Charter 

This is a document in progress. CSDS is not officially chartered or non-profit. I guess we are technically a club. Put together of people who have an interest in swing and dancers who love the form.

Swing is a high energy dance form characterized by a mix of 6 and 8 count dance beats. It is known by the names East Coast Swing, Jitterbug, Lindy, West Coast Swing, Shag and others. Our club has a predominant interest in East Coast Swing but is not exclusive to it.

Goals are offfered in order of importance. Where goals conflict, we hold the first listed ones to be more inportant.

Goals

• Build a comfortable and available community for those of us interested in swing and related dance.
• Encourage sound and safe dancing technique.
• Provide and encourage ongoing training to beginner, intermediate and advanced dancers in all forms of swing and related dance.
• Provide non-smoking and non-alcoholic events providing an environment acceptable to the largest number of individuals.
• Provide as safe an environment as we can while encouraging full access to popular and historical dance forms.
• Provide access to information valuable to the swing dance community.
• Provide a historical context for dancers to appreciate the roots of swing.
• Provide help to new and stuggling dance groups.
• Provide support to the other classic dance forms and dance groups intrinsically related to swing.

Practice

• CSDS members accept no salary for their involvement to prevent any conflict of interest with the above goals. Out of pocket expenses and purchases for the club will be reimbursed.
• CSDS wants as many members who have a full committment to the above goals to be involved as possible. Please help out and become as involved as possible.
• Dancers should never assume that a partner knows or can do a move. One should always ask for permission to do any move that might endanger them. Any move that causes a person to be out of control over their own body should be considered thoughtfully by the controlling partner.
• It is requested that all dancers try to learn and observe safe dancing practices. This means that one take time to learn and practice dance moves before endangering a partner.
• CSDS will encourage socialization but not to the detriment of the other goals.
• CSDS will loan or rent our equipment at rates condusive to dance groups needs, at our discretion.

Written by EricWolff   1998