| No discrimination of participants based on race, religion, sex, sexual preference, age, or level of ability. |
| Contact improv is a physically close form of dance, and a reasonable level of personal hygiene is expected. Please make every effort to bathe, wear clean clothes, and trim finger- and toenails. This demonstrates courtesy to your dance partners. |
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An introductory class is required for any dancer new to contact improvisation who wishes to attend the jam. This provides an opportunity for some specific training for the safety of all the dancers. Please protect yourself, and leave others free to protect themselves, at all times. As with all physical activities, there is a degree of risk associated with contact improv dance. You are responsible for your own safety. You know your own limits; choose your own risks. Understand that each dancer will have different physical and emotional boundaries, and those boundaries may not be readily apparent. Be sensitive to all other dancers and avoid making assumptions about whether something is "OK" or not. If something or someone is making you uncomfortable, it is your responsibility to establish boundaries directly with other dancers. You may always choose to disengage from that particular dance. You should understand that your boundaries may be quite different than another dancers' and be prepared to be told by another dancer, or tell another dancer, that something is not right for an individual. You are not required to dance with everyone (or with anyone); nor is everyone required to dance with you. Do not confuse proximity with sexual intimacy. Inappropriate sexual intimacy is unwanted at the jam. You are responsible for warming yourself up, entering & exiting dances with others as you wish, and cooling yourself down. Communicate with your dance partners about any injuries or limitations that require extra awareness and attention in the dance. |
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Keep the dance space for dancing and dance-related activities. Remove chatter from the dance space for the courtesy of the other dancers. You are free to enter or leave the dance space at any time during the jam. You can choose to sit at the edge of the space and watch as an attentive witness "holding" the space. Please take all conversations out of the dance space. A soft chime will be present at all jams. Sounding the chime is a request for decreased volume/chatter, etc. Anyone can ring the chime at any time. The chime replaces "shushing." |
| Take care of the dance space we use so we do not lose access to it. A $5-$10 contribution is expected from each dancer at each jam to cover rental costs. |
| The jam is managed by Sheila Skemp, Heather Good, and Nataraj Hauser. As jam facilitators, we arrange for rental of the space, publish the jam schedule, collect payment and pay rent, and teach the monthly introductory classes. If you have questions about contact improvisation or the jam, please feel free to talk to one of us before or after the jam or contact us via e-mail. The jam is not a class--we are not teachers, therapists, or community organizers at the jam; we are dancers. If you want instruction in contact improvisation, please attend the monthly introductory class and check out the jam schedule for occasional workshops and other events. |
Thanks & see you at the jam!
- Sheila, Heather, and Nataraj