Code of Conduct
Zouk is a close dance. That makes it wonderful, and it makes it easy to get wrong.
This is what we expect from everyone in the room, including us. It is short on purpose. If something here is unclear, ask.
Asking and declining
Ask people to dance. It is how the room works.
You can say no to any dance, at any time, without a reason. "No thanks" is a complete sentence. You do not owe anyone an explanation, an apology, or a rain check.
If someone declines, say "no problem" and move on. Do not ask why. Do not ask again later that evening. Do not comment on it to anyone else.
You can also stop a dance partway through. Say "I'm going to sit this one out" and leave the floor. That is always allowed.
Dips and advanced technique
Do not lead a dip unless you've had formal training in how to execute it safely.
The same goes for head rolls and cambrés. These take time and repetition to become muscle memory, and skipping that is how followers get hurt.
Don't assume a follower knows a move, or wants to try it. Take the time to learn her range, and ask before you lead anything advanced.
Followers, don't hesitate to tell your lead if a move is too advanced for you. That's not awkward, it's the point.
Want to learn these properly? Ask Ling, Miah, or Abigail. They can point you to the right instructor for privates.
Contact and consent
Zouk involves close hold and head movement. Both need care, and neither is a licence.
Keep your hands where they belong. Back, shoulder blades, hands, upper arms. Not lower back, not waist without invitation, never anywhere else.
Lead head movement, don't force it. If your partner's neck is not moving freely, stop leading it. Beginners, in particular, need time for their neck to relax, and pushing it is how people get hurt.
Check in. "Is this okay?" takes two seconds.
If someone tells you something is uncomfortable, change what you are doing immediately and without discussion.
Teaching on the floor
Do not teach unless you have been asked. This includes during class, at socials, and especially to beginners.
It is almost always unwelcome, and it is often a cover for something else.
Hygiene
Clean clothes. Deodorant. A spare shirt if you sweat a lot, and a towel.
Watch your breath. Mints are on the white shelf by our couch.
Photos and filming
Ask before you film someone, and ask again before you post them.
If we are filming for the studio, we will say so at the start of class. Tell us if you would rather not be in it, and we will work around you.
Alcohol and substances
Socials are BYOD. We don't sell alcohol here, so bring what you'd like to drink. Just clean up after yourself as you go.
Do not dance impaired. It is not safe for your partner.
If you are running your own gathering here, the same applies: clean up after yourselves.
What we mean by harassment
Anything in the sections above, done after being asked to stop.
Also: comments on someone's body, persistent attention after someone has disengaged, following someone around the room, messaging someone repeatedly after they have not replied, and using a dance to make physical contact you would not ask for in words.
It does not matter whether you meant it that way. It matters how it landed.
If something happens
Tell Abigail, Miah or Ling. In person at the studio, on WhatsApp, or by email.
Here is what happens next.
We will listen, and we will believe you. We will ask what you want to happen, and we will not do anything you have not agreed to unless someone's safety requires it.
We will not make you confront anyone. We will not tell the other person who reported it unless you say we can.
We will tell you what we decide to do.
If you would rather not speak to Abigail, Miah or Ling directly, message us through the contact form instead, and we will find another way to help.
What we do about it
Depending on what happened, that can be a private word, a warning, being asked to leave for the night, or being asked not to come back.
We make those decisions ourselves, and we do not put them to a vote. We would rather lose a paying student than keep a room where people do not feel safe.