On Wed, 28 Jul 2021 12:45:19 -0400, Susan English via Contra Callers wrote: I have my own Dance Organiser program which runs on Windows (including a Windows tablet): https://colinhume.com/download.htm#DanceOrg I use it for English, Contras, Squares - everything. I call from a lap-top. I don't need the internet: it's all there on my lap-top. Colin Hume

On Wed, 28 Jul 2021 17:13:29 +0000, Tepfer, Seth wrote: I always have my cards in the trunk of the car (except when I'm calling abroad, of course). I have the whole thing on a USB stick so I can borrow someone else's Windows lap-top and run the program from that. Colin Hume

Hi Susan, This addresses #2, a potential BACKUP PLAN..... and also "paperless calling" in general, though not in the way you were thinking... Maybe 25-30 (sheesh maybe more!) years ago I had been calling for several years and also played in a couple dance bands and also did sound at the North Whitefield, Maine 4th Friday dance (this was Ted Sannella's dance for many years). One time the caller didn't show up and I was asked if I could call the dance. I had no cards with me but said OK and had to do it from memory. I got through the dance (barely) without having to repeat any dances (hah hah) but found the experience very "freeing" not having to look down at a card. (yeah there were a few tense moments there).. Anyway since that time I resolved never to be tied down to paper (or recently to a computer or the internet) and have always called from memory. This makes it easier to interact with the band and more importantly to be aware of what is happening with the dancers out on the floor. Before each dance I make a plan (which is rarely fully adhered to) with dances and "spares".. I go through them in my head on the way to the dance.. There have been several times, though not that many, when I had a brain fart and couldn't remember the dance and had to bail but quickly called a no-brainer one walk-thru dance.. . Before the pandemic (i.e. not calling for a year and a half) I had about 100 dances in the memory bank. Of course to keep things fresh, I would call new ones which I would study for a while before the dance. Some times they got added to the 100 some times not.. OK I understand not everyone trusts their memory like this.. BUT it's not a bad idea to have an evening's program worth of dances that you can recall from memory (or even two or three) just in case you forget your cards at a dance where there is no internet access!!.. Rick Mohr used to have (maybe still does) a business card sized card in his wallet. He developed a shorthand for annotating a dance and claimed he had 100 dances on that card (the printing was very small!).. !! Larry Unger used to carry a set of dance cards in his guitar case.. He wasn't a caller but would give them to the caller in case "something happened", so the show would go on. I.e. it's probably good to have a set of "emergency" dance cards in your wallet or car glove compartment or heck on your smart phone. But I still like being to call from memory.. Good exercise for my brain I guess.. my $.02 worth.. bill olson in Maine ________________________________ From: Susan English via Contra Callers &lt;contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt; Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2021 4:45 PM To: contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net &lt;contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt; Subject: [Callers] Paperless Calling As I begin to travel again, I want to leave my dance cards home and access all my material virtually. I have 2 questions: 1. Which virtual method (or app) do you prefer for accessing your dance instructions and notes? 2. What is your back-up plan at a dance if you can't get on the internet? Susan [??] [:)] 330-347-8155 woosterdance.com<https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http…

