Ballet Barres

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Alvas Ballet Barres

Price range: $68.00 through $832.00

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“As a professional Classical Ballet Dancer, our shoes are everything! Beyond that, no matter how incredible the fit and comfort of the shoe, the floor we dance on is our world! Having grown up in San Pedro, California, and relying on Alvas for all of my dance gear, it couldn’t be more fitting that as a soloist with a world renowned ballet company, I would end up falling in love with their Floating Subfloors. A floor that has give when I land from jumps, and a surface that allows you to be daring, is a necessity. Alvas flooring provides both. Alvas has reliable products that I have always been able to count on.”

Misty Copeland, Classical Ballet Dancer

“As the creator of ‘Cardio Barre’, I only want the best for my clients. When you want the best, you go to Alvas”

Cardio Barre, Cardio Barre

“We can’t say enough great things about Alvas and their customer service! Not only is the quality of their Ballet Barres exceptional, but their customer service is top-notch. They respond quickly and are very organized. Alvas is the recommended Ballet Barre supplier to our instructors around the world. Thanks Alvas!”

Piloxing Barre, Piloxing Academy LLC

“We’ve used Alvas products since we started. The flexibility of studio configurations that the mirrors allow has been essential for us, and Matlay has served us well through many, many hours of rehearsals and performances. The barres are light, and can be conveniently broken down for transport, and the subfloor is beautifully balanced for shock absorption. Alvas is also a great supporter of dance in Southern California, and has excellent customer service. More than once I’ve been choreographing a commercial, and the production team has discovered they need a better floor. I’ve been amazed at how their guys get to the set and lay a floor.”

Lincoln Jones, American Contemporary Ballet

“At Master Ballet Academy, we are pleased to use Alvas Marlay dance flooring and their durable and adjustable ballet barres. At our world-recognized studio, Alvas’ products are a perfect and safe fit for our elite training. The Alvas products we have used have helped us effectively train and advance our students and we are grateful for their reliable service.”

Slawomir and Irena Wozniak, Master Ballet Academy

“Alvas has made a huge contribution with their state-of-the-art floors to studios and professional stages around the world. They graciously laid the floors for some of our most significant events. We have been loyal customers for over 25 years, and we highly recommend their products and services.”

Cindy Bradley, San Pedro City Ballet

Barre Diameter

The diameter for Alvas wood ballet barres are 1-7/8”, + or – 1/8”. Wood will not be perfectly round.

Barre Finish

Alvas ballet barres are hand-sanded smooth and ready to use.

Every square inch of our wood barres is inspected by hand. Splits, cracks and checks are cut out leaving beautiful straight grain lumber of the highest quality. Our barres are then sanded smooth and ready to use if the paint coating is not desired.

Adding a clear coat finish may be done, but is unnecessary. As the wood barre is used, the natural oils from hands cures the barre and give the barres a hand-rubbed look that is traditional and often preferred.

Our wood barres arrive ready to be stained, lacquered or painted, if desired. Some people paint a clear coat (or stain and then add a clear coat) on wood barres to achieve and maintain a look. If you choose to paint them, it should be done immediately after taking the barre out of the cardboard tube since the wood will be sanded and clean.

Barre Height

Traditionally, a ballet barre should be approximately waist height of the user.

However, the following statistics are very popular:

Single Barre Height*: 32” – 46” from floor (waist level)
Double Barre Height*: 32” – 34” lower barre; 44” – 46” from the floor for upper barre
Distance from Wall to Barre:
- Inside = 7-1/4” (approx)
- Outside = 9” (approx)

* “Barre height” is the distance (height) between the floor and the barre, or more simply, how high your barre is off of the ground.

Barre Height Adjustment

“Barre height” is the distance (height) between the floor and the barre, or more simply, how high your barre is off of the ground.

With any of Alvas Wall Mount Ballet Barre Adjustable Brackets, Alvas Freestanding Ballet Barre Frames or Alvas Floor Mount Stanchion, the height of your barre(s) can be adjusted – without uninstalling the Extension Units.

How to adjust the height of your ballet barre:

Grab the Barre next to where the Extension shoulders touch the wood.
Give the Barre an up and down wiggle, as needed, while loosening or tightening the Wingnut.
Then slide the Extension up or down the Channel to your desired height, and re-tighten the Wingnut.

