How to Start Dork Dancing in Your City

  • We have worked hard to create a vibrant and flourishing community in Da Nang, Vietnam. Creating this kind of community required a lot of love from a dedicated group of volunteers. To ensure a high quality experience for dorks, we need to apply standards and quality controls.

    The Dork Community brings people together around shared mental health advocacy. Mental health can be a very sensitive and challenging topic/ field. It is important that our community organizers understand the issue personally and professionally as emerging community organizers and mental health advocates. People will come to you and the Dork Community for support. Maintaining a safe and caring culture is critical. Only after achieving safety can we effectively participate and engage in creative play and free expression, empowered to grow and possibly even transform.

    All of our events are FREE to promote access and equity in areas related to mental health support. Everyone who shares and lives our values is welcome. Our community thrives because of the good energy this attracts. Combining carefree, public dancing with issues in mental health provides a unique opportunity for advocacy and self-empowerment. We work hard to protect and promote this growth opportunity.

    Submitting an application does not give permission to start a Dork Dancing chapter in your area; it signals your interest in starting one. Your application will be approved or rejected after a trial period — depending upon the quality of what you have built and later, completion of mandatory training.

    Our number one goal is to inspire people to dork dance for mental health — to promote awareness, spread positivity and help people feel better. This is about free, public promotion of community health & happiness. This comes before everything else.

    A strong community starts with an authentic, committed and caring leader. Is that you?

  • We know from experience that leading a Dork Dancing location requires a committed and caring leader, so we created this page to give you a clear idea of what it takes.

    1. Time Commitment

    Understand that being the leader of your Dork Dancing chapter may begin with a simple 1 hour dancing session that you first host, but will be guaranteed to grow into many hours of dedication each week.

    This is a part-time volunteer job that some weeks can fill enough hours to be seen as a second, completely unpaid, full-time job.

    You will start with only one dance session per week which will fall on a Sunday. Growing your Sunday dance session will give you a good idea of what adding more days will feel like.

    2. Attendance Commitment

    You have to be at most every dance session. Consistency is key! It’s what’s required to build trust and community. When consistency is lost, so is the power of what we can achieve.

    We are out dancing rain or shine because mental health is that important. We want to make a statement and we recognize that anyone can have a terrible day, on any day.

    AND that includes you! Taking care of YOUR mental health is a top priority. If your mental health isn’t there, it will be difficult to lead and inspire others effectively. If you aren’t able to host, it is your responsibility to find a replacement volunteer.

    Finding a partner to co-lead your branch of Dork Dancing is key to starting the process. As leaders, we plan our lives, vacations, and just about everything we do around Dork Dancing.

    Yes, eventually you will miss a dance session here and there, but your co-leaders will help you out. But to grow your community, you’re going to have to be 100% committed to it.

    This is not for you if you:

    • Have a job that requires a lot of travel

    • Are a student or a professional associated with unpredictable schedules

    • Are not willing to get comfortable with the uncomfortable

    3. Leader Description

    Mental health: Care passionately about the mental health cause and be in a good mental space, personally, to advocate

    Dancing: Excited to Dork Dance out in public, leading & encouraging others to do the same

    Outgoing Personality: You may talk to a waitress, a trucker, a banker, and a bank-robber while recruiting for Dork Dancing in a single afternoon – Your word of mouth recruiting is HUGE. Honestly, how are you at interacting with complete strangers?

    Social Media: All leaders must learn to use Facebook/Instagram/IG to organize marketing efforts. Organizers must also own (or be able to find) a camera to capture images/ videos at all dances

  • If you think that you fit the description and are willing to commit to everything that’s laid out above, please:

    Send us an email describing who you are, what you do, and why you want this. If you’re on social media please let us know where to find you.

    Get on a Google Hangout/Skype with us so we can see you and hear your passion in person. We’ll respond to your initial email to set this up. You should hear from us within 48 hours.

    If we decide you’re a good fit for Dork Dancing, the next step is to start your “disco.” Without using the name “Dork Dancing” we want you and your co-leader to begin to build your community (without any of our help).

    We want you to build your group to demonstrate you’re the right person/people to build Dork Dancing in your city. Start with your friends, family, and anyone you can recruit. Pick a park, or a run loop, or some hills/stairs.

    Use YOUR social media network (no association to Dork Dancing) to organize your 4:00 or 5:00PM 60-minute dance session.

    Each dance session should end with a group photo. Share this photo through your personal social media channel with the caption: [city name], with Dork Dancing, [location], and use the hashtag “#dorkdancing.” Tag us on Instagram @dorkdancing

  • After connecting with us and establishing Sunday afternoon dance sessions, if we think that you can proudly represent #dorkdancing on your back, we’ll add your location to the family and create your official Dork Dancing Facebook and Instagram.

    Once you’re in, you’re in. We’ll hook you up with a $150 marketing budget, some Dork Dancing swag, access to hosting rights on the Dork Community Platform, our social media stream and all of the further attention that will come in your bright future. Essentially you’re going to be a leader in your community and it will be by far the best feeling you could ever have.

    You’ll hug and high five strangers, DJ loud and big group parties, and take photos/ videos of all the fun. You’ll lead dance sessions that will be the best part of many people’s day/week/life.

    You’ll watch people grow into more confident and capable versions of themselves and witness authentic and powerful connection that will evolve into lifelong relationships. You will bring your community closer together and have the best seat to witness the impact that you created.

    This is important stuff we’re dealing with. Please don’t step up unless you’re committed to everything you read above.

 
Apply