Harlequin delivers dance floors from Tunbridge Wells to the world

This week, shipments of dance floors rolled out of British Harlequin’s Tunbridge Wells headquarters destined for the Kremlin Palace in Moscow, with another truckload off to the Paris Opera Ballet. For Kent based British Harlequin plc it was just another week manufacturing and delivering dance floor systems to all parts of the globe. Established thirty five years ago the company has built an enviable reputation as manufacturers of the best dance floors in the world. Top class dancers insist on a Harlequin floor. Leading ballet companies in London, New York, Moscow, Paris, Beijing and Sydney, to list but a few, would install nothing else. Harlequin’s floors are used in theatres, performing arts centres, on board cruise liners and in opera houses. But you will also find a Harlequin dance floor in many private dance schools, in fact anywhere that teaches dance. And it is not just classical ballet that Harlequin supplies. Recently top hip-hop dance company, Boy Blue Entertainment were at Harlequin’s Tunbridge Wells facility putting a newly developed floor through its paces. This close relationship with dancers holds the key to why their floors are in such demand. For dancers, the characteristics of the floor are critical – too slippery and they risk falling. But dance floors also need sufficient ‘spring’ to reduce the occurrence of stress related, career-changing injury. Harlequin has invested generously into independent research that examines the relationship between dancer injuries and floor quality, as well as donating financially to dancer specific clinics set up to provide the right treatment regime for injured dancers. Against this background of close contact with the dance community and acts of related philanthropy it comes as no surprise that Paris Opera Ballet, the oldest national ballet company in the world, founded in 1661 by Louis XIV, is taking delivery of almost 1,500m2 of Harlequin sprung floor. Meanwhile heading for the Kremlin in the Russian Federation is another 524 m2 of flooring for the Bolshoi Ballet to perform on. Company founder, Robert Dagger said,” “When I launched the company in England thirty five years ago, I aimed at designing floors for theatre and dance using new, advanced materials. I am delighted that today, nearly all of the world’s most prestigious dance companies, along with many of the world’s largest venues, recognise the advantages of Harlequin floors; fewer injury risks and improvement of artists’ trust in the floor. These two shipments to Russia and Paris are testimony to Harlequin’s reputation as global leaders in dance floor technology.”