How to Make Your Own Ballet Studio in the Basement

A basement ballet studio is a good investment for aspiring dancers.

An in-home ballet studio allows dancers living in the home to practice daily on a safe floor with good lighting, mirrors, bars and sound. A well designed studio needs a good floor so that the dancer can move easily and safely. Other features of a modern studio include a flat screen TV to play back choreography and even a video camera and a computer system to record movements during practice. Transforming your basement is about making the right choices in materials and design.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• 1/4 inch graph paper
• Pencil
• Tracing paper
• Tape
• Walls
• Bathroom
• Bench
• Mirror
• Dressing table
• Curtain
• Floating subfloor
• Linoleum
• Adhesive
• HVAC systems
• Television
• Media systems
• Speakers
• Lights
• Paint
• Baseboard
• Mirrors
• Bars
• Decor
• Accents
• Supplies

Instructions

1. Measure your basement and transfer the measurements to 1/4 inch graph paper. Note the location of stairs, rooms, doorways, niches, windows and anything already in the space as a fixture. Measure the ceiling height.

2. Place tracing paper over the floor plan and tape it down. Sketch in walls to create the largest rectangular space possible. This will be the main dance space. Adjacent to the dance space should be a dressing room. When possible, the dressing room should be attached to a bathroom.

3. Design a small niche at the back of the room for electrical and recording equipment. Determine the best location for a play-back flat screen television mounted near the ceiling on one wall. The screen can also be mounted behind a mirror wall. Draw mirrors on two adjacent walls and inside the bath and dressing rooms. Add bars on the dance floor mirrors. Note the location of lights and the vents for the heating and air conditioning system. Make several sketches until you have a design you like.

4. Build any walls indicated in your plans. Add any additional features such as a bathroom area and dressing room. The dressing room should have a bench, dressing table and full length mirror along with a curtain-type door.

5. Install a dance-rated "marley type" linoleum floor over a wood subfloor in the dance studio room. If your basement floor is concrete you will need to install plastic over the floor, followed by furring strips at 16 inches on center, followed by 1 inch tongue and groove plywood. Correct an unlevel floor so that the finished floor is perfectly flat. Glue the linoleum to the subfloor using the adhesive recommended by the manufacturer.

6. Install lights in the ceiling so that the space is bright. Attach a flat screen television to the wall connected to a playback system, music and speaker system and recording system. Position speakers in the walls or ceilings for adequate sound. Paint the walls and ceiling white or a pastel color. Add baseboards around the perimeter of all walls. Install mirrors and ballet bars on two adjacent walls.

7. Decorate the mirrors with inspiring words using vinyl letters along the top edge of the mirrors. Hang large ballet posters on the remaining walls for color and inspiration. Position a chilled water and vitamin drink fridge, a large stack of white towels, and a laundry bin along with large fans in a niche to one side. Keep several folding chairs stacked in the niche for guests.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep a large dust mop on hand to easily clean the floor.

References

• Dance Equipment Intl: "Marley" Type Dance Floors
• Stage Step: Dance Floor Systems