Keith Wood - Dance Conduct

Code of Conduct
Community Standards
Dance Etiquette

Code of Conduct

We strive to be an inclusive, welcoming, and safe community environment in which people are treated with respect.

Be welcoming to everyone: Respect that people have different levels of experience, come from a variety of backgrounds, or may have physical limitations.
Dance in a safe and careful manner to avoid injuring others: Dancing out of control or in a manner that risks injury or inflicts pain or discomfort on other dancers is not acceptable. Don't force people into dance moves or positions. Respect any requests from others to stop anything that makes them uncomfortable.
Seek consent and respect others' boundaries: Both on and off the dance floor. This includes respecting dance role choices and preferences around eye contact, and abiding by any boundaries that people express. "No" means "no".
Avoid discrimination and harassment of all forms: Threats, intimidation, or demands, verbal and physical harassment, and unwelcome sexual words or actions are not tolerated.
Please arrive and remain sober
Weapons, hate speech, and illegal activities are prohibited

Community Standards

To support a fun and thriving dance community, here are ways we care for each other at all events:

We strive to be inclusive, welcoming, and safe:

We welcome young and old, new and experienced dancers to enjoy dancing together.
We treat each other respectfully and always consider the safety of others.
We give and receive feedback as gracefully as possible.
We offer gentle and empathetic cues when we notice someone is confused.
We dance with whoever is coming at us - meaning people can enjoy dancing either role, regardless of their gender identity or expression.
We arrive sober - recognising that many of our events involve close physical proximity and spatial awareness.
We stay home if we are feeling ill, to keep others in our community healthy.

We communicate openly and practice consent:

When we ask someone to dance, we graciously accept "no thanks" as an answer.
We ask potential partners which role they'd like to dance without assuming.
We are gentle with each other - careful to respect physical limitations, preferences and boundaries at any given event, including personal space.
We volunteer our preferences and needs, such as, "I'm dizzy. Can we slow down?" or holding our own arm down when a twirl is offered to indicate "no".
We ask partners if they would enjoy flourishes or close embrace swings before adding them in.

We support the community:

We support the event by paying what we can.
We give back in other ways - we sweep the floor, invite new friends, or get to know a newer dancer.

Dance Etiquette

Dance etiquette is just good manners. It makes a dancer a pleasure to dance with. You and your partner feel safe, connected, and in tune with the music and dancers around you.

Courtesy: Most dancers are just great people. However, courtesy goes a long way – such as thanking your partner at the end of the dance. If you're an experienced dancer, dancing a few sets with beginners helps to improve their skills and comfort level so that the dance experience is better for everyone.
Maintain eye contact: You'll notice that many dancers maintain eye contact with other dancers during the dance. Although it can be a bit awkward in the beginning, it creates connection with the other people and puts you 'in the moment' of the dance. It also helps with dizziness. Do it as much as you are comfortable with!
Carry your own weight: Swinging can be hard work for your partner if you don't carry your own weight. This means that your weight is above your own body, (not leaning on your partner) and you aren't clamping too tight onto your partner or pulling/pushing down on their shoulders or arms. Not sure if you have this part of swinging down pat? Ask someone for advice.
Give weight: This is different than carrying your own weight. Giving weight is when you provide a bit of resistance in your arm during a turn or swing. Keep a bit of flex/tension in your arm and keep it bent using it as a spring, rather than having it fully extended or loose. Giving weight is especially helpful in allemandes, balances, chaining across, and right and left throughs.
Be on time: Just as it sounds, being on time is about getting to the next move and being in position on time. Listening to the music helps with timing and phrasing. When everyone is on time, no one is waiting for anyone else and the dance begins to flow!
Dance at the skill level of your partner: A good dancer matches their level of dancing and style with their partner. This means being in tune with your partner and communicating with them – ask if they like to spin, do they want to go faster/slower? Create that connection and enjoy your partner!
Flourishes and more complicated moves: You only need the basics to enjoy a dance. However, experienced dancers may challenge themselves by giving more weight, dancing faster and more tightly, or changing roles within a dance. They also add flourishes such as twirling, spinning multiple times, or adding more complicated moves. Don't feel you have to do these – just watch and enjoy until you are ready to experiment!