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

[Woody Lane via Callers]

On 4/7/2017 6:20 PM, Cheryl Joyal via Callers wrote:
> I am at the point that I want to reorganize my dance box to be able to 
> better program an evening.   I plan to go to “categories of dance 
> features”, and have listed what I am thinking for possible categories 
> below.
>
> I am wondering how others organize their boxes - if categories, what 
> do you include ?  Do you file Becket and/or Double Progression 
> separately from “dance categories”, or just note on card ?
>
> Or do you have another suggestion ?

Hi Cheryl,

A very good question. A couple of years ago I reorganized my cards also 
and expanded the number of categories. FWIW, here's what I use:

Easy contras
Basic Improper - 1
Basic Improper - 2
   (where 1 = solid main contras, 2 = slightly more advanced)
Becket - 1
Becket -2
w/heys  (these are full heys, duple minor sets)
w/petronella
w/box circulate
w/mad robin
w/bicycle chain
w/contra corners
Multiple progressions (2x, 3x, etc).
4x4 dances
Advanced contras  (truly advanced, dance camp level)
Novelty contras  (mixer contras, etc.)
Triplets
Odd formations
Circle dances
Mixers
Very, Very easy dances  (e.g., for ONS and wedding gigs)
Reserve contras  (i.e., "back pocket" dances to use when something 
fails, like "Roll In The Hey")

Also, I put a colored marker on cards for dances that lend themselves to 
No-Walk-Thru situations (these can be in any of 5 or 6 different 
categories). Sometimes I need to identify these quickly, on-the-fly 
during a gig.

If a dance falls into two or more categories, I sometimes put a piece of 
paper in one category with a cross-reference to that dance. Frankly, I 
don't like to do this -- it's too complicated, especially as so many 
dances are being written today that contain two or more distinctive moves.

Also, I have a separate box (book) for squares:
Simple squares
Medium Western-style squares
Advanced squares
New England Quadrilles
Novelty squares (& other formations that are not contras like 
"Strip-The-Willow" and "El Capitán")
Breaks
Quadrille Breaks

Also, I have a box of retired dances -- these have (finally) cycled out 
of use, for whatever reason. Nicely fits onto a shelf somewhere, 
wherever . . .

To create a program, I like to put cards on a table and visualize the 
program. Then move the cards around, substitute cards, stack cards in a 
slot, etc. Other people have other methods for this. I've never found 
software that can arrange things as I like. But in the end, it's still a 
matter of knowing the dances, having a good sense of how a dance feels 
to dancers on the dance floor. That's our art.

Woody
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Woody Lane
Caller, Percussive Dancer
Roseburg, Oregon
http://www.woodylanecaller.com
home: 541-440-1926 cell: 541-556-0054
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