Lang performers are finding that they still have to compete with each other for practice areas, a problem that’s regained the spotlight after the University Center opened without any dance space, they said.

Off-campus studio space is costly in New York City, so Lang dance and theatre students have to share Studio 001, a room located in the basement of the 66 W. 12th St. building, they said.

“It’s ridiculous the amount of money we spend to go to the school when there’s only one practice space we can use,” said Mimi Barconi, a senior studying theater at Lang.

“I wish the school had thought about serving the needs of the performing arts students when they just constructed this entirely new building,” Barconi added.

The conflict centers around Studio 001, is a windowless circle about 25 feet across, the only room Lang students can reserve on if no classes are being held at the time, students said.

It’s the only room at Lang dancers can use because of its sprung floor, a type of floor built to absorb shock that is largely used for dance and indoor sports.

But they have to compete with theater students who can and do practice in empty classroom’s but prefer the basement studio’s amenities specifically tailored for performance, they said.

“It’s always a struggle to find space and we’re always competing with the theater department for space,” said Sasha Wolfe, a senior dance and environmental studies student.

Wolfe often practices her senior thesis in the studio, only to get interrupted by students ambling in without waiting their turn or reserving it on Starfish, web program used to claim space, she said.

Wolfe’s tried using other campus spaces like Wollman Hall on Lang’s fifth floor, she said. But Wollman is often used for conferences, lectures and even when it’s not, the floors — wood panels atop a layer of concrete — can be a hazard, she and faculty said.

“What’s not ideal is dancing on concrete, said Neil Greenberg, a choreography professor and coordinator for Lang’s dance program.

“There’s some shock absorption in the human body itself, but not enough. You want a little extra shock absorption on the floor,” Greenberg said.

Greenberg requires students to wear sneakers during his Wollman Hall classes, but he doesn’t know if students still do when they practice independently, he said.

And even if they do, it’s still hard to practice, Greenberg said.

“Sometimes it’s more difficult to practice in sneakers,” Greenberg said. “You don’t get the articulation in the foot that’s required. It’s harder to turn.

The university rents some off-campus studio spaces for classes, but students who want to use these spaces for independent work must pay for the space out of pocket, which can range as high as $22.50 an hour.

There is a small room with a sprung floor in the basement of the University Center, but it is currently set aside for the Department of Athletics and Recreations and their activities like pilates and yoga classes.

Greenberg said the school is making efforts to buy a sprung floor that can be assembled and stored in the University Center for use in the Tishman Auditorium.