Take My Hand Blues (TMH) strives to create a space that is safe, welcoming, and inclusive for everyone, regardless of age, race, gender, sexuality, ability, experience, background, or other identifying features. By attending our event, you are agreeing to help make that happen. Here’s how:

• Celebrate the diversity of skills and styles in this community! Consider asking new dancers, experienced dancers, and dancers you don’t know to dance.
• When you ask someone to dance, let them know if you want to Lead, Follow, or Switch, or ask their preference.
• It’s OK to say “No” to a dance, or any activity, without offering an explanation.
• It’s OK if someone says “No” to you. Celebrate people taking care of themselves.
• Offer feedback ONLY if you’ve been explicitly asked to do so by your partner, or you are feeling uncomfortable/unsafe in the dance.
• TMH is an environment for the celebration, practice, and development of American vernacular dances and music. Understand that other styles of dance come with a different set of partnering agreements and aesthetics that may not be appropriate for TMH events.
• Understand that certain activities require consent. Make sure you have consent before dancing with someone, changing your embrace, sharing weight (dips, etc.), cuddling, photographing them, or initiating explicit conversations.
• Any explicit disrespect or disregard of enthusiastic consent will not be tolerated at TMH and associated events.
• Do not perform aerials on the social dance floor.
• TMH hosts drug-free events. Please don’t bring those items into the space. Each venue has a different policy on alcohol- please respect those policies. Anyone who is visibly intoxicated will be asked to leave the space regardless of venue policy.
• Do not bring firearms or other weapons into this space.
• Keep an eye out for each other- let an organizer or volunteer know if you see any behavior going down at TMH that doesn't seem awesome.
• TMH does not tolerate any form of harassment**. Inappropriate behavior or harassment that occurs between members of our community outside of our dance events may also be cause for suspension or expulsion from TMH events. With that, it is important to understand differences between harassment and personal issues, and that we cannot get involved in interpersonal feuds.

Sometimes, even when we’re trying to be awesome, we wind up doing something that makes someone else feel unsafe or uncomfortable. If you are asked to stop any behaviors, either by an organizer or fellow attendee, you are expected to listen respectfully and comply immediately. If you have ideas about ways we could make our community safer and more inclusive, we want to hear about it!

When possible, TMH Safe Space representatives will attempt to work with anyone who violates this code to correct the behavior *before* any punitive steps are taken. Extreme or repeated violations of this code, or refusal to cooperate with Safe Space volunteers, may be met with consequences up to and including expulsion from the event without a refund and suspension from future TMH events.

TMH encourages you to take initiative in respecting, setting, discussing, and defending boundaries. If you feel uncomfortable or unsafe confronting a situation, please talk to an organizer or volunteer. We take all complaints seriously and are committed to resolving issues to the greatest extent possible. Anyone who reports a safe space violation has the right to request that their information be kept entirely anonymous, and no further action will be taken without the reporter’s consent, unless further reports of the same infraction are received. 

**Harassment includes offensive verbal comments (related to gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, OR religion), sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of workshops or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention.

Harassment is not always done intentionally. If anyone engages in harassing or unsafe behavior, the event staff may take any action they deem appropriate. Anyone asked to stop any harassing or unsafe behavior is expected to comply immediately. Anyone who does not comply immediately may be sanctioned or expelled from the event without a refund at the discretion of the event staff.

If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact an event staff member immediately. Contact a front desk volunteer, instructor, or DJ if you need assistance locating an event staff member.

Event staff will be happy to help with contacting the organizers, venue security, or local law enforcement; providing escorts; or otherwise assisting those experiencing harassment to feel safe for the duration of the event. We value your attendance and your safety.

We expect participants to follow these rules at all event venues and related social events. Any violations can be reported in person to an organizer or via our Contact page. Anonymous reports are accepted.

Please do contact someone if you need help or have any questions or concerns. Be safe, and enjoy dancing!

(We're thankful to Powerhouse Blues for allowing us to reflect the content and spirit of their safe spaces policies at this event.)