Dance Friday Statement of Purpose
Dance Friday is an event where people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities can express themselves through movement to music. We offer an atmosphere of acceptance, friendship, and trust. We guide our freedom of expression by a committed respect for the physical and psychological safety of others. Dance Friday is a community drawn together by a shared delight in d
ance and the recognition and respect for the value of life. The Dance Event
The primary purpose of Dance Friday is to hold a weekly dance event every Friday night. Dance Friday provides a safe, affordable place for people to dance to music with a variety of tempos and styles. We want people to have a good time: to laugh, play, and socialize with each other in a supportive environment. We have a tradition of dancing barefoot and, for the safety of those who choose to do so, we ask that people dance barefoot or wear light supporting footwear. To foster a clear, respectful and safe environment we do not allow smoking, alcohol, or other drug use on the premises. As part of our efforts to build community, we provide a forum at each Dance Friday event for the active exchange of information among participants. Our Community
The Dance Friday community consists of people who participate in any Dance Friday event. We value the diversity of our community, and welcome people of all cultures and backgrounds. We are a non-profit, volunteer-run cooperative, offering equal voice and governing power to each member. Dance Friday announces and convenes open community meetings at regular intervals. At these meetings, the people in attendance make decisions affecting Dance Friday. In our meetings, we encourage the expression of a variety of viewpoints and concerns. Through the process of Formal Consensus, we strive to take into account and resolve each concern. We value the participation of many, and we actively invite people to accept various officer roles and functions and to be responsible for the operation of Dance Friday. They are supported by the efforts of other volunteers who help produce each Dance Friday event. (See Handbook for more information.) Legal Structure
Dance Friday is an activity of the Movement Collective, Inc., a non-profit community service organization whose charter is to promote dance activities and to educate the community about the value of dance. The corporation is empowered to deal with contractual and legal concerns, and provides continuity and security to Dance Friday's activities and resources. Our Relation to the World
We believe that we can foster a more just society and a better environment. To this end, Dance Friday may sponsor events to help support other community organizations. We are committed to participating as a member dance in Dance New England, and collectives of similar dances in our geographic area. We are also interested in assisting and promoting other similar dances. We value dance and community in the celebration of our lives and endeavor to share and promote this vision in our world. (Dance Friday FAQs)
What is Dance Friday? In short, we dance every Friday. Dance Friday is a volunteer-run event where people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities are welcome to express themselves through movement to music. From the Dance Friday Statement of Purpose
Why dance barefoot? Dancing barefoot is safer – no crunching of toes by someone else’s shoes. Barefoot is softer, gentler, and allows more free flowing forms of dance. It’s also cleaner. Many dancers like to move on the floor with their whole bodies, in improvisational movement, and if the floor is full of street dirt, it’s not nearly as welcoming to the dancer. If you must wear shoes for health reasons, you may wear soft-soled dance shoes. What kind of music do you dance to? All kinds of music! Our music makers’ goal is to please everyone and to keep the dance floor jumping. If there’s something you’d like to hear, please suggest it. All the music is provided by volunteer DJ’s. All are welcome to participate in providing music for the dance. DJ’s must go through a training session on how to use the equipment and have their sets reviewed by an experienced DJ. What is the "middle"? The middle is a time for community members to make announcements. It is in the form of a circle with a facilitator. Dancers who wish to present something at the middle must either facilitate themselves or arrange with that evening’s facilitator to do their presentation which could be a short performance or a short music set. Why smoke and alcohol-free? We want to foster a clean, aware, respectful and safe environment for all our dancers. Dance Friday is a welcoming place for children to come dance with their adults; we want to keep it a safe activity for all. What should I wear? We recommend casual, comfortable clothing that you can easily move in, and layers for when you are warming up or cooling down. Who is Dance Friday? You are; we are. Dance Friday is sponsored by the Movement Collective, a non-profit organization that promotes dance activities and educates the community about the value of dance. Dance Friday is a volunteer-run co-operative, offering equal voice and governing power to each member, with a Leadership Council to assist and facilitate the membership and Dance. You are a member of Dance Friday after you’ve attended two dances.
