Advice on building a small dance studio on the cheap?

You just need to give your husband backrubs. I’m sure he’ll make it happen for you.

Circuit City recently filed bankruptcy so you might be able to get a deal on a sound system from them.

Linens N More did the same so check them out for dark curtains.

Build the dance floor yourself (or if you have any tool-handy students or relatives get them to help). When our teacher needed a new karate dojo we all got together, laid 2 by 4’s, covered them with tongue-and-groove wood flooring, rented a sander, and did the sanding and polyurethane finishing ourselves.

Check out Craig’s List and freecycle in your area for any of the above (including an inexpensive handyman if you need help building the floor) and the mirror, or simply save up all your cash until you can afford a mirror. If you can stand slight distortion you could use 12×12 mirror tiles or plexiglass mirror panels until you can afford something better.

Good luck!

This is a great question because someday I’d like to build my own studio. Anyone got more specific advice on how to do a springboard floor?

Darwin’s advice seems pretty good.

You want to avoid floors sold as “dance floors”, obviously. They jack up the price horrendously because it’s sold as a specialty. Try to find someone who knows what the floor is made of and make a similar one. Check out the floors of local studios and (slyly) ask where they got their floors.

Floors are priority, IMO. You can have bad mirrors and bad sound (you can even use a cheap boombox until you have money for something nicer), but a dancer needs to be comfortable on the floor they dance on. Treat the feet right.

What are the curtains for? Room separation?

Good luck! Please keep us informed on the project – I plan to do the same, one day.

I suggest you talk to some people who have done this, and get their input, as well. The ideal mentor would be someone who has retired from it and would love to share.

I would install special cork under the wood floor… it’s relatively cheap… as for the sound system… go to craigs list and get used equipment.. get three or four small ‘satellite’ and a sub-woofer. Sounds like fun… good luck!