Philadelphia Argentine Tango School: What We Believe

We believe that tango has a role to play in the creation of a more inclusive, open and just society. Tango creates opportunities for people to meet, embrace and form relationships outside of their normal circles and routines. These human-to-human connections can be leveraged to ameliorate pervasive inequality in our society. The Philadelphia Argentine Tango School (PATS) seeks to create spaces and events that are safe, welcoming, and inclusive for everyone, regardless of age, race, gender, sexuality, ability, experience, background, or other identifying features. We invite your feedback and collaboration as we strive together to better our tango spaces, events and community.

What is the safer spaces program?
The safer spaces program creates and maintains policies to build inclusive and welcoming tango spaces, and provides support for individual tango dancers experiencing discomfort or harm, so that we can all enjoy a great tango experience.

What is the goal of the program?
Our goal is to make the tango safe, welcoming, and inclusive for everyone, regardless of age, race, gender, sexuality, ability, experience, background, or other identifying features. As always, more diversity and inclusion means more people to dance with, so this initiative helps us grow our tango community and help ensure that dancers continue to participate.

Who can I talk to about the program?
The Philadelphia Argentine Tango School Safer Spaces Coordinators are Kate Donohue, Gustavo Rueda and Amy Yang. Or talk to anyone wearing a Safer Spaces button at a milonga!

If you have ideas about ways we could make our community safer and more inclusive, we want to hear about it! Please email us at [email protected].

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Code of Conduct

By attending our event, you are agreeing to help make the event safe, welcoming and inclusive for everyone. 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.

• You may use “cabaceo” (a meeting of the eyes, and then a nod to the dance floor) to invite a dance, or you may ask verbally.

• Respect another dancer’s right to consent (to choose how and with whom they dance).

  • 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.

• Respect another dancer’s preference to dance in open embrace (whether it’s expressed verbally or non-verbally). Every dancer is always empowered to ask for a more open embrace.

• Pay attention to whether someone is comfortable being led into an off-axis movement, i.e. volcadas and colgadas.

• Be aware that as a long-time or advanced dancer you have power and privilege in the space. You’re seen as a model. Take care not to let your preferences diminish those of others.

• Respect all the rules of the Line of Dance. This is a matter of courtesy and physical safety in our community. We’ve put together this Line of Dance Guide.

• Please DO NOT:

  • Engage in sexual behavior on the social dance floor.

  • Offer feedback during the tanda, unless you’ve been explicitly asked to do so by your partner, or you are feeling uncomfortable/unsafe in the dance.

  • Lead or follow big movements when they put others at risk. Do not perform dips or jumps on the social dance floor.

  • Bring drugs into the space. PAT’s events are drug-free.

  • Drink to excess. Anyone who is visibly intoxicated will be asked to leave the space regardless of venue policy.

  • Bring any weapons into the space.

• PATS does not tolerate any form of harassment.

  • 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, taking photos or videos when you have been asked not to, sustained disruption of workshops or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention.

  • There is a form of harassment that is specific to tango: repeatedly trying the same lead/movement, when it is not working / is not being understood. If a lead / movement does not work once or twice, please do not try it again with the same follower / in the same tanda. This is appropriate only in a practice setting, i.e. in “practicas” or class.

  • Inappropriate behavior or harassment between members of our community that occurs outside of PATS spaces may be serious enough to warrant consequences. Consequences may include suspension from PATS events.

• Sometimes, we wind up doing something that makes someone else feel unsafe or uncomfortable, even when it is not our intention. If you are asked to stop any behaviors, either by an organizer or fellow attendee, you are expected to listen respectfully and comply immediately.

Keep an eye out for each other. Let a Safer Spaces coordinator or volunteer (or a PATS staff member) know if you see any behavior at PATS’s events that doesn’t seem right.

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Credit:
These guidelines were adapted from Powerhouse Blues’ guidelines and are being used with permission.