We're talking about the 4 B's that most kids learn in the lower grades of elementary school:

• Be Respectful

• Be Responsible

• Be Safe

• Be Kind 

The world would be a better place if everyone truly embraced the 4 Bs!

 

Below we spell out in detail the specifics of the spirt that we ourselves embrace and expect from everyone at SOswing:
 

SOswing is all about building a dance community that is a fun, friendly, and safe place where everyone can enjoy learning and dancing. This code of conduct is meant to outline some ways we can work together to keep everyone safe and happy. 

This environment is for everyone regardless of race, age, level of dance, sexual orientation, gender/gender identity, disability, physical appearance, religion, or anything else. We do not tolerate harassment or threats of any kind. Any situation that makes another person feel unsafe or uncomfortable to the point of being unable to enjoy the event is unacceptable and can be considered harassment. 

 
Guidelines

• Try to dance with as many people as possible. SOswing is all about the social dance experience. Make sure everyone who is social dancing has the chance to be included and enjoy their time at SOswing. 

• Never teach or give feedback on the social floor or during classes. Provide your partner with a fun dance. It is neither your job nor place to give them a lecture or talk them through patterns.

• Be considerate of your partner’s physical comfort and limitations when dancing. Someone’s previous injuries, dance experience, height, or other factors may influence what your partner can or cannot do. Err on the side of caution and respect.

• Clear communication is important. If at any time you don’t wish to dance, you can say “No thanks” with no further explanation. If someone says this to you, don’t be offended or try and talk them into dancing. Just move along without offense. If you are asking someone to dance, ask for their consent clearly. (“Hey, would you like to dance?”) and make sure they give clear consent to dance with you. (“Yes, I would love to.”) 

• Feel free to choose whatever dance role you prefer. We invite everyone to choose their own role, lead or follow. We expect people to dance with leaders/followers of any gender without bias. 

• Respect people’s boundaries. Keep in mind that for some, dancing in public feels potentially vulnerable; everyone enjoys themselves best when they feel physically comfortable and safe with their dance partners. We do not tolerate any kind of verbal or physical harassment of our dancers. Again, err on the side of caution and respect.

• Remember that alcohol and other altering substances can make it harder to judge boundaries accurately. Be mindful of your limits so that you can be mindful of others. 

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Behaviors that might make your partner uncomfortable include:

• Physical contact that is unnecessary and inappropriate to the social dance or social class. Sometimes mistakes happen, and that’s OK—just make sure you apologize to your dance partner and give them their personal space afterward.

• Inappropriate comments/jokes about people, clothing, dance lyrics, dance style, or otherwi

• Sexually suggestive dance moves.

• Using leads that are uncomfortable and/or dangerous or overly familiar (like neck or head leads).•  

• Contacting someone on social media with unsolicited and explicit advances.

Consequences of unacceptable behavior:

Anyone asked to stop unacceptable behavior or even behavior that is interpreted as harassing—even if that was not the intention— is expected to stop immediately. Actions that compromise the safe and respectful environment of this event are not acceptable from any member of our community: attendees, teachers, judges, performers, volunteers, or staff. Depending on the severity, event organizers’ interventions in response to a problem may range from talking to the offending person and asking them to do or not do something, disqualifying someone from a contest or other component of the event, to asking them to leave the venue immediately without warning, compensation, or refund. These conversations or actions may take place in private if that seems appropriate to the situation. When a situation is significant enough that we decide to take follow-up action, we may share information about the situation with our fellow event directors or others in decision-making positions.

We expect none of these responses will be necessary. We truly want this to be a place everyone can enjoy. We are grateful for your help and commitment to making our shared environment safe for everyone.

 
Reporting a problem

• If someone makes you feel uncomfortable in any way, or you see something which appears inappropriate, we encourage you to report it. This can be done in strict confidence.

• Please alert one of the event directors, Wren Newman or Dave Kahn, or anyone wearing a green safety arm band.