Safety & Inclusion

This page was last updated on December 29, 2022.

When you register for California Balboa Classic, you agree to the terms and conditions on this page and any additional terms and conditions referenced from this page. California Balboa Classic and Pacific Swing Dance Foundation reserve the right to updates these terms and conditions at any time without notice. Please address questions to: info@calbalclassic.com.

By signing up, attending and/or participating in dance classes, dance parties, or any event or program, current or future, organized by California Balboa Classic (“CalBal”) and its operator Pacific Swing Dance Foundation Inc. (“PSDF”) at any location, you hereby agree to the following:

Refunds and Transfers

If you have registered for CalBal 2023 but cannot attend, we are offering two options:

1. You may convert your registration fees into a tax-deductible donation. donation. CalBal is operated by Pacific Swing Dance Foundation—a 501(c)3 non-profit in the United States—and donations are generally tax-deductible. We'll use your donation to help support things like our scholarship program, our live music, or other parts of the event you choose. We have additional CalBal 2023 sponsorship opportunities and we need your help!
2. You may choose to transfer your registration to another year or another person at no cost. You will be issued credits equal to the amount of your registration which may be used by you or another person now or up to three years in the future.

For CalBal 2023 we are not offering refunds of any kind for any reason.

To inform us of your cancellation prior to the event and to choose whether you'd like to transfer your registration or convert it into a donation, please fill out the cancellation form »

If you become sick with COVID-19 at the event, please contact safety@calbalclassic.com to inform our safety team and to have your pass transferred to the subsequent year. Pass transfers prior to the event include all pass and contest registration fees. During the event, pass transfers include all pass fess and unused contest fees.

Injury Waiver and Media Release

• I recognize that dancing requires physical exertion that may be strenuous and may cause physical injury and am fully aware of the risks and hazards involved. I have explained these risks to any minors who will accompany me.
• I represent and warrant that I and any minors I sign up and/or accompany, are physically fit and have no medical condition that would prevent full participation in the dance classes, dance parties, or any event or program.
• In consideration of being permitted to participate in the dance classes, dance parties, or any event or program, I agree to assume full responsibility for any risks, injuries or damages, known or unknown, which I, or the minors I sign up and/or accompany, might incur as a result of attending and/or participating.
• I authorize CalBal/PSDF to use any photo or video in which I or any minors I sign up and/or accompany, may appear, for all promotional and commercial uses and I waive any rights of compensation or ownership.
• In consideration of being permitted to attend and/or participate in the dance classes, dance parties, or any event, I knowingly, voluntarily and expressly waive any claims against CalBal/PSDF, its partners, staff, employees, volunteers, independent contractors, for injury or damages that I or any minors I sign up and/or accompany may sustain, or anything else, as a result of attending and/or participating.
• I acknowledge that CalBal/PSDF, its partners, staff, employees, volunteers, independent contractors, cannot be held responsible for any loss or theft of my belongings and/or property, at all locations, and that I am solely responsible for them.
• I agree to abide by the CalBal/PSDF Code of Conduct (https://calbalclassic.com/safety/#conduct) or risk expulsion from the event.

COVID-19 Acceptance of Risk and Waiver of Liability

By participating in activities and events organized by CalBal/PSDF I agree to abide by the CalBal COVID-19 policies or risk expulsion from the event.

I acknowledge that there are risks associated with my participation in California Balboa Classic 2023 during the COVID-19 pandemic. This waiver, release, and other representations and covenants set forth herein are given in consideration for CalBal/PSDF permitting me to participate in California Balboa Classic 2023 during this emergency period. Therefore, without limitation, I understand that I could contract COVID-19 disease which could result in a serious medical condition requiring medical treatment in a hospital or could possibly lead to death.

