Okay, here’s my blog post about setting up that portable wooden dance floor:

Alright, so I’ve been wanting a decent practice space for, like, ever. My apartment floor is, shall we say, less than ideal for any serious dancing. Too much slipping, not enough sliding, you know? I finally decided to bite the bullet and get one of those portable wooden floors. I went with the “keel dancing hard” one because it seemed pretty sturdy and, well, portable.

Unboxing and First Impressions

The whole thing arrived in this surprisingly compact box. I was a little worried at first, thinking, “No way a whole dance floor is in there!” But yeah, it was all neatly packed. Lots of individual wooden tiles, and these kinda rubbery connector things (the “keel” part, I guess?).

I laid everything out on my living room floor – took up a good chunk of space, naturally. The wood itself looked pretty good, nice and smooth, no splinters or anything scary like that. The connectors felt… interesting. Kind of like giant, squishy puzzle pieces.

The Assembly Process (aka “The Workout”)

Okay, this is where the “hard” part of “keel dancing hard” comes in. It wasn’t technically difficult, but it was definitely a workout. It’s all about lining up these little grooves on the tiles and then using those rubber connectors to, well, connect them.

• Step 1: Lay out the first row of tiles. This is crucial, get this row straight!
• Step 2: Start attaching the connectors to one side of the tiles. They kinda “pop” in, but you gotta use some force.
• Step 3: Line up the next row of tiles and, this is the tricky part, you have to kinda slam them down onto the connectors. I used a rubber mallet (wrapped in a towel, didn’t want to scratch the wood!) to get them really snug.
• Step 4: Repeat, repeat, repeat. Until you have a floor!

Seriously, I was sweating by the end. It took me a good couple of hours, and my hands were definitely feeling it. But, seeing that growing square of beautiful, smooth wood was pretty motivating.

The Finished Product (and Dance Test!)

Finally, I had a dance floor! It was surprisingly solid. No wobbling, no shifting, even when I did some, uh, enthusiastic moves. The surface was great – good grip, but still smooth enough for turns and slides. Way better than my apartment floor, that’s for sure.

I spent a good hour just messing around, trying out different steps, and generally enjoying having a proper space to dance. It felt amazing! My spins were smoother, my footwork felt more secure, and my dog final stop stop barking at me.

Portability Test

The next day, I decided to test the “portable” part. Taking it apart was definitely easier than putting it together. The connectors popped off with a bit of wiggling and pulling. I stacked the tiles and connectors back in the box, and it all fit (though it was heavier than I expected!).

I wouldn’t want to be moving this thing every day, but for occasional use – taking it to a friend’s place, or maybe a workshop – it’s definitely doable. It’s more “transportable” than truly “portable,” if that makes sense.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I’m pretty happy with this “keel dancing hard” portable wooden floor. It’s a solid, good-quality surface for dancing. The assembly is a bit of a workout, but the end result is worth it. And while it’s not exactly feather-light, it’s manageable enough to move around when needed. If you’re looking for a practice space and don’t want to commit to a permanent installation, this is definitely something to consider.