Aerobic Dance Flooring - Commack Jazzercise Testimonial

Related Product: Martial Arts Karate Mat Premium 1 Inch x 1x1 Meter

When Suzanne Thelian took over a 30-year-old Jazzercise business in Commack, New York, she knew that having the right flooring was a critical component to the health and happiness of both herself and her clients.

Commack Jazzercise, which began in a portion of the Commack bowling alley, spent a couple of years about a mile away. But when Thelian took ownership from the previous owner in November of 2017, she moved it back to its original location and realized there was a lot of work to be done.

The Flooring Dilemma

The carpeted floor that had served as the dance floor for many years was in need of repair and cleaning if it was to be used again. But when the cleaning quote came back at approximately $1,800, Thelian began exploring other options.

''In this business, your flooring and your music are your business,'' she said. ''I'd rather put the money into flooring.''

One option was to purchase the old wood laminate flooring and aerobic padding underlayment from the previous location, relocate it, and purchase some extra to complete her floor. But that wasn't high on her list of favorite plans.

''It was beautiful, but the thought of moving it didn't appeal to me,'' Thelian said of the laminate floor. ''I had also heard, after the fact, that the students weren't actually happy with the floor.''

A second option was trying out rolled rubber, which she had danced on while doing some classes at a dance studio. Yet it still wasn't quite the right fit for what she was looking for.

A third option that looked more appealing to her was Greatmats Martial Arts Karate Mat tiles. She had heard about them from other Jazzercise franchise owners and had seen some demos performed on the flooring where they talked about the Greatmats floor. So she called Greatmats and spoke with Angie, who informed her to check out Greatmats' warehouse clearance page, which happened to have some of the exact aerobic flooring tiles that she was looking for.

While the wood grain pattern was a bit blurry around the edges, Thelian thought, ''Nobody's even going to notice and it was half the price.''

Making the Leap

Convinced she'd found the right solution, Thelian opted to purchase more than 2,300 square feet of the clearance aerobic tiles. ''Something that was going to cost me $6,000 ended up costing me $3,000 with shipping,'' she said. ''It kind of worked out perfect. It's an investment, and I'll be honest - I happen to really love it. The students love it. My husband installed it, and I helped a little bit. It's just like putting a puzzle together. It was so simple. He did the cutting around the edges and around the stage and all that.''

She and her husband were able to get the flooring down quickly, which was important since she had just a few days between laying the floor and her opening.

''I've been an instructor for 7.5 years and took class for 3 years prior,'' the 50-year-old Jazzercise veteran said. ''I've danced on all different kinds of flooring, from carpet to laminate, and wood and rolled rubber. This, I have to say, is by far my favorite.''

''When I danced on a wood laminate floor, I felt like I had to do my movements very small because I was afraid I was going to fall,'' she added. That has not been a problem with her new Jazzercise flooring.

''I do feel moisture on the floor (when it's humid), but it doesn't feel slippery,'' Thelian said. ''It feels good on my back. Jazzercise can be a very high impact exercise and it's not bothering me on my back or my legs or anything.''

Her flooring choice has also been a popular one with her students. ''They didn't like the laminate flooring,'' she said. ''They felt like it was very hard on their knees and they are finding that they are really liking this floor much better. ... I was relieved that I made the decision to purchase the Greatmats floor.''

As for her Greatmats purchasing experience, Thelian said, ''Angie was really great - really helpful. She was very responsive. There was nothing that I ever had a problem with or that she couldn't answer right away. It's nice to have that knowledgeable person on the phone helping you out.''

Suzanne Thelian

Commack Jazzercize

Commack NY 11725