Re: [Callers] Question for traveling and/or busy callers

On Wed, 11 Sep 2013 12:50:39 -0700, Kalia Kliban wrote: I was calling at Whitby Folk Week in August (4 evening dances and 7 workshops) then drove for four hours to get to Southam in time for a long weekend there (2 evening dances and 4 workshops). I was exhausted before I got there! But the adrenaline kicks in and I believe I still did a good job. Taking care of myself - I sleep when I can! I sometimes lie down at the back of the stage between an afternoon workshop and an evening dance. I didn't do much dancing at Southam because I knew my first priority was the calling. As for keeping the calling fresh and my attitude good, it may be partly that I have a large repertoire and therefore no chance to get bored! I only repeated three of the Whitby dances at Southam, and one session title ("Squares and Contras to make you think"). I don't have any routine to help me focus, but the focus is certainly there - I'm not thinking of anything else while I'm calling. People ask me to announce things and I say "Yes, I'm perfectly willing to, but I won't remember - come up and remind me". I even forget to try and sell my own CDs. The other thing that keeps my attitude good (or so I hope - you'd better ask the dancers) is that I really enjoy calling, particularly getting people through difficult dances and getting them to dance better, but also the banter between me, the band and the dancers. I see myself as an entertainer, not just a teacher, and I believe that comes across as part of my attitude - I want people to enjoy their dancing. I imagine he's a full-time professional, and that's a different world. I would hate to feel that I had to take all those gigs just to pay the mortgage! Colin Hume Email colin(a)colinhume.com Web site http://www.colinhume.com