RVA Swing & I Heart Bal strive to create an explicitly anti-racist, body-positive, and LGBTQ-friendly space.
Our goal is to provide a friendly and safe environment for all students, regardless of their age, skill level, race, religion, body size, gender identity, or sexual orientation. We want everyone to have a good time and to enjoy the fun of social dance in a physically and emotionally safe environment.
By attending I Heart Bal, you agree to follow our General Code of Conduct as well as our COVID19 Code of Conduct, outlined below.
General Code of Conduct
First & foremost: treat your fellow dancers, and your instructors, with kindness and respect
--Demeaning, harassing, or dismissive language will not be tolerated. This includes racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, or fatphobic comments.
--Respect your instructors’ & fellow students' pronouns
--Respect that every student has the right to learn the dance role of their choice
--Always get verbal consent for a dance before touching someone
RVA Swing will not tolerate any behavior that violates our Code of Conduct or that contributes to a generally toxic or unsafe learning environment.
This includes, but is not limited to:
-- Offensive verbal comments & microaggressions related to gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, age, physical appearance, body size, race or religion
--Sexual language, imagery, or invitations, as well as inappropriate physical contact, unwelcome touching, and all forms of sexual harassment.
--Harassment of any kind, including following/stalking and abusive messages sent via email/text/social media
RVA Swing/I Heart Bal reserves the right to remove disruptive, unsafe, or toxic students/attendees without a refund.
2023 COVID-19 Code of Conduct
All attendees & staff must follow the COVID safety guidelines put forth by the event. These are still in flux for the 2023 event, but for now plan on the following:
-- do not attend the event if you are unwell
-- be up-to-date on your COVID vaccination & provide accurate, truthful info about your vaccination status
-- please exercise care in the week leading up to the event to avoid bringing COVID with you! (And consider taking a rapid test before you head out)
-- if traveling with others, communicate your risk level, risk tolerance, and precautions with your roommates/travel companions, and set a common set of safety precautions for your group
-- if you are a guest in someone's home, communicate your risk level, risk tolerance, and precautions to your hosts, and abide by any and all of their house COVID safety rules
