Our aim is to create a safe and friendly environment where people can enjoy a great night out. Each venue has a Venue Manager (their name is at the bottom of the timetable sign near reception) whose role is to run the class or event for Fevah Modern Jive
We encourage anyone who is not feeling safe or comfortable to speak up. Here are some tips and pointers to help:
- Dancing should be fun and safe for everyone. Speak up if something makes you feel uncomfortable.
- If you have a great night, tell your friends, if you don't, tell our crew.
- You can't dance the same way with everyone. It is important to understand each person's dance level and how well you know each other. Speak up if your partner makes you feel uncomfortable.
- Respect your partner and their boundaries, don't do any moves, or intimate touching that could make them feel uncomfortable.
- Respect your dance partners and take care of your personal hygiene – brush your teeth, have a shower, wear antiperspirant and wear clean clothing.
- Leaders: even if you have danced with someone before, today is a new day. Respect that they might be tired or injured and ask for permission before doing challenging moves.
- Followers: feel empowered at the start of a dance to say "no dips or drops please, I'm tired/injured/not up to it tonight".
- If you are waiting for a dance with someone, please don't follow them around the dance floor. Wait until between songs to ask them.
- Don't apologise for feeling uncomfortable, everybody is different, and only you know how something makes you feel.
- Don't assume the worst. If something happens once and you address it, try to deal with it in a nice and friendly way, it might have been an accident. If it happens again you may need to talk to a member of our crew.
Creating a Safe & Friendly Environment
Basic Guidelines
Until you know that someone has been a regular dancer in Christchurch for at least three months, we recommend that:
- You do not disclose personal details nor ask for contact details.
- You do not accept nor offer invitations to meet outside of classes or events unless in a group.
- You inform a crew member if you feel you are being harassed in any way.
If in doubt talk to the venue manager or contact us.
Harassment
Unwelcome or harassing behaviour is not tolerated at any of our classes or events. Harassment can be committed by people in different capacities such as dancer to dancer, dancer to staff, staff to dancer and staff to staff. If you are experiencing harassment outside of our classes or events then please contact the police or the relevant organisation.
The recipient decides if certain behaviour is classed as harassment.
Harassment covers a range of verbal and/or physical behaviour of a nature which is unwelcome, unsolicited and not reciprocated. Below are some examples of harassment that are not tolerated at any venue:
- Offensive or derogatory remarks about a person's race, colour, religious beliefs, gender or sexual orientation
- Questions and comments about one's private life
- Suggestive remarks, jokes, abuse, leering
- Unwanted and deliberate physical contact
Vulnerable Children Act 2014
We like to be pretty thorough in everything we do so we've included the following for your information and reassurance (for the purposes of the act a child is 0 - 16 years of age).
Staff / Crew
The Vulnerable Children Act regulations only apply to government / government funded organisations, other businesses and organisations are encouraged to check staff but it is not a legal requirement. Staff can be paid or volunteers and can be core or non-core (core refers to the staff member in charge or the only person present). At our venues the Venue Manager is the core staff member, all other crew are non-core.
We do not check crew, the main reason being that we know our dancers well before they become crew. While this does not necessarily guarantee that someone is safe, it is still a significant factor. However, we state that no child should be left on their own with a crew member. Many of our crew are employed in the public services such as teaching and health care and have had background checks.
In general
Most of our dancers are aged 17 and above. Children are welcome but parents / guardians need to be aware that they will be mixing with adults. As a general precaution, no child should be on their own in a room or hall with another dancer in any situation.
What To Do If You're Feeling Uncomfortable or Have a Complaint
If you are comfortable telling the person concerned then these words can help:
- "That makes me feel uncomfortable"
- "Too close thanks buddy"
- "I hope that was an accident"
- "That better have been an accident"
- "I'm not ok with that"
If you do not feel comfortable telling the person concerned then please talk to one of our crew. Tell us as soon as any incident occurs - ideally before you leave the venue. Some matters can be resolved quickly where there has been a misunderstanding of something genuinely innocuous.
- No incident is too small.
- You are not "rocking the boat".
- We can protect your anonymity.
- Not speaking up condones inappropriate behavour.
- If someone is behaving inappropriately do you want them to continue?
How We Respond
We're discreet, fair and experienced in handling the incidents that can arise. Fortunately most are misunderstandings and / or genuine accidents and are quickly resolved. To help resolve issues we may:
- Ask you for further details and written confirmation that can be referred back to. This helps to ensure consistent communication while the complaint is being followed up.
- Write an incident report that can be referred back to later in the future if need be.
- Ask you if we can approach the person who has made you feel uncomfortable and possibly bring both sides together to discuss what had happened.
- Aim to get both sides of the incident and talk to any witnesses if available / applicable.
- Report back to you if would like us to.
Please bear in mind it can take several days or even weeks to fully deal with an incident as we aim to talk to people in person.
Maintaining a Fair Perspective
What we perceive is our own "truth" and the truth that others perceive may well be different from our own. This makes our life (and that of any similar organisation) quite challenging at times as often we can get conflicting sides to the same story. What doesn't help is using social media to publicly vilify someone before we've been able to get to the bottom of an incident.
If there is no progress due to a lack of willingness by both parties to discuss the matter maturely then we may simply ask them both to stay away from our classes and events until such time as they are ready.
We need to guard against false and/or unsubstantiated accusations made against innocent people. Other than exceptional circumstances no action will be taken without first investigating the situation. If such accusations prove to be false and the accusations were malicious rather than mistaken, then the accusation itself may be classed as harassment.
If the complaint is not resolved satisfactorily for either party then the matter can be referred to the police or Human Rights Commission.
Anonymous Complaints
We do not engage with or respond to anonymous complaints.
Should I Be Concerned?
No. We run some of the most popular social dance classes and events in Australasia. They're popular because people feel welcome, our classes are well managed and because we take action when needed. Most of our new dancers come from referrals from existing dancers. Fortunately our classes continue to be safe and welcoming because you let us know if someone makes you feel uncomfortable.