Correct temperature for professional dance

[GRisdale]

Does anyone know what guidelines/regs exist to specify what the ideal/minimum temperature should be on stage for professional dance performance? I'm pretty sure there is one (there should be) but am interested to know if anyone has a specific figure and where it came from...

 

Many thanks,

Gareth.

[GridGirl]

The Royal New Zealand Ballet specific that all backstage areas including stage house should be heated to a minimum of 20 degrees Celsius (here). I've seen other statements to a similar effect on other ballet companies' riders.

[ocfe]

According to Technical Standards for Places of Entertainment, the recomended design temperature for Stages used for Dance is 21ºC. Page F28.

It ialso states that "It is desirable that all spaces, including dresing rooms, toilets, stages and interconnecting corridors used by performers, especially dancers, are warm and kept at a constant temperature in order to reduce the risk of muscular injuries.

 

Hope that helps.

[GRisdale]

Thanks for that - just what I needed.

[stephenh]

I realise this is an old threat, but does anyone have pointers to guidance for an appropriate temperature for dancers working in skins (in this case full-body fur costumes)?

[adam2]

I realise this is an old threat, but does anyone have pointers to guidance for an appropriate temperature for dancers working in skins (in this case full-body fur costumes)?

 

I suspect that the application is too unusual for much guidance to exist. Commonsense would suggest that the changing room should be reasonably warm as persons changing are undressed. The actual performance area would probably be better fairly cold in view of the insulating properties of the "fur" costumes.

[the kid]

I realise this is an old threat, but does anyone have pointers to guidance for an appropriate temperature for dancers working in skins (in this case full-body fur costumes)?

 

There is Angelina Ballerina that I know of that ENB did back in 2009 - to me those were costumes, it was a padded leotard (to get the mouse look on the legs) + a body suit + costume, and a massive mouse head. I imagine ENB will have some advice as im sure they have other shows that need crazy big costumes.

[ImagineerTom]

There are too many variables for anyone else's answers to be relervent to your specific case - the quality (and style) of skins costume varies wildly, the health and fitness of the performer inside has a huge impact, whether a secondary cooling system is used, the types of movement actually undertaken, the local temperature and humidity all play a significant part. I've seen inexperienced skins performers in state of the art costumes dripping with sweat and physically exhausted after 20mins of meet-n-greet but I've also seen professional experienced skins performers do 45min epic dance routines outdoors in the florida sun 3 times a day without problem. 2 stage crew coaxed in to playing the pantomime horse will be exhausted and sweating after 10 mins onstage but disney-on-ice performers will skate for an hour non-stop wearing much more dense costumes for two performances a night.