Pro Tip:

The Extension Units can also be made so they do not adjust by hand by replacing the Large Wingnut with a Hex Nut on the Extension. Alvas Hex Nuts are perfect if you prefer to not have barre heights adjustable since the barres can be made “fixed” with this simple hex nut. The barre height can still be adjustable at a later time of your preference, but will prevent the public (or children) from adjusting the barre height indiscriminately.

Barre Length Tolerance

Barre Length Tolerance: +/- 1/8″

Barre Warp Tolerance

Perfect straightness is difficult to obtain in a natural product like wood.

Step 1: Sight down barre to determine apex of the warp.

Step 2: Center the 4’ level on the apex and secure the level to the barre (using tape, tie, etc) as shown in the diagram.

Step 3: Attempt to slide the 3/16” drill bit into the gap.

Step 4: If the drill bit slides freely and completely through the gap, then the barre is beyond our warp tolerance. Immediately call Alvas for return instructions.

Cleaning Barres – Necessary or Unnecessary

Like most items that receive heavy use we recommend cleaning your ballet barres daily. You can clean them with an all-natural wood cleaner such as, Seventh Generation, Honest, or Method. Simply spray the cloth with the cleaning product and wipe down the barre the same way you would clean a table. If you prefer to use cleaning wipes that is okay too!

Don’t worry about drying out your barres. During use, the natural oils from hands will create a warm patina around the barre helping prevent the barres from drying out.

Cleaning Glassless Mirrors

Before attempting to clean the glassless mirror, use compressed air (i.e. Dust Off®, which can be found in most photographic or office supply stores) to make sure all dust and debris are off the mirror.

Water Spots:
Use an optical grade 100% cotton cleaning cloth (no lint) and a window cleaner (i.e. Windex®). Apply Windex® to cloth until cloth is damp (saturated, but not dripping). Clean the mirror in one direction, then wipe using a fresh part of the cloth after each pass.

Handle by holding along edges only. (When holding the mirror along the edge, do not press down on the mirror surface with your finger nails.) Do not put any weight or object on the mirror surface in any position.

Video Demo:

Cleaning Matlay & Marlay “Marley” Dance Floors

Regular cleaning is necessary for safety precautions and to prolong the life of your dance floor. Alvas recommends sweeping your dance floor daily with a clean, dry dust mop. Thorough cleaning should be done regularly (weekly), but may need to be done more or less frequently depending on usage. Alvas also offers a Matlay/Marlay cleaning and re-taping service. Contact us for more information.

Thorough Cleaning Instructions:
Supplies Needed for Cleaning

Clean, Dry Dust Mop
Clean Mop
Clean Mop Bucket
Distilled White Vinegar
Hot Water (As hot as you can get it)

Instructions

Thoroughly sweep the Matlay/Marlay dance floor with a clean dust mop prior to mopping the floor.
Fill the mop bucket with three parts hot water and one part distilled white vinegar. You do not need to fill the bucket up all the way, however the ratio of 75% water and 25% distilled white vinegar should remain the same.
Apply intense force while mopping to remove the body oils and dirt. (Remember that body oils and dirt have been ground into the Matlay/Marlay with countless hours of dancing. Barefoot dancing compound this situation)
Ensure the mixture you are using is hot and clean, which means you may need to change out the bucket multiple times while cleaning the Matlay/Marlay. If you mop with dirty and/or cool water, you will just be spreading the dirt and oils around the floor. You will need to cut the oil with hot water and vinegar to get it up and off the floor. When the bucket water stays clear then all the oil is off the floor.

COVID-19 AMENDMENT:
Adding one-part bleach and one-part hot water can be used to clean Matlay/Marlay. Be sure to follow the recommended cleaning instructions using the hot water and vinegar mixture right after.

Note: Alvas cannot guarantee any cleaning will prevent the spread of any viruses.

Tap Dancing on Marley

Yes, you can tap dance on Marley. The sound is virtually the same- Possibly losing some high frequencies only.

The oxidation from Aluminum Taps does leave marks on the floor. Other than that, The answer is absolutely yes, you may tap on Marley.

Dancing on Unsprung Surfaces

Dancing on a surface without a FloatFloor® Shock Absorbing Subfloor is hard on the body and may hurt dancers. The chronic “hammering” of the body against a hard surface takes a toll on joints, tendons and bones. Overtime, this can lead to stress fractures, or shin splints. For this reason, it is highly recommended to use a floating subfloor.

