What do you love and what changes would you like to see?
Contact Improvisation involves vulnerability, trust, risk, and human complexity. Conflicts, misunderstandings, injuries, and boundary violations may occur. Our goal is to respond in ways that prioritize safety, dignity, learning, accountability, and repair.
We seek a culture that is neither punitive nor permissive: one that centers the needs of those harmed while supporting opportunities for understanding, behavior change, and restoration whenever possible.
Anyone present may take action to increase safety. This may include:
Pausing a dance or interaction
Checking in with someone who appears uncomfortable or distressed
Creating physical or emotional space
Seeking assistance from a facilitator, organizer, or support person
Responding to medical needs
The immediate priority is not assessing accountability. The immediate priority is ensuring that everyone is safe and supported.
Many concerns can be resolved through clear communication. If a participant feels comfortable doing so, they are encouraged to communicate directly with the other person.
Examples include:
"Please stop."
"That didn't feel okay to me."
"I don't want to continue this dance."
"I need more space."
"Please ask before doing that."
Participants are encouraged to receive such feedback with curiosity rather than defensiveness.
Direct communication is encouraged but never required. No one is obligated to speak with someone whose behavior stimulated pain.
Any participant may seek support from organizers, facilitators, or designated support team members.
Support team members can:
Listen without judgment
Help clarify what happened
Discuss available options
Help assess immediate safety needs
Support direct communication if desired
Facilitate next steps
The person who experienced a negative impact determines, whenever possible, what kind of support they would like to receive.
When someone shares that they have been harmed or negatively impacted, listeners strive to:
Listen attentively
Take the concern seriously
Avoid arguing about intent
Avoid pressuring someone to forgive, reconcile, or minimize their experience
Respect privacy and autonomy
Impact and intent are both important. When they differ, we begin by attending to impact.
Not every difficult interaction would be characterized as misconduct. However, every concern deserves respectful attention.
Responses should match the nature, severity, and pattern of the behavior.
For misunderstandings, minor impacts, or accidental boundary crossings, explore:
Direct conversation
Clarification of expectations
Acknowledgment of impact
Apology
Requests for changed behavior
Facilitated conversation
For more significant concerns, possible responses include:
Facilitated dialogue
Mediation
Coaching or mentoring
Behavioral agreements
Increased support or supervision
Temporary pause from activities
When behavior creates ongoing risk or involves serious boundary violations, organizers may:
Restrict participation in specific activities
Remove a participant from a jam, class, or event
Remove a participant from the festival
Decline future participation
Contact emergency or professional services if necessary
Organizers will use their best judgment and prioritize safety; they are not required or expected to move through every stage before taking protective action.
Accountability is not punishment. Accountability means responding responsibly to impact. A participant practicing accountability is encouraged to:
Listen to feedback
Respect requested boundaries immediately
Acknowledge impact
Change behavior
Accept consequences
Seek education, mentoring, or support
Participate in repair when appropriate and mutually desired
Provide a meaningful apology including changing future behavior.
All participants share responsibility for community wellbeing. Participants are encouraged to:
Address concerns directly when appropriate
Seek support when needed
Avoid rumor-spreading and public shaming
Avoid retaliation
Respect confidentiality while recognizing that complete secrecy cannot always be guaranteed when safety concerns exist
Every participant can care for themselves by:
Saying yes or no
Changing their mind
Leaving a dance
Declining touch or conversation
Requesting support
Setting boundaries
Prioritizing their wellbeing
No participant is entitled to another person's time, touch, attention, explanation, forgiveness, or emotional labor.
Festival organizers will identify designated support people who will wear rainbow bracelets to identify their role and availability. These support people intend to:
Support safety
Listen compassionately
Center the needs and agency of those impacted
Help participants understand available options
Facilitate communication when requested
Support accountability and repair processes
Help uphold community agreements
Support team members are not judges. Their role is to support safety, care, accountability, and community wellbeing.
We aspire to practice care and respect in both our dancing and our relationships.
This means taking concerns seriously without reducing people to their worst moments. It means centering those who have been impacted while remaining open to learning, accountability, repair, and transformation. Together we create a culture of consent, mutual care, courage, and belonging.