VALUES AND ISSUES WE CARE ABOUT

LGBTQIA+ VALUES & RIGHTS

RACIAL JUSTICE

CLIMATE REFORM

GENDER INCLUSIVITY

WE HAVE COMMITTED TO REMOVING GENDERED LANGUAGE FROM OUR BALLROOMS, CONVERSATIONS, AND EVENT WEEKENDS AND HAVE CENTERED THE PRIORITIZATION OF PRONOUNS. IN ALIGNING WITH OUR MISSION STATEMENT OF CREATING A SAFE SPACE FOR ALL WE STRIVE TO OFFER SAFE, SUPPORTIVE, AND INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES AND SPACES WHICH ARE SUPPORTED BY INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE AND CONSCIOUS ACTION.

  • WE HAVE ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY FOR SEPARATING PEOPLE BY GENDER: we recognize that this has been normalized within our industry and we seek to disrupt this by educating faculty on more inclusive language choices and celebrating PEOPLE. we know and believe that gender exists outside the binary and can also be fluid. we recognize that we have many dancers, faculty, teachers, and parents attending that are transgender, non-binary, and/or who are questioning or transitioning. we also recognize that we have a position in which we can model love to all folks, in all forms. this is the heart of SDS.

  • WE HAVE A ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY FOR GENDERED CHOREOGRAPHY: we recognize that “boys part” and “girls part” has also been normalized within our industry and we seek to disrupt stereotypical and type’d choreography and tracks of movement based on the binary gender. should* different energies be utilized or spoken about inside work (a sliding scale of feminine - masculine energy, and everything in that expansive beautiful diversity) we encourage faculty to present movement for all folks by encouraging a dancer’s application of their own agency to select a track that empowers them while maintaining a position of inclusion and acceptance with all choices.

    we stand in allyship with our trans, non-binary, fluid and questioning dancers and their families.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION

WE ARE PRIORITIZING AND COMMITTING TO A MORE EQUITABLE FUTURE FOR ALL.

WE RECOGNIZE THAT RACISM, SEXISM, BIAS, SLANTS, AND INEQUITABLE PRACTICES HAVE SHAPED OUR DANCE COMMUNITY FOR GENERATIONS. IT IS OUR SINCEREST COMMITMENT TO CONTINUE TO LISTEN, LEARN, AND APPLY CHANGE. WE RECOGNIZE OUR POSITION AS A CONVENTION AND LEADER IN DANCE EDUCATION FOR YOUNGER GENERATIONS AND PLEDGE TO USE OUR PLATFORM AS A STAGE THAT ADVOCATES FOR REPRESENTATIONS OF ALL VOICES, PRIORITIZES ALL LIFE EXPERIENCES, AND FOCUSES ON SHIFTING THE IMBALANCE OF POWER, POSITIONS, AND OPPORTUNITIES OF CREATIVES. AND WHILE WE KNOW THIS JOURNEY IS LONG, WE COMMIT TO ACTION THAT LEADS TO GREATER IMPACT AND MEASURABLE RESULTS.

  • DEEA (DANCE EDUCATION AND EQUITY ASSOCIATION) BE COURAGEOUS TRAINING (SDS is close to finishing our year long training and policy creation with the DEEA).

  • DIVERSITY AND INCLUSIVE FACULTY: it’s hard to become what we can’t see. SDS is committed to hiring a diverse faculty that represents a variety of life experiences and expressions so that our dancers may see themselves in our leadership and faculty teams.

  • FREE COMMUNITY CLASS: dance is expensive and training remains largely in the privilege of those who can afford classes, and not everyone can attend a convention due to financial reasons. in every city we tour in we offer a FREE CLASS for anyone in that community to attend. during this class we will offer a full tuition scholarship to selected dancers to attend the rest of the weekend. we recognize there are a lot more advances that need to be made in making dance more equitable and accessible, we are excited about this specific way we can invest and give back to the cities we tour in.

    we stand in allyship with our BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and marginalized dancers and their families.

GREEN INITIATIVE

WE ARE PRIORITIZING REDUCING OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT AND SEEK TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT.

TRAVEL, SHIPPING, MATERIALS, AND ENERGY CONSUMPTION TAKE A TOLL ON OUR ENVIRONMENT. AS A COMPANY WE ARE ACTIVELY LOOKING AT WAYS TO REDUCE OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT, MINIMIZE SINGLE USE MATERIALS, AND CREATE IN A MORE CONSCIOUS MENTALITY. IN OUR MISSION STATEMENT WE SPEAK DIRECTLY TO CREATING A SAFE SPACE FOR ALL, AND WE BELIEVE THIS EXTENDS IN TO CONSIDERATION FOR THE GEOGRAPHY WE TOUR THROUGH AND OUR PLANET AT LARGE. WE ARE COMMITTED TO LARGER GREEN INITIATIVES AS OUR COMPANY GROWNS BUT HAVE MADE GIANT CHANGES IN OUR PURSUIT OF OUR 2021-2022 TOUR THAT CONSIDER THIS BELIEF.

  • FINANCIAL OFFSET 4 METRIC TONS (mT) OF OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT: after calculating each event’s impact on the environment we have calculated and accounted for out annual carbon footprint, which equates roughly to 4 METRIC TONNES of carbon emissions, which exceeds our personal footprint. we have purchased a small business plan from TerraPass that directly supports carbon reducing projects.

  • ELIMINATED 90% OF PAPER MATERIALS: during our weekends we utilize QR codes to redirect people to our website for schedules, show orders, registration links, and important information. we have also eliminated dancer wristbands and unnecessary single use registration materials.

  • SCHOLARSHIP SIGNING CEREMONY: instead of handing out individual awards for scholarship recipients, we have created ONE BANNER that ALL scholarship recipients will sign and that will travel with us all season. by implementing this we have not only reduced our waste, but applied our mission of celebrating community engagement and togetherness.

  • TRANSPORTATION: we have implemented travel by train when we can accommodate this mode of travel to help alleviate the carbon footprint of air travel.

  • BALLROOM TEMPERATURE: in aligning with energystar’s recommendation to save on electricity we have requested our host ballrooms maintain the temperature between 70-78 degrees.