At Connor Dance, our mission goes beyond crafting premium performance flooring; it's about supporting the dancers, educators, and creators who bring movement to life. This year, we were honored to sponsor the 2025 Dance Teacher Awards, hosted by Dance Teacher Magazine on October 7 in New York City. The event united dance educators from across the country to celebrate their artistry, mentorship, and lasting impact on the dance community.

Why Connor Dance Chose to Partner

Shared Commitment to High-Performance Spaces
Just as dedicated instructors work tirelessly to develop technique and artistry, we are committed to building flooring systems that support movement, safety, and longevity. Professional dance studios and performance venues require the same attention to impact absorption, control, and consistency that we bring to every Connor Dance system.

Celebrating Educators as Movers and Athletes
Dance is athletic, expressive, and precise. By supporting the Dance Teacher Awards, we honor the educators who train and inspire the next generation while reinforcing our belief that dancers deserve surfaces engineered specifically for their craft.

Strengthening the Performance and Arts Community
As Connor Dance continues to expand into performing-arts centers, studios, theaters, and university programs, this partnership deepens our connection to the individuals who shape dance education and facility standards nationwide.

Highlights from the 2025 Dance Teacher Awards

This year’s awards celebrated four influential educators whose work reaches far beyond the studio:

• Lori Belilove, artistic director of the Isadora Duncan Dance Company, honored for her passionate stewardship of Duncan’s technique and legacy.
• Roger Montoya, co-founder and creative director of Moving Arts Española, recognized for transforming lives in rural New Mexico through creative-arts education and mentorship.
• Dianne Walker, affectionately known as “Aunt Dianne,” celebrated for her nurturing teaching style and lifelong dedication to tap dance’s history and future.
• Sylvia Waters, artistic director emerita of Ailey II, honored for guiding generations of dancers as they transition from student to young professional.

The event created an inspiring space for connection among dance teachers, studio owners, theater directors, and industry partners, exactly the communities Connor Dance is committed to serving. Our presence included branded visuals, social media activation, and direct engagement with honorees and attendees, creating authentic visibility and meaningful conversations with key decision-makers in dance facilities.

What This Means for Dance Facilities

The studio floor matters.
From daily classes to high-stakes performances, flooring impacts artistry, safety, and the longevity of dancers’ careers. A well-designed surface supports everything from delicate bourrées to powerful jumps and extended rehearsals.

Supporting teachers elevates entire programs.
When educators feel valued, schools and studios benefit, often leading to program growth and facility upgrades, including new or improved flooring systems.

Performance and sport are converging.
Many facilities now blend dance, fitness, and multipurpose programming, creating demand for surfaces engineered for versatility, something Connor Dance specializes in through floors designed to handle diverse movement demands.

Relationships drive innovation.
Partnerships like the Dance Teacher Awards allow us to listen directly to educators, studio owners, and arts administrators. Their feedback informs how we design and refine performance-ready flooring solutions.

Looking Ahead with Connor Dance

Our involvement with the 2025 Dance Teacher Awards is just the beginning. In the months ahead, Connor Dance will:

• Continue spotlighting dance educators and their facilities through stories, interviews, and case studies.
• Share educational content about the role of flooring in dancer safety, performance, and comfort.
• Collaborate with studios, theaters, and schools to develop solutions tailored to their specific performance and rehearsal needs.

A Heartfelt Thank You

To the Dance Teacher team; thank you for welcoming Connor Dance into this inspiring community. To the educators celebrated at the 2025 Dance Teacher Awards, and to all dance teachers shaping the next generation: your dedication motivates us to design surfaces worthy of your work.

If you’re a studio owner, director, or arts administrator exploring performance-driven flooring solutions, we’d love to support your next project.

Connor Dance | Performance Elevated

At Connor Dance, we believe the foundation of every performance begins beneath your feet. That’s why we’re proud to share our relationship with world-renowned professional dancer Fabrice Calmels,whose career has inspired dancers across the globe.

Fabrice Calmels: A Force in the Dance World

With years of experience performing on international stages, Fabrice has become a respected voice in the dance community. His artistry and professionalism have influenced countless dancers, while his unwavering commitment to his craft has set the standard for excellence. Whether in ballet, contemporary, or cross-genre collaborations, Fabrice understands the dedication required to perfect movement—and the role the right environment plays in achieving it.

Why the Floor Matters

As Fabrice often emphasizes, dance is not just about the choreography, it’s about the connection between the dancer and the floor. A subfloor built specifically for dance is not a luxury; it is critical. Without the right surface, dancers risk injury, fatigue, and limited expression. Fabrice has seen firsthand how a well-engineered floor gives performers the ability to push boundaries safely while preserving longevity in their careers.

ProForma III: Built for Dancers, Backed by Science

At the heart of Connor Dance’s innovation is ProForma III, our performance dance subfloor. This system was engineered with two key components in mind:

Shock Absorption – Protecting dancers from repetitive impact is essential. ProForma III, provides the right level of give, reducing stress on joints, muscles, and tendons.

Energy Restitution – Just as important, the floor must return energy to the dancer. ProForma III, ensures movements are supported, allowing for powerful leaps, effortless turns, and precise landings.

Together, these elements create a surface that honors the demands of professional dance. As Fabrice notes, when the floor works with the dancer rather than against them, artistry can truly flourish.

Perfecting Your Craft, One Step at a Time

Connor Dance and Fabrice Calmels share a vision: empowering dancers to reach their fullest potential. With ProForma III,, we are proud to provide the foundation where performance, safety, and expression unite. Because when the floor is designed for dance, every step becomes an opportunity to perfect your craft.

