Health and Safety in the Studio

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!
Types of things to consider concerning
the dance environment…
Ventilation
 Why is Ventilation important?
• Dancers need a source of fresh, non-
contaminated 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
Temperature
 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
Lighting
 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
Cleanliness
 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
Room Dimensions/Space
 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.
Welfare
 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.
 Other things to think about
• Secure Mirrors
• Storage Space
• Pillars
• Low Ceilings
• Types of Floor
 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.