Dot2Dance

4.5 Stars

Summary

Excellent tool for serious dancers. It’s a tad pricey, but worth the investment to be able to practice on a safe, consistent surface similar to the floor of a typical dance studio.

I like to dance at clubs, or get my groove on with a game of Just Dance 2017 on the Xbox One. Neither of those things requires me to do any fouette turns or triple pirouette’s, though, so the type and quality of the floor don’t matter much. My daughter, however, dances competitively (and much more gracefully than me), so it helps to be able to practice on a smooth, consistent surface similar to what she typically uses in the dance studio. That’s where the Dot2Dance comes in.

Form

The Dot2Dance is a basically a circular, portable dance floor. Regardless of the size, it is portable, relatively lightweight, and easy to store or transport.

It has a non-slip surface on the back, while the front or top is composed of genuine “Marley” dance flooring. The Dance2Dot is less than a half-inch thick, and has tapered edges for safety. One thing that stands out about the Dance2Dot compared to similar portable dance surfaces is that it has no visible staples so it won’t scratch the floor beneath it or snag on your dancer’s wardrobe.

The Dance2Dot is available from Dazzle Distributors in four different sizes. The Point (16-inch circle), Petite (24-inch circle), Grande (32-inch circle), and Enorme (48-inch circle). The price ranges from just under $70 for the Point to $350 for the Enorme, and the Dance2Dot can be personalized with a custom name and symbol.

Function

We have hardwood flooring and tile downstairs, which seems “smooth” from my novice perspective. The reality is, however, that it has ridges and grooves and it’s simply not the same as the surface available in the dance studio. The Dance2Dot provides my daughter with a surface that’s consistent with the dance studio so she can practice her turns in a safe way and easily apply that practice when she’s learning and rehearsing in the studio.

For those who have carpeted floors, something like the Dance2Dot would obviously be even more important. The nice thing is that it is thin and relatively light and has a handle, so you can also take it outside and have a dance floor surface in the grass at the park, or even in the snow if you’re so inclined. Practice turns in the backyard, or wherever you like.

The smooth surface works well to allow my daughter to practice advanced turns. It also has a good, solid sound for practicing tap—which I don’t really want scuffing up my hardwood floors anyway. I’ve seen some of the other turning board options with staples, so I also greatly appreciate that it the Dance2Dot doesn’t have exposed staples on the back to scratch my floor.

The Verdict

My daughter has the Grande size. At 32 inches across it’s a reasonable surface—especially for a relatively petite 11 year old. At $150 and less than 12 pounds, the Grande is really the best value in my opinion. The Enorme sounds like a good idea, but the 48-inch surface is more than double both the weight and cost of the Grande. If you want something that’s exceptionally portable, the Point might make the most sense at 16 inches and less than two pounds.

The Dance2Dot isn’t cheap. Casual or recreational dancers might not get enough value out of it to justify the investment. For dancers who dance multiple hours and days per week, or dance competitively or professionally, though, the Dance2Dot is a great tool to have available.