wcciJAM

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GROUND RULES

Violating the following ground rules is grounds for expulsion:
 

• NO hate, NO harassment. 

• Respect people and their diverse boundaries, respect the space, the event, and the practice.

• The jam is not a pick-up scene.

• No drugs or alcohol.

• Stay home if you are sick or contagious.

 

 

 

GUIDELINES

 

Focus
 

• A jam is a focused environment in which to practice Contact Improvisation. 

• Sound and speaking are welcome as part of the dancing. However, please keep strictly social conversation off the dance floor. Feel free to remind others of this when they want to chat. 

• Keep cell phone usage off the dance floor.

• Keep your personal belongings in the lobbies, or in the basement level.

• Do not take photos or videos without the consent of everyone in the room.
  
   

Spatial Awareness 
 

• Jam spaces may be crowded. Awareness makes us safe!
  Dance at any speed that feels right, but move non-dance interactions to the side of the room or out of it entirely.

• Bodywork is welcome as long as it is consensual and not in the way of the dancing.

• The whole room is always in one dance together. Keep adjusting the settings on the telescope of your awareness. Solos, duets, trios, quartets, and groups are all part of the greater dance; the floor is your partner at all times. Please, begin your dancing with a spirit of attending to what is already happening. 

• Observing is a great way to participate, support the space, and learn!
   

 

Safety & Boundaries 
 

• Use your words. Saying “No” or “Stop”, or asking “Is this OK?” is appropriate at any time. 

• Leave dances whenever; no explanation needed.

• Be cordial. Be kind. Both give and listen for feedback as needed. 

• Do not teach or correct another dancer without being asked to.

• Please keep in mind that the unjust racial, gendered, and economic power dynamics of the world do not magically disappear on the dance floor. We invite you to consider who is or isn’t in the room, who speaks, who is heard, who leads, and who makes demands. 

• Many states and impulses can surface during dancing, including passing feelings of sexual arousal. However, sexual behavior, regardless of whether it is consensual or not, is not appropriate, including making feelings of arousal the focus or intention of the dance.

• In the event that anyone experiences a boundary violation, we ask that you reach out to a core organizer.  We will address any incidents that arise with a commitment to giving all parties an opportunity to be heard by an impartial third. We will seek resolutions that work for everyone, and we will enforce our bottom line rules of respect and safety. 

Hygiene
 

• Wear a shirt. Bring extra clothes if you tend to sweat profusely. 

• Wear shoes in the parking lot and sidewalk.

• Cover warts and wounds well.

• Wash hands frequently. Take showers.

• Do not come to the jam if you have a contagious infection of any kind.

• Remember to rest. The schedule is packed; you can’t do it all!

 

Kids
 

• Children of registered jammers are always welcome in the cafe. If your child is using an electronic device, make sure they have headphones.

• No kids in the class spaces. Kids can come to jams as space allows.

• Accompanying adults must supervise kids at jams at all times. To jam with a kid, you must be responsible for their safety, mindful of their impact on the room, and open to feedback.