Balance the Bay: Policies and Advice

Gender Balance

Attention will be paid to gender balance to ensure near equilibrium.  We also pay attention to the balance between leaders and followers.  Registrants are asked to indicate a preferred dance role (lead, follow, or both), in addition to their gender.  Registering as “both” indicates that you are willing to dance whatever role is most needed at the time—should the dance floor have a gender imbalance, please dance the minority gender role.  Registering as “both” will not improve your chances of admission.

Tips for a Friendlier Dance Experience

We want Balance the Bay to become known as a friendly and welcoming dance experience. Here are some things we all can do to help that happen.

• Limit the number of dances you "book ahead". It's a long weekend; you'll have time to dance with all your old friends and make new ones as well.
• Invite someone who has been sitting on the sidelines. If everyone who is already on the floor partners up right away, it's hard for those people to get back into the dance.
• Dance in all the lines. "Center line syndrome" is self-defeating. If some lines are long and some are short, it's hard for the caller to know how long to run the dance. If some lines are full of "hot" dancers and some are not, the caller is going to have to slow the pace of the dance.
• Dance with whoever comes at you. Don't let an assumption about gender stop you from taking someone in your arms and swinging or whatever. If they are, in fact, dancing the other role, you're doing the right thing. If, on the other hand, they've gotten momentarily switched, dance with them anyway. Get through the figure. Keep the dance flowing. They can find a way to switch back whenever they get a momentary break.
• Dance with as many people as possible. The best advice is to ask these three people to dance with you:
  • someone you've never met before
  • someone who's at a different level of experience than you
  • someone you really love to dance with!
  Over the course of the weekend, you'll have time to find lots of people in each category.
• Tolerate mistakes. They happen. And experienced dancers on "autopilot" make them nearly as often as beginners (they just recover faster). Just pick up from where you are and go on. The dance repeats. You get another chance to do it right.
• Smile, relax, and have fun. That's what we're here for.

Fragrance-Free Policy

Balance the Bay is a "Fragrance Free" event. This means that you are asked not to use scented cosmetics, cleaners, and personal hygiene items. Chemicals used in perfumes and fragrances give some of our dancers allergic reactions that range from irritated eyes to dizziness and nausea. Some dancers contract symptoms that are even more severe. In consideration of our valued dancing friends who are affected, please come scent free.

Restrooms will be stocked with supplies from BACDS's collection of fragrance-free soaps and lotions, and we encourage you to make use of them when you take time to freshen up.

Some other tips to make the dance more enjoyable for all:

• Shower or bathe before you come to the event;
• Consider using a scent-free deodorant;
• Bring a couple of extra shirts/tops, and change into a new one whenever you feel you've perspired too much.

Finally, and most definitely: Relax and enjoy the dance!

Take care of your feet, and our floor

Please bring clean shoes to wear on the dance floor. Dust, sand, grit, and mud tracked in on shoes that have been worn out of doors can very quickly damage the finish on a dance floor, which may mean that we may be asked to pay for refinishing, or even asked not to rent this hall again.

Please, if you can, bring a pair of comfortable, clean shoes, free of outside dust and dirt, and change into them before getting out on the dance floor. If you must wear shoes that have been outside, brush off the soles, and inspect them for embedded rocks and grit before you enter the dance hall. We will provide shoe brushes by the main door for your convenience.

And pay attention to your feet, your knees, and your legs in general. You'll be dancing all weekend. Some advice for making the best of it:

• Pay attention to your aches and pains. If your body is hurting, it's trying to tell you something.
• Bring extra comfy shoes and soft insoles to help pad your steps. Even a pair of comfortable non-dance shoes help give your feet a break when you are not on the dance floor.
• Vary your steps. Try switching from the buzz-step swing to a walking swing from time to time; move with big slow steps or short quick ones; bend your knees more or less. The more variety you put in your motion, the less strain you put on your joints.
• Warm up and cool down. Don't start dancing at top speed without taking time to limber up your muscles. And when you stop, walk around a bit to cool down, so you won't stiffen up so much when you finally sit down.

Smoking

California Law prohibits smoking indoors at this event. If you must smoke, do so outside on the balcony, and at a sufficient distance from the door that people don't have to walk through a cloud of smoke to enter or exit.

Alcoholic Beverages

Our agreement with the hall includes the understanding that our event does not encourage consumption of alcoholic beverages on the premises. If we violate this understanding, we will be liable for damages, and will be required to hire security guards. We will, in turn, hold any identified drinkers responsible for reimbursing our costs. If you must drink, you will need to do so responsibly.

Harassment Policy

The Bay Area Country Dance Society does not condone or permit any behavior at its events which intentionally harms, intimidates, or harasses any participant, either physically, sexually, or emotionally.

Eye contact and flirtatious looks and gestures are part of the fun of Contra dancing, and will not be considered to be harassment unless the attentions continue after the dance is over. Similarly, accidental body contact in the course of a vigorous dance will not be considered harassing, unless it can be shown to be part of a pattern of deliberately-planned "accidental" contacts.

Anyone who feels harassed, intimidated, or threatened is encouraged to speak to one of the event organizers. The alleged offender will be informed of the complaint, warned not to repeat the offense, and observed to see that he or she complies. If the offense is repeated or substantiated, the offender will be asked to leave.

We reserve the right to refuse registration or admission to anyone whose behavior has been judged by the BACDS Board or by the event manager to be disruptive, harassing, or dangerous.

Cancellation Policy

Our policy is fully explained on our cancellation form.