FloatFloor® Shock Absorbing Subfloor Recommended Plywood

FloatFloor® Shock Absorbing Subfloor is designed to use 9-Lamination 5′ x 5′ x 1/2″ Baltic Birch Plywood Sheets.

This plywood is not common but can be obtained locally. If you have trouble finding it locally please contact us as we are stocking distributors and supply in Southern California with this material.

The 9-crisscross laminations within the plywood makes it very stiff, allowing it to flex both ways evenly.
This specific plywood has better integrity and will not delaminate. Regular types of plywood flex unevenly and the layers can become delaminated.
Alvas has incorporated 5’ x 5’ dimension plywood in this DIY design as it is cheaper per square foot than any other configuration (like 4’ x 8’).

Any variation from the Alvas DIY Instructions (included in the FloatFloor® Shock Absorbing Subfloor Starter Kit) will invalidate Alvas warranty.

How To Remove a Wrinkle From a Glassless Mirror

A heat gun can be used to remove wrinkles from the glassless mirror. Very carefully, hold heat gun at 4’’ or more away from the mirror. Move in a circular fashion, working towards outside edge. Always keep the heat gun moving in order to avoid burning the mirror film.

Indoor & Outdoor Use of Matlay or Marlay Dance Floors

On an indoor surface, any color of Alvas Matlay or Alvas Marlay is suitable. However, the surface should be shaded and kept out of direct sunlight as much as possible. Vinyl dance floors cannot be installed nor used in direct sunlight.

On an outdoor surface, because of the heat of the sun, only the white side up of the white/black Matlay floor may be used. The gray and black floor gets too hot in the sun and can cause burns, making it unsafe to use.

Keep in mind possible inclement weather, as this could cause safety concerns as well. Sweat, any kind of humidity or moisture can cause a slippery surface. If it gets wet, it must be dried off.

Marley | Matlay | Marlay – The Difference

Marley

A generic term used for PVC Vinyl dance flooring, usually called “Marley” or “Marley-type” dance floors.
Many companies have their own version of PVC Vinyl floors, often calling it by different names.

Matlay®

Alvas brand (or version) of PVC Vinyl dance floor that is typically used for dance or other multi-purpose use.
Installation Type: Semi-Permanent or Portable with tape-down installation.
Matlay® is thinner than Marlay®.
Matlay® is reversible.

Marlay®

Alvas brand (or version) of PVC Vinyl dance floor that is typically used for dance or other multi-purpose use.
Installation Type: Permanent with welded seam installation.
Marlay® is thicker than Matlay®.

Marlay Dance Floor Installation – Tape Down Or Welding

If Alvas Marlay is installed as a dance floor with tape (tape down), the Marlay may not be able to be welded later unless the taped parts are cleaned or cut and removed.

Welding of pvc vinyl can get particular. Welded edges must be clean and free of contamination (example: tape residue, etc). The seams must also be cut perfectly with no gaps. Therefore welding fresh, new material on a clean floor is always advised. Welding used material can propose negative outcomes.

A professional pvc-vinyl welder can advise.

Matlay® & Marlay® Recycle Program – Going Green

We will pick up your old “marley” and re-purpose it in a green way, then sell you new Alvas Matlay® or Alvas Marlay® at 10% off *

Alvas has years of experience in building dance studios. Most of them utilize a material called “marley” for creating dance surface texture and we’ve learned that old “marley” flooring can find new life as an economical and effective sound barrier.

If you plan to replace your “marley” flooring, think “green” and contact us about recycling options. Not only will we pick up your old “marley” flooring, we will sell you new Matlay®/Marlay® at 10% discount.

* Matlay®/Marlay® will need to be rolled and in a box or cardboard tube. If it’s located in the local Los Angeles or Orange County area, we will pick it up.

Painting FloatFloor® Shock Absorbing Subfloor

If desired the FloatFloor® Shock Absorbing Subfloor can be painted. (Please note painting is not necessary if you decide to use a marley-type surface covering)

Alvas recommends using a water-based polyurethane or equivalent paint.

Painting Matlay or Marlay

YES, Alvas Matlay and Alvas Marlay can be painted, if one of 3 types of paint are used:

Standard Stage Paint: It’s water based and can wash off after use. It’s not a good choice if you will be rolling it up as peeling and flaking may occur.
PVC Paint: It’s more permanent. Try the paint in a small area first, to see if it is the color and look that you are trying to achieve.
Car Enamel: It’s very permanent. (Acrylic)

For information on application, drying time, etc, consult a paint supplier or theatrical supply company.

