New Dancers are to be treated with patience and kindness! 

We love seeing new faces at our dances and sessions, and we were all beginners once!

Anybody can politely ask anybody to dance.

The traditional image of people dancing in male-female couples, while perfectly valid, is far from the only option, and we want everyone to feel encouraged to dance with whoever they want.

         You are allowed to politely decline a dance!

You do not owe anyone a dance, or an explanation if you don’t want to dance with them, we only ask that you are polite.

          Be considerate towards your dance partners.

If you’re unsure about whether somebody is comfortable, ask them. If you aren’t comfortable with something, then don’t suffer in silence. Between you and your partner, you can work something out that works for both of you. If the issue is not resolved, see our complaints procedure or speak to one of the committee members.

Respecting people’s personal space boundaries, especially when they are not the same as your own, is vital to keeping everyone happy and comfortable.

         Gender-free calling

CeilidhSoc’s ceilidhs are all called gender-free. This means that our callers won’t use gendered terms when instructing dances.
Anyone can dance with anyone at our ceilidhs, and we want people to feel comfortable doing so. If you are used to more traditional gender roles in dance, this can take some adjustment, but it’s often easier than it sounds! There are many reasons why people dance together, and it’s not a big deal (or, indeed, anyone else’s business) as far as we are concerned.

 

 

 

 

This etiquette guide is inspired by The Round Dance Club in Cambridge, who in turn got theirs from the Cambridge Dancers’ Club.