Dancing is a social activity and naturally you come in contact with other people and often get close to them during a dance. It is therefore important to pay attention to how you treat people around you, so that everyone can have a good time.

We generally believe that people know what is appropriate and what is not and we expect that everyone behaves respectfully, politely and in accordance with common sense and that we all aim to have a great dance experience, for ourselves and people around us. However everyone’s boundaries are different and we have drawn up a few guidelines to help us all do our best to create a safe space.

take care of yourself and others

• While dancing you are inviting people into your personal space and entering other people’s personal space. Be aware of it and treat your dance partners politely and with respect.
• Be aware of your own body. Taking a shower before dancing, a change of shirt or two and a deodorant can make dancing more comfortable and enjoyable for everyone. If you have eaten strongly flavored food, a mint will be your friend.
• Be aware of your physical needs. Remember to sleep, take care of your health and apply sanitizer to your hands or wash them throughout the evening and if you have to cough or sneeze please do so in your arm.
• Don’t feel obligated to dance with anyone. Everyone has the right to refuse an invitation to dance for any reason. Be gracious whether you are at the sending or receiving end of a refusal.
• If something hurts physically or feels inappropriate or uncomfortable, do tell your partner so that they know not to do it again. Do so respectfully. But in all other cases please do not give unsolicited feedback, even in class.

floor craft and safety

• Both partners take responsibility for protecting themselves and each other during the dance from collisions and injuries.
• If you accidentally collide with someone while dancing, apologize and make sure they are all right. If they require assistance let the team know.
• If you accidentally touch someone’s private areas, apologize.
• While there is always some risk associated with any physical activity, we are committed to preventing injuries before they happen. Unsafe dancing is any movement that puts anyone at an increased risk of physical injury. This includes, but is not limited to, grabbing, pushing, pulling, yanking or jerking your partner around, forceful movement when leading or following, bending over your partner during a dip when leading, sudden weight sharing when following and dancing without taking the crowdedness of the dance floor into consideration. You may be asked to stop your dance if your movement endangers you, your partner, or any other dancers on the dance floor. If you are unsure what constitutes unsafe dancing, please ask team members or any instructor.
• With the exception of jam circles, performances and dedicated classes and with consent of your dance partner, absolutely no aerials on the dance floor.