000 seat arena. It is claimed that “there has never been a moment like this in the history of British ballet".

Dance floors being used by The Royal Ballet are Harlequin Cascade™ which is ideally suited to temporary installation on tour and Harlequin Reversible™ equally suited to "loose-lay" applications but with a slip resistant surface on both sides allowing alternate colour options.

Research shows dancers prefer dance floors over sports floors

Research carried out by Luke Hopper highlights the importance for dancers of the performance of purpose designed dance floors and a preference for greater force reduction than that offered by sports floors.

In a synopsis to the full research paper, Luke of the School of Health Sciences, The University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia reports, "Dancers demonstrated a preference for floors with greater force reduction magnitudes than specified by European sport surface standards, suggesting that bespoke floor standards for dance may be beneficial."

Acknowledged in the full report is thanks to Harlequin for "support in this project".