Swing Belfast Code Of Conduct

 

Here at Swing Belfast, we pride ourselves with having one of the most welcoming and friendly scenes in the country. From our early days of having 10 students in a class to now, with 4 classes a week and hundreds of students, our priority will always be the health, safety and of course, enjoyment of the people who make our community work.

 

 

 1. We will be friendly to everyone, treat all people with equal respect regardless of age, dance                     experience, dance role, gender, lifestyle, nationality, physical appearance, race, religion or sexual             orientation.

 

 2.We will be inclusive, by inviting others to dance and will be gracious if turned down. We may say no to      a dance without providing a reason but we will be courteous when doing so.

 

 3.We will be responsible for our own physical safety and that of others nearby: practicing safe                    floor-craft, apologising for accidental collisions and we will not perform aerials on the social dance            floor.

 

 4.We will not give unsolicited feedback or advice on another persons dancing unless explicitly asked for      feedback.

 

 5.If we consume alcohol we will do so responsibly.

 

 6.We will take care of our own personal hygiene: Bringing towels, spare clothing or extra deodorant and      we will shower before class or an event if necessary.

 

 7.We will be considerate when choosing our clothing, footwear and accessories and we will not wear            anything that is potentially hazardous to ourselves or to others.

 

 8.We will be respectful and will acknowledge that the personal boundaries of others may not be the            same as our own.We recognise that different dance holds involve varying degrees of closeness,                but we will not force another person to maintain a hold in which they are not comfortable; we will first      check with the other person before engaging them in a close hold. If we are uncomfortable we                will inform our partner.

 

 9.We will apologise immediately if we unintentionally touch or graze a person’s private areas, and if            inappropriate touching persists we will inform the organisers.

 

10.We will be mindful of the appropriateness of language that some may find offensive.

 

11.We recognise that we may meet many people through dancing, however, the primary purpose of our         community is to dance and to provide a safe and comfortable environment for everyone. Whilst we           are entitled to ask someone out, we will be gracious if turned down and we will not continue to ask         as we understand that this may be interpreted as harassment.

 

12.We understand that if a relationship with someone else within the dance community comes to an end       then we must be prepared to continue to share the community.

 

13.We understand that following the above guidelines ensures a better experience for everyone and that       participating in any kind of verbal, physical or sexual harassment or abuse will have consequences.         This may include, but is not limited to, being asked to leave without refund and exclusion from future       classes and events for a set period of time or indefinitely.

 

 

We, the organisers, promise to treat any reports made, from dancers in our home scenes or elsewhere, with sensitivity and to keep all details as confidential as is possible (however, in the event of a police investigation, all information will become disclosable). We encourage anyone who has experienced or witnessed intimidating or inappropriate behaviour to tell an organiser.

 

At the Swing Belfast your suggested points of contact are listed below:

 

Sheina Rigg 

Linda Scarborough 

 

Adam Milligan

 

 

If you prefer to talk in person, or would prefer to speak to another member of staff, you are welcome to do so at any event throughout the year.