Mirror, mirror: the right one will reflect well on you and your students.

A dancer may have a love-hate relationship with the mirror, but dance teachers know how helpful they can be. Teachers need students to keep an eye on their technique and see for themselves why they need to pull up, turnout, and hold their center, so choosing the right mirror can make a real difference. There's lots to keep in mind when you're shopping.

REFLECTIVITY: CLEAR ENOUGH?

Mirrors range in quality, though few realize that at a quick glance. Consider a mirror's reflectivity and crispness carefully. A distorted reflection is useless for dancers. See a mirror firsthand before you buy and install it. If you don't live close enough to a showroom, ask your dealer for a studio near you that has the one you're considering.

GLASSLESS: LIGHT AND BRIGHT

Glassless mirrors don't shatter or crack and don't require an insurance rider. They are lightweight--a 4' by 8' one only weighs about 12 lbs. Glassless mirrors don't fog and there's no distortion, because the mylar film they're made of has a higher percentile of reflection than glass, say Joe Reinke, owner of Dance Equipment International. "It's as though you're seeing another person," says Leander Jones who got one for his home studio in Alexandria, LA. However, you can't cut a glassless mirror to make a hole for, say, a light switch.

INSURANCE: SAFE, NOT SORRY

If you plan to buy plate glass mirrors, you will need a rider. Injury due to glass mirrors is not typically covered in studio policies. "Although the incidence is not high, considering the number of mirrors a dance studio has, you should spend a little more and get a rider," says Randy Swartz, president of Stagestep, Inc., which sells mirrors, floors, and other equipment.

INSTALLATION: BACK IT UP

Depending on whether you rent or own your studio, there are various installation options. Most walls are not perfectly flat, but mirrors are. You may need to have the mirror sit in molding within a frame. Walls also can give off moisture. "Sometimes you don't see anything, but there's moisture and that leaves you with a foggy mirror when the back is cold and the front gets warm," says Swartz. Backing can eliminate this problem.

PLACEMENT: DON'T GET FLOORED

Where you mount a mirror makes a difference in its effectiveness. Don't put it directly on the floor. "That's a great place for it to get whacked when someone throws down their dance bag," says Swartz. Remember, dancers don't stand directly against the mirror to see their feet. Once you know where your students will stand, you can figure out the angle of reflection you need and hang the mirror accordingly.

CURTAINS: COVER UP

Consider putting in a curtain tract in front of the mirror. Then you can take it out of play if you have a performance in the studio or if students get too distracted by their image.

Materials generally run $6 to $8 per square foot, but if you're using plate glass you need to hire people to install it. If you want to buy a cheaper mirror, be cautious about quality. It may not last as long as a professional model. "Now I can watch myself brilliantly from head to toe," says Jones, a competitive country dancer. "And when my belly's hanging out and over, that's exactly what I see."

Jennifer Stahl is Dance Magazine's education editor.

DANCE EQUIPMENT INTERNATIONAL

www.danceequipment.com

STAGESTEP

www.stagestep.com