Removing Tape Residue From Dance Floors

Follow these simple steps to remove tape reside from Alvas dance floors:

Thoroughly sweep Alvas Matlay/Marlay dance floor with a clean dust mop.
Dab denatured alcohol onto a clean cotton cloth until a portion of the cloth becomes saturated.
Rub the saturated cloth onto affected area (with the tape residue) in a back and forth motion until the residue is gone.

If the residue still has not been removed even after following the above instructions:

Dab turpentine onto a clean cotton cloth until a portion of the cloth becomes saturated.
Rub the saturated cloth onto affected area (with the tape residue) in a back and forth motion until the residue is gone.
Once the residue is removed, rub the affected area again with denatured alcohol (same procedure). The denatured alcohol will remove the slippery residue that turpentine will leave behind.

Alvas also offers a Matlay/Marlay cleaning and re-taping service. Contact us for more information.

Rosin & Wood vs Vinyl/Marley-Type Dance Floors

Rosin has worked well for many years for dancing on hardwood floors. In the past, people even sprayed Coca-Cola, or anything sticky, if the dance floor was too slippery. Today, most dancers are choosing vinyl because it’s easier to maintain that moderate surface texture (not too slippery and not too sticky).

Some people are unaware that when dancing on hardwood floors, they’re not really dancing on hardwood. They’re dancing on paint that has been put on the wood to protect and preserve it. The old oil-based varnish inherently had a bit of sticky surface itself and when rosin gets together with that it can form spots that are too sticky at times- and then add sweat or body oils to it and it can easily become slippery as well. Vinyl has moderated this issue and that’s one of the reasons it has become so prevalent and popular.

Using rosin on vinyl will work temporarily to give a stickier surface, however it may ruin the dance floor surface for future. It’s very hard to get the rosin residue off the vinyl, but it can be done if the vinyl is cleaned and maintained properly. See also Alvas Matlay/Marlay Cleaning Instructions.

Samples of Barre Wood

Customer satisfaction is important to us. One way we demonstrate this is by sending product samples to ones who are interested in seeing the product before purchasing it. Contact us for details.

We also have a showroom in which our local customers may see our products in a larger scale. If you would like to visit our showroom, please contact us for an appointment.

Barre Wood Samples

Upon request, we will provide free ballet barre wood samples of Alvas Maple, Oak and Poplar wood. Contact us for more information. When contacting us, please provide the full mailing address, whose attention we should mail it to and which samples you would like.

Samples of Dance Floors

Customer satisfaction is important to us. One way we demonstrate this is by sending product samples to ones who are interested in seeing the product before purchasing it.

We also have a showroom in which our local customers may see our products in a larger scale. If you would like to visit our showroom, please contact us for an appointment.

Dance Floor Samples

Upon request, we will provide free dance floor samples of Alvas Matlay and Alvas Marlay as well as the Birch Plywood specified for the FloatFloor® Shock Absorbing Subfloor. Contact us for more information. When contacting us, please provide the full mailing address, whose attention we should mail it to and which samples you would like.

Samples of Glassless Mirrors

Customer satisfaction is important to us. One way we demonstrate this is by sending product samples to ones who are interested in seeing the product before purchasing it.

We also have a showroom in which our local customers may see our products in a larger scale. If you would like to visit our showroom, please contact us for an appointment.

Glassless Mirror Samples

If you are unfamiliar with Glassless Mirrors, we recommend receiving a Glassless Mirror sample before purchasing.

Spacing for Wall Mount Brackets & Floor Mount Stanchions with Custom Ballet Barres

Alvas Custom Ballet Barres are manufactured with the option of no holes or pre-drilled holes, spaced according to the customer’s specifications- Signed Diagram required. Pre-drilled holes are required to attach Alvas ballet barres to our wall mount brackets and floor mount stanchions.

Barre Length Tolerance: +/- 1/8″
Spacing Accuracy Tolerance: +/- 1/8″

Barre Length: 1′ – 16′
Diameter: 1 7/8″, +/- 1/8″
Max Span: 80″
Max Overhang: 20″
Min Overhang: 2″

Spacing for Wall Mount Brackets & Floor Mount Stanchions with Standard Ballet Barres

The holes in Alvas Standard Barres are always separated by multiples of 16” to allow the mounting of every bracket directly into a wall stud- most wood wall studs are 16” apart. (If you are unsure of your stud spacing, we recommend using an electronic wood wall stud finder or consulting a contractor).

