[Callers] How do you organize your Dance Card Boxes ? Categories or Other Suggestions ?

[John Sweeney via Callers]

Hi all,
	My categories are a little different:
Dances I want to try once I am calling for a group that can handle them
Dances for beginners
My current set of favourite dances which I will use for most gigs
Dances to fall back on when something doesn't work
Chestnuts and other traditional dances
Contra style dances in other formations (Triple Minor, Double Contra, Hex,
etc.)
Everything else is in alphabetical order - otherwise how can you find them?
- I work out which ones I want from my database
Then there are lots more categories for all the other genres I call

The stuff in alphabetical order doesn't get used as much.  I would rather
use great dances.  Most dancers are very happy to dance the favourites
regularly.

I get very bored with dances which go "swing, circle 3/4, swing" or "swing,
someone Allemande 1 & 1/2, swing" and very rarely use them now unless the
other half of the dance is stunning.

April said, "I believe that at some point in every dance, you and your
partner are on the same side, usually swinging, so from that perspective all
dances can start in Becket".

But dances can be:
Partner Swing only
Neighbour Swing only
Partner & Neighbour Swing
No Swing

And the Partner Swing doesn't have to be on the side - it could be #1s
swinging in the middle (or in an old dance everyone swinging in the middle)

So, no, they are not all Becket!

I use quite a few No Swing dances and everyone seems happy to do them -
though attitudes are somewhat different on this side of the pond.

Does anyone use No Swing contras at American contra dances?

Happy dancing,
John

John Sweeney, Dancer, England john at modernjive.com 01233 625 362
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent