11 Nov
2025
11 Nov
'25
9:21 a.m.
At our dance the callers generally acknowledge the band in a global way throughout the
evening. We take a few minutes before the last dance of the first half, after people have
lined up, to officially have one of the organizers introduce the band members and thank
them, as well as thanking the caller, the sound person, and the manager, and asking people
who might be interested in being managers or sound people in the future to speak to the
organizers. This way everyone is generally lined up and listening, and everybody involved
gets acknowledged.
Martha
On Nov 10, 2025, at 12:50 PM, Bill Olson via Contra
Callers <contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:i
Hi Loke and all, Keep in mind that not everyone makes it to the end of the dance,
sometimes not even half the crowd. So saving all the thanks to the end might be shorting
the "thankees". I often try to thank the band throughout the evening, often
saying at the end of each dance, "thank your partner, and thank the band". David
Kaynor, always prone to slightly off-color jokes, would often explain that thanking the
band got them "aroused" after which they would play better.. Seems to work. I
don't normally call for thanking the caller if I'm calling, hoping someone in the
band will figure a way to do it after the band gets thanked. I normally thank the sound
person, but once again not at the bitter end, and the organizers (if it's not me).
Of course the organizers often recognize the band and caller at the break and introduce
them if there are announcements at that time.
bill
From: Luke Donforth via Contra Callers <contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
<mailto:contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net>>
Sent: Monday, November 10, 2025 12:11 AM
To: Shared Weight Contra Callers <contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
<mailto:contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net>>
Subject: [Callers] Order of thanks
Hey folks,
I wonder what people's thoughts are on end-of-the night thank-you's for a contra
dance.
Folks you might thank or call-out for applause:
Band
Caller
Organizers/volunteers
Sound person
I feel like a lot of places go band->caller->sound person; hopefully thanking the
volunteers at the announcements.
I can see doing the final band thank you right after the band gets to play their big
closing number for the evening. Everyone's amped up, call out the band and then tack
the other ones on.
But I think about the theater, where at the end of the performance the performers come
out for bows. There, it's usually chorus->supporting->main cast; and by that
system I think we should thank the band last. But usually in theater when all the cast is
on stage they give a thank you and wave to the tech crew and director. Which would imply
caller->band->sound+organizers.
Just wondering what folks' thoughts were on the subject.
Happy dancing,
Luke Donforth
(Burlington, VT)
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