Welcome to Green Mountain Blues!
By participating in our events, you agree to abide by our policies and are aware of, understand, and accept the inherent risks of participating in social dance.
Green Mountain Blues is dedicated to providing a safe, inclusive, and comfortable dance experience for everyone, regardless of dance skill or background, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, physical appearance, race, religion or culture.
We expect cooperation from all participants to help ensure a safe dance experience for everybody. By attending this event, you agree to participate in building a healthy dance culture. You will be held accountable if you engage in unsafe or harassing behavior.
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We are ALL responsible for creating a good dance environment.
Use your full range of senses on the dance floor to avoid collisions and injuries, and check in with/apologize if they do occur.
Do not impose unsolicited advice on fellow dancers outside of a classroom setting; inquire first if they would like input.
Wash your hands!
Care for your personal hygiene: Bring towels, spare clothing, and deodorant if necessary. Please avoid strong perfumes as some people are sensitive to fragrances.
Please be respectful to all involved.
As a dancer, every dance is a gift you are GIVING. You are not obligated to dance with anyone, and you can turn down any dance or end it early for any reason. You are the authority on your own boundaries, which may differ with different people and may change over time. You can always tell a partner that they’ve crossed a boundary, or speak to the event staff about it.
While wanting you to remain comfortable, we do encourage you to try new roles and partners, in the interest of expanding your own horizons and helping strengthen the community.
As a dancer, every dance is a gift you are also RECEIVING. You are not entitled to dance with anyone, and being turned down is not a personal insult. Please treat every dance you are gifted with respect, and recognize that your partner is the authority on their own boundaries and physical safety. Apologize if you cross a boundary, avoid belittling or denying your partner’s experience, and ask consent for anything you think may cross a boundary.
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GMB supports the idea that dance roles (lead and follow) are NOT tied to gender. We encourage all dancers to avoid assumptions regarding dance roles and to check with their partners about their preferred roles, or to help them explore a new one.
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We rely on maintaining access to quality spaces for our events. Please care for the facilities we use by not eating or drinking on the dance floor, wearing non-marking, soft-soled shoes, and leaving the space as clean or cleaner than you found it.
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While there is always some risk associated with any physical activity, we are committed to preventing injuries. Unsafe dancing includes, but is not limited to yanking, hitting, throwing, or overextending your partner, using unnecessarily forceful movement, or dancing beyond your or your partner’s ability. Dips, lifts, and other weight-sharing moves require extra care and skill, so use only with experience and always seek partner consent. If you are unsure what constitutes unsafe dancing or have concerns about the safety of another dancer’s movements, please talk to an organizer or instructor.
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Harassment is unacceptable behavior, and it is the responsibility of all participants to identify and report unsafe situations to the organizers.
Harassment includes, but is not limited to, inappropriate verbal comments or verbal abuse, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention.
If anyone engages in harassing or unsafe behavior, intentional or not, the event staff may take any action they deem appropriate to promote safety. Anyone asked to stop any harassing or unsafe behavior is expected to comply immediately. Anyone who does not comply immediately may be sanctioned or expelled from the event without a refund.
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Please speak with an organizer if you have any concerns or questions.
Happy Dancing!