WAYS TO COMMUNICATE:

TALK to us. Officers and Safe Space Coordinators are trained to help. Our Safe Space Coordinators are all BDN Officers.
CALL us. A hotline is set up for safe space use: 615-905-6847
EMAIL. Safe Space email / Google Hangout: carebearstare.bdn@gmail.com

Policies & Practices:

In rotation, we ask our students to ask each other to dance and wait for yes response before making connection. “Would you like to dance? Care to dance? May I have this dance?” This sets precedent for the social floor, using our words instead of assuming someone wants to dance or using non-verbal cues (ie an outstretched hand or pulling someone out on the dance floor).*

Anyone can ask anyone to dance.

You may always say “No” and never owe anyone an explanation.

Harassment-free environment:

BDN will not tolerate harassment, including verbal abuse and unwanted sexual advances. Participants asked to stop harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately or they will be asked to leave and may be banned from future events.**

Zero-Tolerance Assault Policy:

Physical or sexual assault of any kind is unacceptable. BDN will not hesitate to remove offenders and/or ban them from future events.**

Respect yourself, your partner, and those around you.

If something doesn’t feel right- speak up.***

If you see or experience harassing behavior or assault from students, observers, or teachers, find an organizer or teacher, or contact us online so we can handle the situation in a firm, professional, and discreet manner to maintain our safe space. We want participants to be comfortable reporting inappropriate behavior.**

Policy on Registered Sex Offenders

• The BDN Board [Board] recognizes the importance of community safety and the need for continued reevaluation of safety policies;
• The BDN Board maintains a ZERO TOLERANCE policy. This includes:
  • All registered sex offenders.
  • Any incidents further outlined in the BDN Safer Spaces policy.
• The Board recognizes there is a broad spectrum of incidents, many very serious in nature, which result in registration as a sex offender.
  • The Board also recognizes it is not the place of a community organization to determine the degree of fault when laws are broken.
  • Breaking of laws signifies indifference towards rules of an establishment. The Board provides rules of conduct and consequences for breaking those rules of conduct in the BDN Safer Spaces policy for participating in BDN-sponsored events.

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Other class & floor etiquette:

• Please don’t give unsolicited feedback to other dancers.
• Refrain from using strongly smelling soaps, deodorant, cologne or perfume. We also provide breath mints.
• If you accidentally hit or kick another dancer, stop, apologize, and make sure they are ok.***

Training:

A Safe Space Rep is anyone who has been designated by the BDN officers to hold that capacity and have undergone the Safer Space briefing and training with one of the officers. This training will involve knowing the BDN Safer Space policy and how implement it along with scenario based training to help them understand how to properly investigate a situation, make correct decisions, and contacting the right authorities

WAYS TO COMMUNICATE:

TALK to us. Officers and Safe Space Coordinators are trained to help. Our Safe Space Coordinators are all BDN Officers.
CALL us. A hotline is set up for safe space use: 615-905-6847
EMAIL. Safe Space email / Google Hangout: carebearstare.bdn@gmail.com

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*”Asking to Dance in Class.” Swingin’ Denver. Sam Carroll, Sydney, Australia. http://www.swingindenver.com/asking…

**”Our Safe Space Pledge.” Swingin Denver. http://www.swingindenver.com/catego…

***”A Lindy Hopper’s Ettiquette.” Holy Lindy Land Team, Israel. http://www.holylindyland.com/lindy-…