New Scotland expects all its members to act in a respectful manner, as specified by this
document. If you have any questions, comments, concerns or complaints about anything or
anyone, please speak to a member of the committee. They’re very friendly and always
around to listen, talk and help out with anything!
- In the event that you arrive to class late, please come into the room quietly, step off
to the side and prepare yourself for class. If the class is clearly in the middle of
something, please wait on the side until they have finished the dance, or you are
invited to join in. - When a teacher or caller is speaking, please listen respectfully. You are encouraged
to practice doing the steps to feel what the instructor is talking about. If you have a
question about anything, feel free to wave at the teacher or call their name, they
won’t bite. They might take a minute to finish their explanation, but then they’ll be
happy to answer your question(s). - If another student asks you a question, please direct them to the teacher, or ask the
teacher on their behalf. This should be done in the form of a question with a neutral
tone, e.g. “Does this happen on count 5 or count 6?” - Please refrain from offering instructions and/or corrections to classmates. You likely
have the best intentions of being helpful, but it can be confusing for students to hear
information from multiple sources. It also distracts the teacher and can make it harder
to teach, which makes the class worse for everyone. Only the person teaching should
give instructions and/or corrections. - If you have side conversations, please make sure they are quiet and do not distract
other students and/or teachers. - If you’ve been around for a while, please dance with new people so they feel
welcome. If you are an experienced dancer partnered with a less experienced
person, you may give them polite hand signals to assist them through a dance. This
does not mean that you may drag your partner around the room! - Making physical contact with another student is a privilege, not a right. Be respectful
of other dancers’ personal space. Unacceptable behaviour includes, but is not limited
to: shoving, dragging, pushing or grabbing other dancers and contact that is or may
be perceived to be of a sexual nature. - Please refrain from making remarks about your body, or other people’s bodies,
especially in a changing room setting. - Be respectful of other people. Do not discriminate against or exclude anyone (or any
group of people) for their race, gender, sexual orientation, relationship status,
ethnicity, religious beliefs, nationality, or ancestry. This means that any dancer can
dance any position in a dance that they wish to, and that anyone can dance with
anyone regardless of gender or anything else. - Please know that should you feel uncomfortable in any way, the committee will be
happy to help resolve the issue.
Most importantly: Everyone is here to have fun!