RDU Blues Community Values

We strive to create a fun, safe and welcoming environment at our dances, and we have a strong community of dancers helping us maintain that atmosphere. Take a look at the following guidelines to get a sense of what our community values.

These “good people guidelines” apply to everyone attending an RDU Blues event, including organizers, staff, volunteers, and visiting instructors or musicians:

1. We will be NICE to everyone and treat all people with respect. We will not harass anyone. We will not discriminate according to sex, gender expression or sexual orientation, nor race, religion, or nationality. We will treat everyone equally, regardless of age, ability, physical appearance, lifestyle, dance experience, or dance role.

2. We will be WELCOMING to members of the LGBTQIA+ community. We will not make assumptions about preferred dance roles and will ask our partners if they prefer to lead, follow, or switch. We will embrace the use of non-gendered pronouns and respect each person’s preferred pronouns. As instructors, we will use gender neutral pronouns in our teaching spaces.

3. We will be INCLUSIVE and invite others to dance. We understand that we or others may say no without giving a reason, and we will be gracious if turned down. We understand that we are a large community with lots of potential partners, and understand that we typically only dance one song at a time with a particular partner. We will be responsible for our own fun, knowing that those who ask the most dance the most!

4. We will be RESPONSIBLE for our own physical safety and that of others nearby. We will practice safe floor-craft and say sorry if we accidentally bump another person. We will not offer unsolicited advice or instruction, nor perform aerials on the social floor. If we consume alcohol we will do so responsibly, and we will not bring alcohol into the dance space without permission. We will not show up to a dance drunk, nor get drunk at a dance.

5. We will take CARE of our own personal hygiene, and bring towels, spare clothing and extra deodorant if necessary. We will be considerate when choosing our clothing, footwear, and accessories and not we will not wear anything that is potentially hazardous to ourselves or to others. We will not wear strong fragrances that may be irritating to others

6. We will RESPECT and acknowledge that the personal boundaries of others may not be the same as our own. We understand that it is ok to dance in positions with less physical contact, and we understand that we can always ask for more space, either physically or verbally. We will ask our partners before engaging in positions that may make others uncomfortable, such as dips or close embrace. We will be mindful of the appropriateness of language that some may find offensive. We will not touch anyone without consent and we will apologize immediately if we unintentionally touch a person’s private areas.

7. We UNDERSTAND that intimacy on the dance floor is not the same as physical intimacy. We will not use events run by RDU Blues as dating spaces. We acknowledge that blues and fusion dancing can be both flirty and sensual and understand that having an intimate song with a partner does not mean they want to be intimate with us off the dance floor.

8. We VALUE clarity in our physical and verbal communication. We understand that while sometimes we communicate non-verbally, we should always ask if in doubt!

9. We UNDERSTAND that following the above guidelines ensures a better experience for everyone and that participating in any kind of verbal, physical, or sexual abuse will have consequences. This may include, but is not limited to, being asked to leave without refund and exclusion from future events, as laid out in our anti-harassment policy.

10. We, the organizers, 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 behavior to tell an organizer.
    • At RDU Blues, your suggested points of contact is raleighdurhamblues@gmail.com. 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.
    • Organizers are available for discussion and reassurance, not just formal reports – please do tell us about your concerns, even small ones – we’re here for you!

Adapted from the STEPS Code of Conduct (safetyinswingdance.com)

Creating Safer Spaces

We are committed to maintaining a dance community that is safe, welcoming and inclusive. As part of that commitment, we have adopted the below anti-harassment policy, and we do not tolerate harassment at our events.

If you have any concerns about something you have experienced or witnessed at a dance event, please let us know – either by contacting us at info@RDUblue.com or speaking to an organizer. We take reports of harassment seriously, and we will respond to all reports with respect and confidentiality.

If you have ideas on how we can continue to make our dance community a safer space, please get in touch! You can contact us at info@RDUblues.com or via our Facebook page.

RDU Blues Anti-Harassment Policy

RDU Blues is committed to creating and maintaining a safe, welcoming and respectful space for our community members. At all our events, we are dedicated to providing a harassment-free experience for every participant, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion, physical appearance, body size, age, race or dance ability.

Harassment includes (though is not limited to) deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of events, inappropriate physical contact, unwelcome sexual attention, and offensive verbal comments related to gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, age, race, religion, dance skill level, or dance role. Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately. We expect all participants to help create and maintain a safe, respectful and harassment-free space at RDU Blues events.

If a participant engages in harassing behavior, RDU Blues organizers may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender or expelling the offender from the event with no refund. Egregious behavior or repeated warnings or expulsions may result in permanent expulsion from all events organized by RDU Blues.

If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please talk to an organizer. We take reports of harassment seriously and are committed to responding appropriately and with confidentiality to reports of harassment.

All RDU Blues Safer Spaces Guidelines and documents

RDU Blues has many documents pertaining to its Safer Spaces policies. You can view them all on our Google Drive folder

Contact information:

Organizer email: info@RDUblues.com or RaleighDurhamBlues@gmail.com

Triangle Dance Studio: 919.274.3265

Durham Police and non-emergency: 919.560.4600

Emergency: 911

Durham’s Best Cab Company: 919.680.3330

Last updated January 2016.

This policy is adapted from: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Tcj6rZN86Rp5-J0oR84WBgK-Rh2IrHgeijSIJMfQl4A/edit