On behalf of myself and my heirs, successors and assigns, I knowingly and freely, assume all such COVID-19 related risks, both known and unknown, relating to my participation in California Balboa Classic 2023, and I hereby forever release, waive, relinquish, and discharge CalBal/PSDF, along with its officers, agents, employees, or other representatives, and their successors and assigns, from any and all COVID-19 related claims, demands, liabilities, rights, damages, expenses, and causes of action of whatever kind or nature, and other losses of any kind, whether known or unknown, foreseen or unforeseen, (collectively, "Damages") as a result of my participation in California Balboa Classic 2023, including but not limited to personal injuries, death, disease or property losses, or any other loss, and including but not limited to claims based on the alleged negligence of CalBal/PSDF. I further promise not to sue CalBal/PSDF or its officers, agents, employees or other representatives, and agree to indemnify and hold them harmless from any and all Damages resulting from my contraction of COVID-19.

The COVID-19 policies have moved to their own page. We made important announcements about our vaccination policy on December 16 and our masking policy December 29. Please remember: unless you have applied for and received an exemption to our vaccination policy, your attendance at CalBal 2023 is contingent on compliance with the CDC’s defintion of up-to-date. For most people, that means you must have received the latest booster.

Overview

California Balboa Classic is a place to celebrate Balboa and SoCal swing dance styles. Whether this is your first time at CalBal or you’ve been to all of our events, we ask you to join us in creating a memorable and inspiring weekend for everyone. We are committed to creating a safe and welcoming event experience for all of our attendees, instructors, staff, and volunteers. To ensure a positive and inclusive experience for everyone, we ask for your cooperation with the following code of conduct.

Declaration of Safer Spaces

California Balboa Classic is dedicated to providing a fun, safe, and comfortable event experience for everyone, regardless of age, disability status, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, physical appearance, dance ability, body size, race, or religion (or the lack thereof). In order to foster respect for the comfort and boundaries of others, we will not tolerate harassment in any form, in person, or online. Sexual language, imagery, and invitations in social situations are not appropriate with any event-managed space, including dances, workshops, competitions, and online media.

Safe and inclusive behavior extends to the dance floor. Please do not offer unsolicited advice to fellow dancers either in class or on the social dance floor. Please use your full range of senses on the dance floor to avoid collisions and injuries. It is every dancer’s responsibility to be aware of their own and their partner’s movement and position, as well as the movement and position of the dancers surrounding them, in order to avoid all forms of dangerous contact.

Please be respectful to both event staff and hotel staff, even if you are experiencing a personal frustration. Without the goodwill of these individuals, a smoothly functioning event is impossible.

Details and Consequences

People who pose a threat to other dancers’ safety and/or other dancers’ comfort are not welcome at the California Balboa Classic.

Harassment includes, but is not limited to, language or behavior that is bullying, abusive, demeaning, discriminating, mocking, intimidating, threatening, offensive, disruptive, or otherwise unwelcome or inappropriate in nature.

Unsafe behavior includes, but is not limited to, dancing while intoxicated, appearing intoxicated in a manner that interferes with other attendees’ comfort or enjoyment of the event, intentionally or unintentionally dancing in a way that is harmful or uncomfortable for your partner or surrounding dancers, creating disturbances, and/or interfering with the sleep or health of other attendees.

Potential attendees who have been in violation California Balboa Classic’s safer spaces policies in the past, or who have been in violation of similar safer spaces policies at other swing dance events or in other swing dance communities in the past, may be notified prior to the event that they are not welcome at the event at the organizers’ discretion. Attendees at the current event violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from the event without a refund at the discretion of the event organizers.

All CalBal attendees, instructors, staff, and volunteers are expected to comply with the code of conduct and local, state, and federal laws. We reserve the right to take prompt action in response to violations which may include warnings, notification of denial of entry to the event, expulsion from the event without a refund, and involving local law enforcement.

Attendees asked to stop any harassing or unsafe behavior are expected to comply immediately.

If you have any concerns, contact a member of the event staff immediately and we will take appropriate action which may include contacting safety staff, event organizers, or local law enforcement as needed. The organizers of the California Balboa Classic pledge to treat these sensitive matters with confidentiality and to prioritize the safety and comfort of attendees whenever possible.

Please address all questions or concerns to safety@calbalclassic.com or use the event hotline (available during the event dates) to call or text a CalBal representative.