And then there are dances where you progress out and then back in. I always give the band at least 2 and out (which is what most bands request). I'm actually in the habit of giving 3, 2, 1, just to give them more warning if there's some sort of flourish they wanted to perform that they haven't gotten to yet.
What I should do is make a note on my cards for any dances that progress oddly. What I do instead is a few rounds before I signal the band, I figure out what will short the dancers at the top of the hall the least amount of dancing, which usually matches Perry's formula. The #1 thing I do is to remember that the world will not end if you get it wrong. At most, you will leave approx 2% (estimating 100 people per line) of the dancers out for the last time through, less if the lines are uneven as it's offset by people who would've been out at the ends. In my experience talking with dancers who've been at it for years, most of them didn't know that callers try to end with everyone at the top dancing. --Ryan On Mon, Jan 14, 2013 at 6:10 PM, Perry Shafran <[email protected]> wrote: > My view is that if you want to end the dance with everyone in at the top, > then the best time to signal is during the B2, regardless of when the > progression is. Even if there is no one out at the top, odd if there is a > couple out. On the surface it might be tricky for a mid-dance progression, > but if you make your call right at the end of the B2, you can see who's on > the floor and you'll know. > > Perry > > > > > ________________________________ > From: Dave Casserly <[email protected]> > To: Caller's discussion list <[email protected]> > Sent: Monday, January 14, 2013 6:01 PM > Subject: Re: [Callers] Progression and "Going Out" > > Hi Jonathan and Maia, > > There seems to be some confusion about what Don was asking. > > If a dance progresses at the end of the B2, then Jonathan's advise is the > standard advise-- give the band an odd number with the couple out at the > top. But that's not what Don was asking about. He was asking, if a dance > progresses in the middle of the dance, say, at the end of the A2, when do > you decide to end it? With a couple still out at the top? Or do you end > it when that couple has come back in, keeping in mind that they might come > back in only for a couple of moves and be disappointed when the dance > suddenly ends? > > I don't really have any answer as far as a mnemonic device goes. I do > think it's not necessarily a great idea in all circumstances to give an > even number to the band when the dance progresses in the A-- what if it > progresses at the end of A1, for instance? I'd then call it the same way > as a dance that progresses in the B2, unless the band is willing to be > extra special and play a third B part the final time through. So, in other > words, I'm not sure that it's worthwhile to try to think of a mnemonic > device. Instead, on those less common dances that progress some time other > than at the end of B2, maybe just put a note in where you want to signal > the band and for an even or odd number of times through? > > -Dave > > On Mon, Jan 14, 2013 at 5:33 PM, Jonathan Sivier <[email protected] > >wrote: > > > On 1/14/2013 4:22 PM, Yoyo Zhou wrote: > > > >> On Mon, Jan 14, 2013 at 1:09 PM, Don Veino <[email protected]> > >> wrote: > >> > >>> I'm wondering whether someone has developed a simple accurate mnemonic > >>> for > >>> > >> > >> Thinking about this, I think it's easier to watch what's going on. > >> You can usually identify a point in the dance - say, the start of B2, > >> which is also conveniently when you want to signal the band - when you > >> prefer that everyone at the top is active (this is the goal, right?). > >> If a couple is out, give an odd number. If they're in, give an even > >> number. > >> > > > > In general you should talk to the band and see what they prefer in the > > way of a signal for when to finish. > > > > The most common method in my experience, when calling a single > > progression, 32 bar dance with a tune played AABB, is to wait until a > > couple is out at the top of the set and then signal the band during the > > B-part, B1 or B2, that there will be one more time through the dance. > This > > generally means that they should play to the end of this time through the > > AABB and then repeat the whole thing one more time. If the progression > > does happen at an odd time in the dance, or it's double or triple > > progression, you may need to adjust this, or it may happen that a couple > > will pop out just before the music ends, but for 99% of the contra dances > > out there this will work fine. > > > > If the band wants to be notified prior to 2 more times through, then > > give the signal when there isn't a couple out, and as mentioned about 3 > > more times means to give the signal when there is someone out. > > > > Jonathan > > > > > > ______________________________**_________________ > > Callers mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://www.sharedweight.net/**mailman/listinfo/callers< > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers> > > > > > > -- > David Casserly > (cell) 781 258-2761 > _______________________________________________ > Callers mailing list > [email protected] > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers > _______________________________________________ > Callers mailing list > [email protected] > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers >
