Spiking a Dance Floor

[Emilyann5]

I'm stage managing a musical theatre workshop at school and I need to tape down numbers so that they are able to find center. But I know there was a rule about not using spike tape on a dance floor, but I cant remember what tape you're supposed to use. Help?

Thanks!

[loebtmc]

try paper/painters tape

[Emilyann5]

Thank you!

[MatthewShiner]

BUT check with your production manager as they may have a method or tape they want you to use.

[loebtmc]

what he said

WWMSD, right?

[iamchristuffin]

I'm stage managing a musical theatre workshop at school and I need to tape down numbers so that they are able to find center. But I know there was a rule about not using spike tape on a dance floor, but I cant remember what tape you're supposed to use. Help?

Thanks!

Can I ask why? I often use LX (PVC) tape instead of spike tape, but I've never had a problem using it on dance floors.

Chris

[MatthewShiner]

I have found venues being very protective over dance floor for a variety of reasons.  Dance floor is expensive, and some tapes leave a residue or take up what ever is on the dance floor.  And even if there are certain tapes or taping methods that can leave the floor damage free, certain venue managers still have issue and being very protective - if you ever work at New 42 studios, you aren't allow to spike with red spike tape.  There you go.

It's best to express your needs and ask what their recommendation method is.

[On_Headset]

To build off MS's remarks, the venue staff will also know far better than you what has worked in the past, and this information becomes 10x more useful if you're in a situation with all sorts of exceptions and requirements. ("You can't use spike tape, but you can use painter's tape, but not black painter's tape, except for the downstage half of the room, where only black tape can be used...")

[BayAreaSM]

Since I work in ballet 80% of my year, and granted, the floors belong to our company - we have always used regular spike tape on all of our studio and performance floors. And I can second Matthew's comment about red spike tape. If left for an extended period of time (about 1 month), it does leave a red stain on the marley. However, if it's only laid down for our short runs (1 week at most) it does not.

But yes, as everyone has said, check with your PM or whomever is the owner of said floor before you put anything down.

[cprted]

These days I spend most of my theatre time touring with a Ballet company.  I use 1/2" paper artists tape for spikes and will cover them with clear marley tape if we're going to be in a venue for more than 2-3 days.

A very helpful house tech once covered my spikes with scotch packing tape ... that was a job and a half to remove after 10 days of shows/rehearsal... thankfully, it wasn't my floor!

[iekikalynn]

I work for a big ballet company and we too use PVC tape, not spike.  I think because it lays smoother and there's no ridge or rough spot to interfere for the dancers. Not that spike tape is a huge obstacle, but PVC is a little closer to the marley texture, it's smoother, pulls up easy, and does ball up when slid over like spike does often.

[themikejones]

I'm doing a large dance show right now so I thought I'd throw in my 2 cents.  We use 3M color vinyl electrical tape for lines & spikes.  Then we clear tape on top of that with clear vinyl dance floor tape.   For the dance numbers & letters we special order vinyl numbers-- but you can pick up something similar at a craft store. Here are some links.

3M vinyl electrical tape: http://www.all-spec.com/products/165-102.html?gclid=CKHjof2H-qsCFQor7AodHQR9pA
Dance floor tape: http://www.thetapeworks.com/tape/index.php?cPath=25_58 
Vinyl Numbers/Letters: http://www.amazon.com/Permanent-Adhesive-Vinyl-Letters-Numbers/dp/B002Y2NYJG

But I second what others have said about checking with whoever is in charge of the space to see what they allow on their deck. 

[BayAreaSM]

I say, I must work for the strangest company ever. While we do use plain old spike tape for our marks, if we try to cover them with vinyl dance floor tape, our ballet dancers complain that it makes the floor slick. Though we also use gaffers tape to tape our marley seams - as our dancers claim that the vinyl dance floor tape is also too slick.

Guess my ballet dancers are just different.

[ambrosialx]

I as well work primarily in dance, ballet, and contemporary and we've always used cloth spike, to keep it from peeling I usually cover it with clear hockey tape which doesn't leave a residue and is nice and thick

[ambrosialx]

if they are going to be pulled up and used in different spaces (or if you are sharing a space and have to remove spikes during hte week or something) laminate your spikes and then cover with clear tape such as hockey tape!