We are encouraging the government of Jersey to purchase a modular sprung floor that can be installed in any theatre on the island, or in any large, level area, for the benefit of Jersey's extensive dance community.  

Sprung floors offer support for dancer’s joints and muscles, and return some of the energy from leaps and jumps which can reduce fatigue in the legs. Without this support, sharp movements can cause stress to the feet, ankles and legs which over time can evolve into more serious injuries that could impact a dancer’s ability to perform. Just as an expensive racehorse would never be permitted to run on concrete, it is a basic principle of health and safety that a dancer must never be allowed to rehearse or perform for an extended period on a hard floor.  

This is not only a concern for professional dancers; young dance students with soft bones and muscles that have not fully developed to protect their joints can be at an even greater risk.  Stress injuries like shin splints, lumbar strain, achilles tendonitis, prolapsed discs, stress fractures, knee pain, and worsening of arthritis symptoms are all attributed to the impact of working on rigid flooring and can cause long-lasting effects on health and well-being.   

Given the large number of dance schools, dramatics clubs, competitions, and venues who would benefit from having this resource available to them, we would like to petition our government to prioritise the purchase of a modular sprung floor for shared use by the island's dancers.  Particularly in wake of the launch of the new Arts Strategy, this would play an exciting and vital role in activating new creative spaces for dance.  Moreover, it will be a well-earned improvement to the working conditions of our local dancers who are already accomplishing so much.