01 — Health + Safety

• We take responsibility as holders and participants of an embodiment space to center and uphold high standards of safety for all individuals. 

• We acknowledge safety and security is everyone’s responsibility. We report unsafe conditions or security concerns immediately. If we see something unusual, we say something immediately.

• We commit and are in integrity to holding a substance-free space.

• We expect all participants to abide by consent-based physical contact. Any physical touch on the dance floor is to be engaged based upon the demo held in the opening circle. This includes direct eye contact from the front of the dancer and slowing down enough for the individual to make an informed and empowered choice to enter connection. All connections can be met with a clear ‘no’ by placing the palms together at the chest. Connections can be completed at any time with this same gesture. Consensual sensuality that emerges on the dance floor is welcome, but this is not a space for overt sexuality between participants. 

• We hold all participants accountable for upholding the agreements and safety of the container. If an agreement is broken in the space, a clear warning will be served to the individual. Upon a 3rd warning, the individual will be placed on 3 month probation from all events. These individuals will be asked to participate in a restorative and reflective conversation before reentrance. 

• Though we proactively and responsively address all matters of community concern, we recognize the impossibility of holding a “trigger-free” space and empower participants to embody self-reliance when needed. 

• We refer participants to outside professional resources when matters are beyond the purview and skills of our container.

02 — Equity, Belonging, and Acknowledgments

• We acknowledge the land beneath our feet as the ancestral home of many Indigenous Peoples including the Caddo, Wichita, Tawakoni, and Kiikaapoi, as well as the tribes that may have lived here and roamed the area – including Comanche, Kiowa and Apache – and those indigenous people whose names we don’t know anymore. We honor, revere and respect those who were stewards of this land long before we made it our home.

• We are actively anti-racist, anti-sexist, and anti-ageist. We include every expression of gender, body size, sexual preference, physical disability, and neurodivergence. We denounce discrimination in all forms. We are committed to being life-long learners of inclusive practices, which includes the willingness to continue to adjust policies and acknowledge blind spots in perpetuity.

• We strive for financial accessibility. Accessibility codes are available upon request.

• We are a multi-generational community. The presence of children is celebrated and those under 12 always dance for free. We ask that parents remain responsible for their actions and behavior at all times.

• We co-create a culture of belonging through representation in leadership, artistry, and participation.

• We actively acknowledge our personal biases and unearned privileges.

• We honor and name the lineages of our lands and practices we draw and dance upon. As an organization, we do not endorse or promote any religion or creed. We are rooted in earth-based care and interconnectedness. We support an animist approach that honors the spirit in all beings.

03 — Newcomer Care

• We acknowledge the importance of newcomer safety and belonging, and we strive to model the welcoming presence of the space. 

• We facilitate conversations that matter with newcomers and embrace the human struggle. We take responsibility to make things better one relationship and one resilient act at a time.

• We own our expertise and share our unique stories and personal experiences. We offer support when appropriate or needed. We avoid unsolicited advice giving.

• As a leadership team, we own power differentials, consent considerations, and the potential impact of escalating relationships with newcomers. We agree to a 3 month non-escalation clause with all new community members. As members of the team, we agree to not escalate relationships with any new dancers in this time period. This specifically refers to romantic invitations and actions. We are here to provide clean support and inclusion.

04 — Circle Leadership Expectations: Accountability, Integrity and Communication

• We aspire to model and uphold the integrity of the dance on and off the dance floor. 

• We recognize the strength of community is built upon individuals upholding their commitments.

• We meet emotional distress through a trauma-informed lens and call upon the support of mental health professionals when needed. 

• We strive to be receptive, active, and curious listeners in all communication. 

• We practice direct communication of positive, and other than positive, personal perceptions. If we take issue with another individual, we strive to safely engage with them and not around them via others, social media, etc.

• We welcome proactive and prompt communication, the respectful questioning of leadership, and all forms of inquiry.

• We assume personal responsibility for mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual well being. 

• We practice trauma-sensitive responsiveness. 

05 — Artistic Alignment

• We are creative risk takers open to pushing the edges of personal and collective creation, and if we are unsure about an artistic choice, we check in with other members of the leadership circle.

• We acknowledge artistry begins with intention and commit to being intentional creators.

• We ensure to offer credit where credit is due.

• We strive to create space and opportunities for new artists to deepen their craft inside the dance container.