If It’s Not Written, Who Is It Serving? Rethinking 'Protocol' in the Line Dance Community

In the line dance community, there's been a lot of talk lately about “protocol”—what instructors should or shouldn’t do, how they should enter the scene, and how they’re expected to move.

But here’s the thing: when someone says, “You need to learn the protocol,” and that protocol isn’t written anywhere, what exactly are we asking people to follow?

Too often, these unwritten rules come from personal preferences, not community standards. When we ask new instructors to learn by going person-to-person instead of accessing clear, shared information, we risk creating a hierarchy, not a culture.

That’s not mentorship. That’s control.

This leads to a dangerous dynamic: people feel they have to submit to certain individuals instead of contributing their talents in partnership with others.

Culture doesn’t grow through gatekeeping—it grows through clarity, consistency, and community.

If protocol matters—and some structure does—then let’s write it down, make it accessible, and ensure it reflects all voices in the community, not just the loudest or most established.

Because otherwise, it starts to feel less like we’re protecting culture… and more like we’re protecting personal power.

The dance floor has room for tradition and evolution. Let’s work with new instructors, not above them. Let’s create space where expectations are clear, not whispered. And most importantly, let’s build something that serves everyone, not just the few.