THE PARK AVENUE CONTRA
COMMUNITY

This page has the "fine print" about how we are growing our Park Avenue Contra Community, for those who are interested in the details. If you'd rather simply show up on Tuesdays, dance and be happy, nevermind — We'll see you on the dance floor!

Organization

For the last 2.5 years, Jenny Beer has been the "owner" and manager of the Park Avenue Contra. We rent from PAC, and are not part of their official programming, though they assure us they are very happy to have us here.

We are in the process of setting up an oversight committee so that Jenny can gradually ease out of that role. If you are interested in helping out in any aspect of running the dance and expanding our dance community, please let Jeremy and/or Jenny know very soon.

Our goal

1. To create a friendly, fun, and accepting space...
2. For joyful, skillful, intergenerational, community contra dancing.

We build community by:

• Welcoming every participant and drawing them into the dance. Especially, helping new dancers have a positive experience.
• Making time for people to socialize, also planning themes and events that bring us together.
• Using PAC's facilities with care and appreciation, and supporting their other activities/patrons when we can.
• Encouraging people to enjoy dancing and music-making outside of the Park Ave Contra, as we are lucky to be part of Philadelphia's large and vital folk community.

In particular we want to provide opportunities and mentoring for:

• Dancers who are learning to call.
• Musicians, especially those starting to play for dances and/or learning to play by ear better.
• Those who want to learn how to run a sound system.
• Those who are ready to be dance organizers.

BOOKINGS? This means that for now, we schedule callers and musicians and sound people who have a regular connection to the Park Avenue Contra. However, we may invite different callers and bands for special events.

Read more about our start-up intentions & rationale.

A Kind & Considerate Community: Guidelines

We have not formed official policies yet, but will this coming year. Here's a draft of what our community generally tries to do:

PARTNERING

• Give each dancer the freedom to partner when and with whom and in which role they choose.
  It is fine to say a polite "no thank you" without an explanation or apology, and then partner with someone else.
• Consult with your partners about preferences, role, and ability issues.
• Reach out to those who may not have an easy time finding a partner, conversely, don't hang back — actively ask people to dance.
• Dance with a different partner each time, with the exception of your sweetie or your guest. (This is a suggestion, not a rule.)
• At the end of a dance, 1) thank your partner, 2) appreciate the band and caller, 3) thank your partner again, and 4) THEN look for a new partner. Slower partnering and refraining from booking ahead makes it easier to include everyone and lowers anxiety levels.

CONSIDERATION

• Appreciate each other's unique expressions of self-identity, affiliation, and belief.
• Give love to our musicians and callers, especially the ones trying out their wings the first few times. Take a moment to really listen to the music while you dance or when you're sitting out.
• Be careful of the health, physical capabilities, and well-being of oneself AND others.
• Be aware that others may have different body/sexual/intimacy boundaries than you do. Contra dancers can unintentionally send confusing or unwelcome signals about intent and consent! Please respect any requests you receive. Make your own requests clear, and as best you can, do so privately and kindly.
• Use inclusive and non-gendered language in teaching and prompting dances.

SAY SOMETHING

• That said, do not hesitate to let Jenny or a committee member know right away if you are concerned about anything or anyone causing you discomfort or that might negatively impact our joyful community dancing.

As the main organizer of the Park Avenue Contra, Jennifer Beer, likewise the PAC Executive Director, both have the right and obligation to require people who are disrupting or endangering others to leave an event, or to deny them access to future events. Unless there is an immediate emergency, we will do so with a fair process for those involved. Fortunately, we have experienced considerate and friendly behavior at the Park Avenue Contra, and hope that all of us will continue in that spirit.