Supporting our Community

Our community that we’ve been fortunate to support and be a part of is incredibly special to us. Seeing faces light up on the dance floor, friendships made, and a wide range of our local community come together for no other reason than to experience the joy of swing dancing together is nothing less than exceptional.

With current events and the stresses of daily life, finding a place of shelter to relax and have fun can be difficult. It is in our hearts to do whatever we can to protect our community and provide you with support, especially in times of need. If you trust us and come to us with a situation that has occurred at one of our events or involves one of our community members, teachers, or team members, we will take you seriously and take the following actions –

  • Listen with compassion and without judgment. We understand the barriers of disclosing and are grateful you’ve chosen to trust us.

  • Respond promptly. We never want you to feel like you’re disclosing to a void. Below are the best ways to connect with us:

    • At an event – feel free to approach anyone from the admin team with concerns. Our volunteers will also be able to help you find these team members.

    • Email – Reach us at saferspaces@syncopationfoundation.org  Your email will be sent to two of our Safer Spaces Team Leads and we will respond as soon as possible.

  • Take careful action that puts our community first. Foundation leadership will be notified so our team can work together to address actions that need to be taken. We expect our team and anyone who participates in our events to adhere to our Code of Conduct(below), posted at the entry of our venues. Please know, we are not a legal entity, a court, or professional crisis counselors but we do have a network of professionals help support all of us.  

  • Help refer you to the experts. Depending on the situation, we are prepared to refer you to people who are experts at helping work through difficult situations.

Thank you for helping us to support and protect our community. Please see our official code of conduct and social dance etiquette below.



CODE OF CONDUCT

OVERVIEW
The Syncopation Foundation is dedicated to providing a safe and comfortable experience for everyone; therefore, all program attendees, instructors, staff, and volunteers are required to comply with the following code of conduct. Organizers will enforce this code. We expect cooperation from all participants to help ensure a safe environment.​

OPTIONS FOR HELP
Find a Syncopation Foundation organizer in person during the event.
Email saferspaces@syncopationfoundation.org.

DECLARATION OF SAFE SPACE
The Syncopation Foundation is dedicated to providing a safe and comfortable experience for everyone, regardless of gender, age, sexual orientation, ability, physical appearance, body size, race, or religion (or lack thereof). We do not tolerate harassment of event participants in any form. Sexual language and imagery in social situations are not appropriate for any event venue, including dances, workshops, competitions, Twitter, Facebook, and other online media. Event participants violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from the event without a refund at the discretion of the organizers.

CODE OF CONDUCT IN DETAIL
No forms of harassment will be tolerated. Harassment includes offensive verbal comments (related to gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, OR religion), sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of workshops or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention.

Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately.
If a participant engages in harassing behavior, the event organizers may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender or expulsion from the event with no refund.

If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact a member of event staff immediately using one of the methods above.

Staff will be happy to help participants contact the organizers or local law enforcement, provide escorts, or otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe for the duration of the event. We value your attendance and your safety.

Illegal use of drugs and/or alcohol is not permitted at Syncopation Foundation events.

We expect all participants to follow these rules at dance and workshop venues.


BEING A GOOD DANCE EVENT ATTENDEE
There are many ways that we can all have a positive influence on our dance community. We've highlighted some specific points that below that we feel are critical to helping make our space safer and more fun for everyone.

  • Please do not offer unsolicited advice to fellow dancers either in class or on the social dance floor.

  • Please use your full range of senses on the dance floor to avoid accidental collisions and injuries. It is every dancer’s responsibility to be aware of their own and their partner’s movement and position, as well as the movement and position of the dancers surrounding them, in order to avoid all forms of dangerous contact.

  • Please be respectful to event staff, even if you are experiencing a personal frustration. Without the goodwill of these individuals, a smoothly functioning event is impossible.

  • Finally, be aware of your own boundaries and physical needs.

    Thank you.