Hello, all,

After losing monthly open-calling evenings to venue schedule conflicts last year, the local contra group where I live (Louisville, KY) are re-implementing them on 5th-week dances (so, about four or so times a year). I am "organizing caller" for the first of these, next Monday, and I'm wondering if any of y'all have advice on coordinating an evening of open-calling.

The extent of organization for our previous open-calling dances had been, essentially, callers put their name on a list and everyone hopes it works out, and, while this was usually serendipitous fun, it often led to long-running dances (both individually and for the evening overall) and less-than-enjoyable experiences for newer dancers. When our board was discussing re-starting open calling, I had recently been at the Jan Jam (Champaign/Urbana, IL) after party, where Lauren Peckman had coordinated open calling, and where I'd had the best open-calling experience—as both a dancer and a caller—I'd ever encountered. I suggested to our board that, this time around, the evenings each have an "organizing caller" to help ensure overall program flow, coordinate callers/dances with an eye to complexity/energy/time, incorporate and assist novice callers, wrangle callers if need be for time limits, fill in gaps in the program, have back-pocket dances at the ready, etc.

Lo, they asked me to take a go at coordinating. Suggest a change, be the change, I suppose. ^_^

The open calling has been announced at our weekly dances leading up, and tonight (a week before) I'll be asking (but not requiring) prospective callers to talk to me to help me get an idea for how I can best help the evening flow.

Any suggestions/anecdotes/warnings from my more-experienced fellows would be greatly appreciated.