Our goal is to foster a consent-based culture, ensuring safety while acknowledging the inherent risks of the practice of CI. If you perceive a breach of these Guidelines immediately inform a facilitator, later via phone/email (877-460-0422, tummdance@gmail.com), or anonymously through a comment box at the event.

Consent Culture

Consent culture is a culture in which asking for and seeking consent is normalized and supported. Consent based culture involves following people's "yes" rather than waiting for someone's "no" in all aspects of dancing.

Consent Culture is a practice of continuously checking with ourselves and our dance partners to ensure that dances feel emotionally and physically safe. Checking in may be a verbal or non-verbal process. When in doubt, ask. 

Part of upholding our consent culture includes recognizing that the ability to say no (verbally or nonverbally) and uphold boundaries is complicated by power dynamics and identity perspective. 

These Guidelines encourage participants to proactively tend to the safety of others at the jam as opposed to operating on the assumption that everyone takes care of themselves.

Our intention is to foster awareness, accessibility, diversity, inclusivity, and dialogue in jam spaces. 

The organizing team will not tolerate: discrimination of any kind; violence; sexual harassment or assault; offensive comments or behavior related to sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, mental illness, physical appearance, body size, age, race, religion, nationality, language, lifestyle choices and practices, including those related to food, health, parenting, drugs, and employment.

If you experience or witness unsafe or harassing behavior please contact a facilitator immediately, or by the other modes outlined above.

Contact Improv is NOT for Sexual Exploration

Sexual feelings may arise during a dance, but the jam isn't for exploring sexual intimacy. Any sexual exploration or solicitation is inappropriate in the Jam space.

Types of Touch

• Explicit sexuality, including intentional stimulation of erogenous zones, is prohibited. Incidental contact may occur, but purposeful touching or stimulation is not allowed.

• Focus on non-sexual touch types fundamental to Contact Improvisation: rolling point of contact, following momentum, giving, taking & sharing weight. Other consensual forms of touch are acceptable.

Hygiene

Maintain good hygiene and wear clean, safe clothing. (Examples of unsafe clothing include slippery materials and articles with hard snaps or zippers.) Avoid strong scents, allergen-laden clothes, and jewelry that might cause injury. Cover wounds (cold sores, warts, etc.) securely and wash hands before contact with others or shared surfaces.

Safety and Consideration

Use the space considerately, keeping vigorous activities central and quieter ones to the sides. Ensure safety and awareness, particularly in crowded areas. Limit social conversations to outside the dance space, and avoid extended rehearsing or teaching. No mobile devices, cameras, food, or open containers. Photos/videos must be approved in advance.

Substance Policy

Alcohol consumption and the use of mind-altering drugs before or during jams is not tolerated. Therapeutic use of substances that are medically needed (for example for pain management) are welcome as long as you are able to maintain control of your body movements and social considerations.

Wellness & Covid-19 Policy

We support participants to decide whether or not to wear a mask.  Please do not attend if you: - have a fever, - have had a fever in the last 24 hours, - recently lost of smell or taste, - have diarrhea, - have an uncontrollable cough, - have recently been exposed to COVID, - are awaiting COVID test results, or - tested positive for COVID within the last 5 days.

Agreement

I will respect the facilitator’s plan to resolve any disputes and/or issues that may arise, which may include being asked to alter my behavior in respect of these Guidelines and in very rare cases being asked to leave the practice sessions.