Ashland Tango

Argentine tango is an intimate & heartfelt dance which flourishes when all participants feel safe and cared for. Our mutual care & respect is what allows us to connect deeply, sink down into the embrace, and open ourselves to the magic of the moment. With this in mind, we ask all participants in Tango events to abide by our codes of conduct.

By participating in our events, you agree to abide by the code of conduct outlined here. Failure to follow these guidelines may result in disinvitation from our events. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to talk to us! We are happy to explain and clarify as needed.

We foster an environment of welcome & inclusion. All are welcome in our spaces, regardless of age, gender, ability, ethnicity, religion, or level of experience. We strive to create a genuinely inclusive and welcoming space for all, and we ask that all dancers in our community do the same. We strive to make accommodations as needed for differing and divergent abilities.

We respect & care for our non-binary & transgender community. When participants are introducing themselves to the class, we will ask for our participants’ pronouns and strive to use them correctly. We ask that each participant in our classes and at our milongas do the same.

We do not expect or require followers to wear heels. Shoes should be comfortable for you and meet your own needs. Anyone is welcome to wear heels if they like, whether leading or following.

If something isn’t working, we try to ask questions. In the classroom, we prioritize mutual learning, growth, and joy. We respect each other’s learning paths and understand that not everyone learns or moves the same way, and lean on curiosity (“could we try it a little bit differently?”, “What happens if we ______?”) rather than blame (“you’re doing it wrong”) when something isn’t working.

The closeness of tango is not an excuse for unwanted touch. We expect conscientious and respectful behavior from all. If something or someone is crossing a boundary for you, please let us know!

We do not tolerate harassment, disrespect, or aggression under any circumstances. We look out for unwanted, unsafe, and inconsiderate behaviors and do our best to check in actively to ensure that everyone remains comfortable.

No lifts. Lifts can be dangerous unless executed perfectly. For reasons of liability, we ask that you do not perform or practice lifts in our classes, practicas, or milongas. Even if you feel sure that you can execute them, other dancers may see you doing them and attempt them unsafely. (Professional dancers invited to perform at our events are an exception.)

We strive to make a comfortable and safe experience for all. Not all potentially discomfiting behavior is immediate grounds for being disinvited from our spaces, but our goal is always to address concerns as early as possible. A physically uncomfortable embrace, attempts at movements that can harm a dancer unless led and followed precisely (lifts, colgadas, etc), poor hygiene, lack of care for others on the dancefloor, accidental misgendering, etc are examples of behaviors that we will try to rectify through conversation first. However, if conversation doesn’t lead to improvement in the behavior, and other dancers continue to report feeling discomfort, we will gently disinvite participants who we feel aren’t willing to commit to the standard of mutual care that we strive for. More egregious behaviors will be handled more immediately and absolutely if we judge that the circumstance merits it.

We teach and use the codigos (what are codigos?) to cultivate an environment of mutual care where all dancers on the floor are working together to create the best experience for all. Not following the codigos isn’t ground for disinvitation from our events, but we do ask you to be familiar with them and willing to follow them as much as possible!

We ask you to tell us what you need. Since we aren’t (alas) omnipotent, we ask that you make us aware of any special ways we can support your presence in our shared spaces.

We strive to be transparent and open in disciplinary matters, and reserve the right to make final judgment. Participation in our spaces is a shared pleasure, not a right, and we reserve the ability to make the final call when it comes to questions of preserving community safety. We will always do our very best to be as fair and transparent in the process as possible, solicit input from all parties concerned, and ask other respected community members for their feedback as well.

If you feel unsafe or uncomfortable in our dance spaces for any reason, please reach out to us immediately to let us know. We will always do our very best to address the concern in a way that meets your needs and makes you feel heard and supported. If one of us is the cause of the discomfort and you don’t feel comfortable reaching out to us yourself, please let one of the other local tango organizers know and they will reach out to us on your behalf. (You’re also welcome to have another dancer approach us if that’s most comfortable for you.)