Health and safety is important in dance studios to minimize injury risks. Studios should have proper ventilation to allow fresh air flow and prevent stuffiness. The temperature should allow dancers to warm up safely and reduce injury chances. Lighting needs to be sufficient for safe movement without hazards. Cleanliness through litter removal and clean floors creates a hygienic and pleasant space. The room needs enough space and clearance of obstacles to allow freedom of movement without risk of collision or injury. Dancers' welfare requires changing rooms and toilet access. The dance floor type and maintenance affects grip and reduces friction burns or obstacles.

1. Health and Safety in the Studio

2. It may seem quite logical, but dance
can be a dangerous activity if caution
is not taken to ensure that all risks of
injury are minimised. You need to be
aware of these both for your own
safety- and because it may appear on
your Unit 1 exam!

3. Types of things to consider concerning
the dance environment…

4. Ventilation

5. Why is Ventilation important?
• Dancers need a source of fresh, noncontaminated air
• Allows the removal of stale and humid air
• Ensure air movement which provides a sense
of freshness without a draught
• Without ventilation the studio becomes stuffy
• Without ventilation it is difficult for dancers to
maintain their attention and the risk of
accidents is greater

6. Temperature

7. Why is Temperature important?
• Helps the dancer’s body to warm up
appropriately
• Reduce the chances of injury
• Layers of clothing are worn which can then be
discarded as the dancers warm up.
• Individuals have personal preferences concerning
the environmental temperature and it is difficult
to specify a level which satisfies
everyone, however, Equity recommends a
minimum temperature of 18 degrees

8. Lighting

9. Why is Lighting important?
• Enables dancers to see and avoids injury
• Should be sufficient to enable dancers to
move about safely
• Lights and light fittings should not create a
hazard

10. Cleanliness

11. Why is it Cleanliness important?
• Removal of litter and a clean floor is not only
hygienic but also makes the studio more
pleasant to dance in

14. Room Dimensions/Space

15. Why is Space important?
• A suitable space for dancing is one that allows maximum
enjoyment and movement without jeopardising physical
safety.
• ideal space should be large enough to allow dance
movements to be performed with reasonable freedom
• This includes a ceiling which is sufficiently high enough to
allow unrestricted movements
• Any obstacles in the studio should be removed to reduce the
chances of dancers colliding into them and causing injury
• Any objects, pictures, mirrors, etc. attached to the walls of the
studio must be secured to prevent them from falling on the
dancers
• Chairs should be stacked up and placed away from the dance
area.

16. Welfare

17. What is meant by Welfare?
• When people attend a dance studio they use
more than just the room in which they dance.
Other rooms should be available, at the very
least, to allow dancers to change and have
access to toilet facilities. There are minimum
standards which must be achieved to be
acceptable for use by dancers and the public.

18. Other things to think about
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Secure Mirrors
Storage Space
Pillars
Low Ceilings
Types of Floor

19. Dance Floors
Sports floors are not required to be as resilient as dance floors because
sports players are more concerned with, for example, ball bounce
characteristics. In addition, sports players have added protection from
cushioned sports shoes.
The surface finish of the dance floor is of great concern to dancers and the
requirements differ depending on the dance genre:
• Dancers who are using dance shoes, e.g. ballet and jazz, require a
floor which enables a good grip whilst allowing the foot to slide in a
controlled manner.
• Dancing in bare feet requires a finer surface finish to reduce the
chances of friction burns whilst still providing sufficient grip to move.
Maintenance of the floor is another important factor to a good floor
surface. Non one likes to use a dirty floor and obstacles no matter how
small (e.g. chewing gum) would certainly constitute a hazard to dancers.