Code of Conduct
RVA Swing strives to create an explicitly anti-racist, body-positive, and LGBTQIA+ friendly space.
RVA Swing strives to create an explicitly anti-racist, body-positive, and LGBTQIA+ 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.
Our studio and our events are not a bar, nor are they a dating service. Come to our events to learn, dance, and make friends, but don't roll up in here just to try and pick up a date.
First & foremost: treat your fellow dancers, and your instructors, with kindness and respect
By attending RVA Swing classes or events, you agree to follow our Code of Conduct & Class Etiquette
--Demeaning or dismissive language will not be tolerated. This includes racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, or fatphobic comments.
--Respect your instructors’ & fellow students' pronouns
--Do not use gendered language to describe dance roles. Dance roles have nothing to do with gender: anyone may choose to lead or follow.
--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 and/or assault.
--Harassment of any kind, including bullying, following/stalking, and abusive messages sent via email/text/social media
RVA Swing reserves the right to remove disruptive, unsafe, or toxic students/attendees without a refund.
If you experience or witness any behavior that violates our Code of Conduct please inform a staff member or email the studio owner at RVAswing@gmail.com
Class Etiquette
--Be respectful to our teaching staff, even if you are experiencing a personal frustration.
--Don’t offer unsolicited advice to fellow dancers either in class or on the social dance floor. We are all here to learn together, but only the instructors are here to teach.
--Use your full range of senses on the dance floor to avoid accidental collisions and injuries. It is every dancer's responsibility to be aware of their own and their partner's movement and position, as well as the movement and position of the dancers surrounding them, in order to avoid accidents and injuries.
--Please refrain from talking when the instructor is talking to the class.
--Please silence your cell phone during class and refrain from filming your instructor or fellow students unless given explicit permission to do so.
--Please respect your instructor’s guidance in regards to your class level. We want everyone to have a good learning experience and sometimes this does involve disappointment when you are not yet ready to move into the next level. (Students who feel "stuck" in a level may benefit from private instruction to address the specific elements of their dancing that need attention.
Covid19 Safety
We no longer check vax cards for classes & events, BUT we remind all students that COVID is gonna be with us forever, that partnered dancing is a close-contact activity, and that smart humans keep themselves up to date on yearly flu & COVID shots to avoid long and/or serious bouts of illness.
Basic COVID/cold/flu etiquette
Do not attend a class or dance if you are sick. Seriously, don't be a jerk.
Please consider what you might be bringing with you to class:
Is someone in your house sick? Is something going around your office or school? Have tickle in your throat or think it's "just allergies"? When in doubt, please wear a mask to class to prevent unintentionally spreading illness to others. Again, please don't be a jerk. We have single-use masks available for free at the front desk.
Want to protect yourself from all the yucky airborne things that others may unintentionally bring to class? Your best bet is to wear to a well-fitting N95 or KN95 mask while inside the building.
For regular monthly class series:
Please make sure to give us 24 hours notice of cancellations in order to guarantee a full refund.
Registered for a series and can no longer attend? Please let us know ASAP by emailing RVAswing@gmail.com.
We can only issue refunds or class credits to students who notify us directly of cancellations before the class begins.
--Cancellations made at least 24 hours before the 1st class of a series are eligible for a full refund or class credit (please indicate your choice when you notify us of your cancellation).
--Cancellations received on the day of the 1st class are considered “late cancellations” because these spaces can be difficult to fill with short notice. Late cancellations made at least 4 hours before class starts are eligible for a 50% refund.
--Last-minute cancellations received less than 4 hours before a class series begins, as well as no-shows, are not eligible for any refunds or class credits.
--Once you start a series, no refund is given for class absences.
(We can be a little more flexible with cancellations due to positive COVID test, just contact us ASAP).
For special event workshops:
Our cancellation policy varies from event to event, based on the specific situation, but in general, for workshops that involve bringing in an out of town instructor, we ask for a minimum of 2 days notice in order to receive a refund. Some special events are non-refundable. The specific refund/cancellation policy for special events will be listed prominently on the registration page for that event.
For special event workshops:
Our cancellation policy varies from event to event, based on the specific situation, but in general, for workshops that involve bringing in an out of town instructor, we ask for a minimum of 2 days notice in order to receive a refund. Some special events are non-refundable. The specific refund/cancellation policy for special events will be listed prominently on the registration page for that event.
Levels
Please refer to our level descriptions and any specific pre-requisites on the individual class pages when choosing classes. RVA Swing instructors reserve the right to change a student's class placement to best suit the student's skill level, as well as to maintain a good learning environment for other students.
Shoe Policy
We spent over a month building our dance floor and we want it to stand the test of time! Help us keep it nice by following these basic guidelines:
--Please remove your street shoes right away (before you come inside the studio, if you can).
-- Please wear suede or leather-soled dance shoes for classes and dances.
-- If you don't own actual dance shoes, please bring a clean pair of sneakers with non-marking* soles to change into for classes/dances. This will help us keep grit and dirt off the floor.
*generally, many shoes with black rubber will leave a mark, which can be difficult to remove. Opt for athletic shoes and you'll be fine!
The following types of shoes are absolutely prohibited inside the RVA Swing studio:
- NO stilettos or other spiked heels. Not only are these inappropriate and dangerous footwear for swing dancing, they also tend to gouge and dent wood floors.
- No home-made duct tape soles. Yeah these might work great for a bit, but as you dance, you wear through the tape and leave sticky adhesive gunk for everyone else to dance on. No bueno!
- No tap shoes. These will shred the floor. Any tap classes we offer will be soft-shoe only. :)
Please refer to our level descriptions and any specific pre-requisites on the individual class pages when choosing classes. RVA Swing instructors reserve the right to change a student's class placement to best suit the student's skill level, as well as to maintain a good learning environment for other students.
Shoe Policy
We spent over a month building our dance floor and we want it to stand the test of time! Help us keep it nice by following these basic guidelines:
--Please remove your street shoes right away (before you come inside the studio, if you can).
-- Please wear suede or leather-soled dance shoes for classes and dances.
-- If you don't own actual dance shoes, please bring a clean pair of sneakers with non-marking* soles to change into for classes/dances. This will help us keep grit and dirt off the floor.
*generally, many shoes with black rubber will leave a mark, which can be difficult to remove. Opt for athletic shoes and you'll be fine!
The following types of shoes are absolutely prohibited inside the RVA Swing studio:
- NO stilettos or other spiked heels. Not only are these inappropriate and dangerous footwear for swing dancing, they also tend to gouge and dent wood floors.
- No home-made duct tape soles. Yeah these might work great for a bit, but as you dance, you wear through the tape and leave sticky adhesive gunk for everyone else to dance on. No bueno!
- No tap shoes. These will shred the floor. Any tap classes we offer will be soft-shoe only. :)
