The San Diego Balboa and Lindy Exchange is dedicated to creating a safe environment where all attendees, instructors, staff, and volunteers can feel respected and comfortable. Although we see the Lindy and Balboa community as a very friendly and welcoming environment, we recognize that events such as ours take place within a broader societal context and that issues of power, privilege, and oppression also exist in our communities. Therefore, we ask everyone involved to comply with the following code of conduct. The organizers and staff will enforce the code throughout the event and expect your cooperation in creating a comfortable environment for everyone.
What you can do if you have a negative experience at the San Diego Balboa and Lindy Exchange?
- Talk to the person to ask them to stop that behavior
- Talk directly to an organizer or a Safe Person (identified with a red heart)
- Contact us: SDBLX Leadership (619) 630-5725
- Write an anonymous complaint and put it in the comment box at the event.
For any questions, comments, suggestions, or complaints, please contact us: sdblxinfo@gmail.com or at contacts shown above. Thank you.
Harassment and violence
Abusive, aggressive, violent or harassing behavior is not acceptable. If we are made aware of any unacceptable behavior we will ask you to leave the venue, and we may prohibit your return at our own discretion. We understand that you may offend someone unintentionally, and we remind dancers that they are nonetheless responsible for their own behavior.
Harassment is defined as:
- Acts, gestures or speech that are repeated and undesired;
- By their nature, can harm the moral, physical or psychological integrity of a person.
- One serious action can also constitute harassment if it has a significant negative impact on the person.
Sexual harassment can take many forms, such as the following:
- Unwanted physical contact, such as sexual touching, pinching, beating, brushing against;
- Inappropriate comments of a sexual nature, comments about the body of a person or about their appearance, jokes that demean a sexual identity or orientation of the person;
- Solicitation of unwanted sexual favors;
- Intimate questions;
- Lustful stares, especially directed at private areas;
- Whistling.
Code of conduct
- Our events are open to everyone, regardless of sex, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, physical appearance, ability, age, or any other aspect of identity. We ask you to show the same respect to every participant, no matter their skill level or their involvement within the dance community.
- During a dance, make sure that your partner is comfortable with the connection, movements and positions of closer embrace. Ask for verbal consent.
- Aerials and drops (where a person takes the weight of another) are not appropriate for social dancing. They are permitted during jam circles and specific competitions. Make sure that you have already practiced these moves with your partner and that you have their consent before executing them.
- During a dance, if you feel uncomfortable, (whether the discomfort is physical, psychological or due to an injury) do not hesitate to inform your dance partner. If needed, do not hesitate to stop the dance. You are also allowed to refuse to dance with anyone. You may explain why, but you do not have to.
- Everyone has the choice to decline a dance without having to explain why, no matter the reason. If someone has declined to dance with you, do not take it personally and make sure to respect the other person’s decision.
- Make sure to choose a spot on the dance floor where there is sufficient space to dance. Both partners should take responsibility for their own security, by paying attention to your surroundings you can avoid injuring yourself or others. If you accidentally kick someone or collide with someone else, please apologize and make sure the other person is ok.
- Take care of your personal hygiene before coming to the studio. It is recommended to take a shower, wear deodorant, brush your teeth and bring a change of clothes.
- Do not correct others’ dancing unless you were specifically asked for feedback or if their dancing may cause an injury. If you are in a situation where you are giving someone feedback, please tell them in a way that is respectful and constructive.
Alcohol policy
We reserve the right to refuse access to the studio or to ask someone to leave the premises. We will enforce this rule when someone is visibly under the influence of alcohol, drugs, causing discomfort to the members of the community or any other reason at our discretion. This is in order to prevent any disturbances of the studio’s activities. (Please drink responsibly.)
Resources
We understand that disclosing an uncomfortable situation or a complaint can be challenging, and we do not wish to place responsibility for the creation of a safe space on those who have already had negative experiences. Those that do choose to bring up a concern to us have the right to be heard, to be believed, to have their privacy respected. Whenever possible we will provide options about whether, where and how their disclosure is shared, and to have choices about what, if any action is taken. We may override this choice when it is required for legal reasons or to protect someone from immediate harm. The organizers are also available for conversations about situations that are unclear, may or may not be inappropriate, are ambiguous or are difficult to understand.
For any questions, comments, suggestions, or complaints, please contact us: sdblxinfo@gmail.com
SDBLX 