Whether you dance or not, whether you play basketball or not, you know when you’re on a “sprung” floor.

The term refers to the give or bounce a sprung floor provides. That give comes from a system of cross layered supports undergirding the hardwood floor. If the floor didn’t give a bit under a dancer’s or athlete’s feet, the result would be a hard jolt at each step, lots of stress on muscles and joints, and, ultimately, injuries.

The best sprung floors are very expensive to manufacture, lay down, and maintain. But in addition to protecting feet and assuring safety as people leap and spin, a good sprung floor can function as an instrument.

To understand how it does this, check out a video of someone tap dancing but close your eyes. Listen instead to sounds made by the flaps, taps, slaps, slides and other distinctive steps.

A good sprung floor is a symphony.

The 20 sounds in tap

Gregory Hines

Fred Astaire

James Cagney on the stairs in "Yankee Doodle Dandy"