Practice Floors

Hardwood like maple or oak makes a great dance floor because it is strong enough to withstand impact and produces deep sound tones.

A sprung floor (with a layer of air beneath the surface) produces a resonant sound and is the safest for a dancer's joints.

Most homes (and studios) don't have an ideal sprung hardwood floor, so here are a few ideas that others have used for practice floors:

Medium Density Fiberboard comes in 1/2" thick sheets, like plywood, but it is hard and smooth and doesn't splinter. Don't get it wet because it swells. A full 4x8 sheet is very heavy; a half-sheet (4x4) is sufficient for a single practice area. If you have a piece of foam carpet pad, place this under the board to give it a bit of resiliency.
Portable interlocking tiles can be ordered from SnapLock Dance Floors. Their base floor tiles make a handy portable dance floor you can lay down when performing in a gym or on a nursing home carpet. (Ask about the America on Stage discount.)
A hard chair mat (available at office stores) can be placed over carpeting or hard flooring for a single practice space.
Other commercial portable floors are available online, such as Fasfoot, Portable Tap Floor, and Jubilee Dance Floor, but they can be expensive. These can serve as inspiration, though, for a DIY creation.

Avoid placing your practice floor directly on concrete. Dancing on a concrete floor for any length of time can injure knees and ankles. An uncovered concrete floor is abrasive to steel taps as well as hard on your legs.

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