Hi,
I'm a fairly new caller as well and here are some thing that have helped
me. I
1 - Have a master list of dances in rough order of difficulty so I can quickly go to the
beginning, middle, or end for ideas on what to call depending on my dancers. I gave up on
a formal "program" after the first couple of dances.
2 - Code the dances for type and mix them in the list (circle, contra, mixer,
starting or main figure...) to help keep variety.
3 - Have different lists for3cpl, 4 cpl, 5-6, 7+ groupings (this probably won't
pertain to you but where I am a hall full of dancers isn't likely!)
4 - Print out eight dances per side on paper (colored paper helps organize) in
more or less the same order, easily folded and stuck in my belt pouch so I can
quickly glance at a dance to jogg my memory. My dances are small and I'm on the
floor and often dancing so quick and easy is important. The dances are also
marked with 3, 4, etc cples tomake it easier to grab a right one.
To have a "large" group of any kind would be a delight! Congratulations! But
I've learned to enjoy 3 and 4 couple nights. Again this probably doesn't pertain to your
situation but I've found it easier on me to rewrite the dances to suit different number
of couples and have each one printed that way (unless it's a very simple change). I'm
getting better at being able to do this on my feet, and have had to do so more than I
like, but I like the security of having it written out, especially if I have a lot of new
dancers to pay attention to. The same for changes that make a dance easier or harder. I
really like dances that are easily adapted and can be used in a variety of situations.
As others have noted, new dancers continually surprise me with what they can do
(and can't) do. It depends on your dancers of course and the dance atmosphere,
but I've found as long as we laugh and have a good time even the meltdowns can
add to the evening. It's the fun that counts, not the dance.
Cheers from the snowy U.P. (of Michigan)
Sue Robishaw
