Okay, so I’ve been wanting to create a dedicated space for my dance practice at home. I do a bit of everything – ballet, contemporary, a little bit of street dance when I’m feeling brave – and my regular floor just wasn’t cutting it. I was slipping, it was hard on my joints, and honestly, it just didn’t feel right. So, I started looking into portable dance floors, and that’s when I stumbled upon this “batten dancing hevea portable wooden flooring” thing.

First, I researched. Lots of it. I looked at different materials, sizes, and how easy they were to put together. I didn’t want anything too permanent, because, well, who knows when I’ll rearrange the furniture again? This hevea wood option seemed like a good balance – sturdy, but not impossible to move.

The Unboxing and First Impressions

When the boxes arrived, I was a little intimidated. There were quite a few of them! But I grabbed my tools (just a rubber mallet, really), unpacked everything, and laid it all out. The wood itself looked really nice – a smooth, light finish. It definitely felt like a proper dance floor.

Putting It All Together

The “batten” part of the name refers to the strips of wood that run underneath the main floor panels. These are supposed to provide some spring and support. So, I started by connecting these battens together. They had these little interlocking bits, and you just lined them up and gave them a good whack with the mallet. Honestly, it was pretty satisfying.

• Step 1: Connect the battens.
• Step 2: Lay down the first row of floor panels.
• Step 3: Whack them together! (Seriously, that mallet was my best friend.)
• Step 4: Repeat until the whole floor is done.

It sounds simple because it is.

Once the battens were all linked up, I started laying down the actual floor panels. These also had interlocking edges, and again, it was just a matter of lining them up and smacking them together. It took a bit of time, and my arms definitely got a workout, but it wasn’t difficult. It was like a giant, satisfying puzzle.

The Finished Product (and Dance Test!)

After a couple of hours, I had a beautiful, gleaming dance floor! It felt solid and supportive under my feet. And, of course, I had to test it out immediately. I put on some music, did a few warm-up stretches, and then just… danced.

It was amazing. The difference between this and my old floor was night and day. I could feel the springiness, which was so much easier on my knees. I wasn’t slipping at all, and I just felt so much more confident in my movements.

So, yeah, I’m pretty happy with my new dance floor. It was a bit of a project to put together, but totally worth it. Now I have a dedicated space to practice, and I can already feel myself improving. If you’re a dancer looking for a home practice solution, I’d definitely recommend checking out something like this. Your joints will thank you!