A Bold New Chapter on Clark Street

In late 2024, Joel Hall Dancers & Center celebrated a major milestone: the opening of their stunning new studio space at 4511 N. Clark St in Chicago’s vibrant Uptown neighborhood. This state‑of‑the‑art 4,500 sq ft studio features a premium Connor Dance Pro Forma III subfloor topped with Canvas 3.0 mm Marley vinyl, creating a performance-ready surface engineered for Urban Jazz, ballet, contemporary, and street dance.

This flooring combination delivers exceptional shock absorption, consistent response, and durability; exactly what Joel Hall’s dancers need to sustain artistry and agility while minimizing injury risk. It’s a testament to the center’s commitment to world-class training and performance environments.

The Legacy of Joel Hall

Joel Hall, a native of Cabrini-Green, co-founded the Chicago City Theatre Company (later Joel Hall Dancers & Center) in 1974 with Joseph Ehrenberg. With a modern classical fusion he branded as Urban Jazz, Hall has choreographed over 70 ballets that blend jazz, classical, modern, and street styles—earning him national acclaim and international recognition.

Beyond choreography, Hall served as Mayor Harold Washington’s International Ambassador for the Arts, mentored generations of dancers, and earned numerous honors—from Lifetime Achievement awards to having November 21 officially declared Joel Hall Day in Chicago.

A Champion for Dance in Chicago

In April 2025, Hall received the prestigious Dance/USA Champion Award. This honor recognizes organizations or individuals in the host city whose leadership and dedication have significantly advanced their local dance ecosystem. The award applauds Hall’s unwavering support and his lasting impact on the city’s dance landscape, ensuring Chicago’s dance community is healthier, stronger, and inclusive.

What This Studio Means for Chicago

Enhanced training & performance: The resilient subfloor and vinyl finish offer dancers an ideal environment for precision, athleticism, and artistic expression.

Community enrichment: Located in Uptown, this accessible hub promotes affordable, culturally relevant dance education rooted in Black, Brown, and LGBTQIA+ experience.

Brand reinforcement: Partnering with Connor Dance highlights Joel Hall Dancers & Center as a premier, forward-thinking organization equipped for excellence.

The Future of Urban Jazz

With this impressive new home and upgraded facilities, Joel Hall Dancers & Center is poised to:

Strengthen its reputation as a hub for social change through dance, keeping its commitment to diversity, equity, and empowerment

Continue nurturing fellows and student-tutors who will carry the Urban Jazz tradition forward

A Legacy Fitting for a Champion

Joel Hall’s journey; from community-focused choreographer to Chicago dance legend, has culminated in this new studio space, a physical symbol of his enduring impact. The Connor Pro Forma III + Canvas 3.0 setup underscores a commitment to dancer well being, technical excellence, and the transformational power of dance.

This new home on Clark Street isn’t just a studio; it’s a testament to legacy, innovation, and community. It stands ready to elevate the next generation of dancers and amplify Chicago’s global role in the dance world.

When it comes to professional stage flooring, long-term durability, strength, and protection are non-negotiable. The Connor Stage System delivers a next-generation solution for theaters, performing arts centers, live event venues, auditoriums, and multi-purpose performance spaces that demand high-performance stage flooring built for heavy use.

Advanced Surface Durability with Roll Coat Technology

At the core of the Connor Stage System is our surface coat technology; a first-of-its-kind manufacturing process in stage flooring. This proprietary surface finish is engineered directly into the Connor Stage panel to create an extremely durable, long-lasting, and low-maintenance surface.

Key benefits include:

• Superior surface durability designed for continuous daily use.
• Exceptional wear resistance to protect against scuffs, abrasion, and long-term surface degradation.
• Water and moisture resistance that shields the stage panels from spills, humidity, and environmental conditions.
• Scratch resistance to preserve the appearance and integrity of the floor even under demanding production schedules.

Connor Stage panels minimize downtime, lower maintenance costs, and extend the overall life of the stage flooring system.  They are designed to increase installation times, and are easy to remove if severe damage takes place.

Engineered Strength for Heavy Loads and Demanding Applications

Stage flooring must be capable of withstanding the immense demands of professional productions. The Connor Stage System is specifically engineered to handle:

• High point loads from rigging, lifts, and staging equipment.
• Rolling loads from carts, risers, and mobile production gear.
• Sustained structural strength that retains performance through repeated heavy use and constant load cycles.

The advanced subfloor system is designed with controlled deflection, engineered to flex under load but bottom out on the structural slab after a calculated tolerance; preventing over-deflection, protecting the panels, and ensuring long-term structural integrity.

Resilient Performance & Comfort for Performers

Beyond durability and strength, the Connor Stage System delivers performance benefits that directly impact performers, technicians, and crews:

• Integrated resilient padding that absorbs impact, reducing fatigue for performers and stage crews.
• Lifecycle-tested resilience to maintain shock absorption and consistent feel over years of use.
• Enhanced performer safety and comfort during extended performances, rehearsals, and productions.

The Connor Stage System was subjected to rigorous lifecycle testing protocols to verify long-term pad integrity, ensuring that performance quality remains consistent throughout the life of the system.

Built for the Demands of Professional Performance Spaces

The Connor Stage System is ideal for:

• Theaters and performing arts centers
• University performance halls
• Concert venues and auditoriums
• Worship centers and churches
• Convention centers and event facilities
• Multi-purpose stage environments

Every component of the Connor Stage System has been engineered for maximum stage floor durability, wear resistance, moisture protection, high load performance, and resilient comfort; delivering one of the most advanced stage flooring systems available on the market today.

Connor Stage - Engineered for Strength. Built for Performance.