[Callers] Re: Practicing dances

It depends on the dance event. For typical contra dances I usually put together a set of dances a few days in advance and run through them the day before. I practice both the walk through and calling to recorded music. Unless there is something special that usually is sufficient. When I first started I would put together multiple lists of dances in case they were needed, but I have found that last minute substitutions are easy enough to do without having to formally make an alternate list. For English dances I try to get my dance list together well in advance so that I can get the list to the band to give them time to prepare the music. At least a couple of weeks and often as much as a month. This depends on the band so check with them. For One Night Stands, and similar events, I'm usually doing dances that I have done many, many times so I usually don't feel the need to prepare a long way in advance. The day before I'll get my stuff together and go over any dances that are new or that I haven't done as often. For a dance weekend, or other more involved event, I will usually try to be prepared at least a few weeks in advance. This depends on the type of dancing and how much calling I'm scheduled to do. I've been calling for around 30 years. Jonathan On 1/1/2024 9:12 AM, Mary Collins via Contra Callers wrote: