I organize a local dance. We don’t provide any written guidelines for callers we hire, but I do let them know that we usually have a fairly high percentage of beginners, and that they are asked to conduct a ½ hour lesson at before the dance starts which will be either something for beginners, or something to help people improve, based on who happens to show up. I also let them know who the band is that they will be working with.

As a caller, I have never been given any guidelines, but I also have never called for a dance with which I wasn’t at least somewhat familiar as a dancer.

-cynthia

-----Original Message-----
From: callers-bounces@sharedweight.net [mailto:callers-bounces@sharedweight.net]On Behalf Of lynn ackerson
Sent: Wednesday, January 26, 2005 6:04 PM
To: callers
Subject: [Callers] dance guidelines

During the past month, I've had more exposure to dance guidelines and people wanting to write dance guidelines than I've ever had before. What I'm talking about is guidelines that the programmer/organizer of a regular dance series provides to callers who will be calling at that dance. I've found some to be very helpful, especially when I've never been to that dance. Others provide way too much information and almost feel like micromanaging.

So, my questions for you all are: 1) Have you ever received a set of such guidelines (or sent them out from your dance), and if so, would you be willing to share them with us? 2) As a caller, what information would you like to have included in such a document? 3) As a dance organizer, what information would you like to convey to incoming callers? 4) How much detail would you like such documents contain?

Thanks,

       Lynn