sorry to have been absent so long!  allergies have been killing me; all i've been doing recently is resting and rendering.  thanks so much for all the information.  Conniekat8- that store looks great.  thanks for posting the link.  i've definitely been thinking about how to make a hanging.  the cloth room sounds like a great start.  i wonder if i can manage to actually duplicate the hanging part?  that is, set up the right amount of rings or whatever is at the top?

ah!  i was hoping someone in the know would post.  ok.  as i was just writing, i've only seen marly once in a performance (so i don't have much of a reference), and absolutely never (as far as i can tell) in any of the images i've come across. not to contradict you in the slightest; i'm sure the reality is very different than what is depicted.  for instance, in the pictures i've found all of the black floors show reflections.   mostly blurry, and some more prominent than others, but definitely present.  i'm also finding a lot of hardwood floors.  none the images seem very hollywood, though.  and since the floor of the gym for dance classes here on campus is hardwood (gorgeous, gorgeous floors),  think it can't be too uncommon?

right now, i'm thinking of a style of in the line  of publicity shots dance departments, companies and schools publish, and maybe posters.  so probably different than the actual reality you work in.  some examples just from the first two pages of google image search, term "dance":

http://www.umich.edu/~urecord/0506/Jan30_06/img/060130_cal_2dance.jpg
http://www.emich.edu/dance/images/dance_libertygarden.jpg
http://www.vidf.ca/images/bg_workshopDance.jpg
http://www.genevaconcerts.org/GenevaCts/FaganDance.gif
http://www.bu.edu/bridge/archive/2002/04-26/photos/dance.jpg

and some examples (with variance)  of the type of scene i'm thinking of:

http://asdivision.ceu.edu/dance/assets/dance1.JPG
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ncs/photos/dance2.jpg - the backdrop (cyclorama?) in this one especially
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ncs/photos/dance1.jpg
http://www.sandiegodance.org/Clancy.jpg - the floor especially in this one
http://houstondance.org/DSH/Site_Documents/Grouped/Revolve%20Dance%20Co.JPG

there are white versions of the publicity dance shot that are great too, but i'm not as worried about those right now.  i figure a white shader on the ground, a white plane, and the right lighting and i'm there. 

maclean's studio looks great but
  a) it's a photo studio, not a stage, and that kind of shows
  b) knowing macleans strong d|s leanings, i'm uncertain whether it would do what i want in poser

i like d|s and use it frequently, but i use poser as much or more.  they both have strengths and weaknesses i appreciate and am frustrated by, so i swing between the two depending on my needs and frustration level with the one i've been working with recently.