Holes are pre-drilled into the barres so that Alvas Fixed Brackets and Extensions* are ready for installation and actually screw into the rear side of the barre. This allows your hand or foot to slide across the barre without hitting the brackets.

* Extensions are used on Wall Mount Adjustable Brackets, Freestanding Frames and Floor Mount Stanchions.

Barre Length Tolerance: +/- 1/8″
Spacing Accuracy Tolerance: +/- 1/8″

Bracket Number & Spacing

4’ Barre: 2 brackets spaced 32” apart (8” overhang)
6’ Barre: 2 brackets spaced 48” apart (12” overhang)
7’ 10” Barre: 2 brackets spaced 64” apart (15” overhang)
10’ Barre: 2 brackets spaced 80” apart (20” overhang)
14’ Barre: 3 brackets spaced 64” apart (20” overhang)
16’ Barre: 3 brackets spaced 80” apart (16” overhang)

Storing Matlay & Marlay

Ensure Alvas Matlay and Alvas Marlay is dry, clean of any foreign substances (such as grease, oil, dirt, etc) and all tape is removed before rolling it up for storage. Alvas Matlay/Marlay should be rolled evenly and tightly, and then stored horizontally on an even, flat and smooth surface with no heavy objects on top of it.

Tap Dancing On Vinyl Marley-Type Dance Floors

Yes, you can tap on a marley-type floor. “Marley” has become the prevalent choice of surface for most dance studios. Before choosing whether a marley-type dance floor or hardwood is best for you, here are a few things to consider:

One of the main differences between tap dancing on hardwood vs “marley” is surface texture. Tap dancers love dancing on wood because that’s what they’ve grown accustomed to. However, some people are unaware that when dancing on hardwood floors, they are not really dancing on hardwood. They are dancing on paint that has been put on the wood to help protect and preserve it. While vinyl dance floors may limit the tap dancer’s sliding, each dancer will find that their allowance of movement will change depending on what particular floor covering and shoes are being used. Then the experience of the tap dancer comes in.

Another difference is sound. Vinyl dance floors will take away some of the high frequency pitch in the tap sound but there is so much change in tone from shoe to shoe, studio to studio and theatre to theatre that this very slight difference in tone is not an issue.

Cost should also be considered. Most studios can’t afford a separate room with hardwood floors specifically for tap dancing, so “marley” has become the prevalent surface choice for dance studios.

Tapping on any surface will most likely cause some damage. Since the hard metal on the tap shoes hit the floor with such force, it really comes down to damaging either the shoes, or the floor. This is regardless of what type of floor it is. Many studios will recommend tapping on Matlay dance floors because the cost to replace it is much less than replacing/repairing hardwood floors.

The specific type of floor installed underneath the marley-type dance floor is important because it impacts how much tapping the marley-type vinyl can withstand. Alvas Matlay over a FloatFloor® Shock Absorbing Subfloor will lessen the damage tapping will do.

Helpful tip: Some studios keep a small repair kit in their studios and make it a point to regularly remind students to check that the screws are screwed all the way into their tap shoes before starting class.

Type of Dance Floor Tape Used Matters

The type of dance floor tape you use on your dance floor matters.

Alvas can only personally guarantee the flooring tape we sell. Many companies sell vinyl tape but not all vinyl tape is the same due to the adhesive used. Some adhesives in tape will chemically react to the marley-type flooring (Alvas Matlay/Marlay), ruining the surface of the floor.

Types of Ballet Barre Wood

Alvas carries Maple, Oak and Poplar ballet barre wood.
Alternative types of wood may be special ordered with an additional set up fee.

UL Fire Retardant Glassless Mirrors

Alvas Glassless Mirrors are UL (Fire Retardant) rated for safety:
R7754 Building Units
36 MO

Surface Burning Characteristics
Flame Spread:
Face 15
Back 40
Core 25

Smoke Developed:
Face 85
Back 100
Core 100-45

Other Glassless Mirrors that do not have such ratings should not be placed in public facilities, as they present a fire hazard.

Wood Grain & Coloration

Wood is a natural product so the grain and/or coloration of the wood can vary. Alvas cannot guarantee the grain color you receive.

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