I had a similar experience with forgetting my calling cards and then calling an entire evening from memory. Completely changed the way I call. I still use cards, but having no card in your hand means you are much more focused on the dancers during the teaching. Seth Tepfer Director of Software Engineering, Oxford College Schedule an appointment: oxford.emory.edu/SethBooking<https://outlook.office365.com/owa/calendar/… 770-784-8487 seth.tepfer(a)emory.edu Use AskIT for fastest response: Oxford.emory.edu/AskIT<https://app.oxford.emory.edu/WebApps/OCIT/forms/A… <https://app.oxford.emory.edu/WebApps/OCIT/forms/AskIT/index.cfm> Pronouns: he, him, his <https://app.oxford.emory.edu/WebApps/Directories/index.cfm?fuseaction=v.searchresults&searchname=tepfer> ________________________________ From: Bill Olson via Contra Callers &lt;contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt; Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2021 1:46 PM To: contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net &lt;contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt;et>; Susan English &lt;senglish(a)umich.edu&gt; Subject: [External] [Callers] Re: Paperless Calling Hi Susan, This addresses #2, a potential BACKUP PLAN..... and also "paperless calling" in general, though not in the way you were thinking... Maybe 25-30 (sheesh maybe more!) years ago I had been calling for several years and also played in a couple dance bands and also did sound at the North Whitefield, Maine 4th Friday dance (this was Ted Sannella's dance for many years). One time the caller didn't show up and I was asked if I could call the dance. I had no cards with me but said OK and had to do it from memory. I got through the dance (barely) without having to repeat any dances (hah hah) but found the experience very "freeing" not having to look down at a card. (yeah there were a few tense moments there).. Anyway since that time I resolved never to be tied down to paper (or recently to a computer or the internet) and have always called from memory. This makes it easier to interact with the band and more importantly to be aware of what is happening with the dancers out on the floor. Before each dance I make a plan (which is rarely fully adhered to) with dances and "spares".. I go through them in my head on the way to the dance.. There have been several times, though not that many, when I had a brain fart and couldn't remember the dance and had to bail but quickly called a no-brainer one walk-thru dance.. . Before the pandemic (i.e. not calling for a year and a half) I had about 100 dances in the memory bank. Of course to keep things fresh, I would call new ones which I would study for a while before the dance. Some times they got added to the 100 some times not.. OK I understand not everyone trusts their memory like this.. BUT it's not a bad idea to have an evening's program worth of dances that you can recall from memory (or even two or three) just in case you forget your cards at a dance where there is no internet access!!.. Rick Mohr used to have (maybe still does) a business card sized card in his wallet. He developed a shorthand for annotating a dance and claimed he had 100 dances on that card (the printing was very small!).. !! Larry Unger used to carry a set of dance cards in his guitar case.. He wasn't a caller but would give them to the caller in case "something happened", so the show would go on. I.e. it's probably good to have a set of "emergency" dance cards in your wallet or car glove compartment or heck on your smart phone. But I still like being to call from memory.. Good exercise for my brain I guess.. my $.02 worth.. bill olson in Maine ________________________________ From: Susan English via Contra Callers &lt;contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt; Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2021 4:45 PM To: contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net &lt;contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt; Subject: [Callers] Paperless Calling As I begin to travel again, I want to leave my dance cards home and access all my material virtually. I have 2 questions: 1. Which virtual method (or app) do you prefer for accessing your dance instructions and notes? 2. What is your back-up plan at a dance if you can't get on the internet? Susan [🎶] [☺] 330-347-8155 woosterdance.com<https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=htt…

YUP! BUT.. FWIW, Ted Sannella Always used cards (I am not sure he actually looked at them, but...) So, to Lissa's "Robert Cromartie comment", I think he was more just trying to make a point! There are certainly many callers who don't completely memorize dances who lead the way these days! I think the main point is to be familiar with the dance choreography and not to be continuously staring down at a "card" and not watching the dancers... From the point of view of a musician and singer, I look at it this way: Some artists can recall several hundred songs or tunes from memory.. Why is a contradance, which might have 10 figures at the most, any different from that? Hi Seth, hi to Pam.. bill ________________________________ From: Tepfer, Seth &lt;labst(a)emory.edu&gt; Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2021 6:19 PM To: contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net &lt;contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt;et>; Susan English &lt;senglish(a)umich.edu&gt;du>; Bill Olson &lt;callbill(a)hotmail.com&gt; Subject: Re: [External] [Callers] Re: Paperless Calling I had a similar experience with forgetting my calling cards and then calling an entire evening from memory. Completely changed the way I call. I still use cards, but having no card in your hand means you are much more focused on the dancers during the teaching. Seth Tepfer Director of Software Engineering, Oxford College Schedule an appointment: oxford.emory.edu/SethBooking<https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.c… 770-784-8487 seth.tepfer(a)emory.edu Use AskIT for fastest response: Oxford.emory.edu/AskIT<https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?ur… <https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapp.oxford.emory.edu%2FWebApps%2FOCIT%2Fforms%2FAskIT%2Findex.cfm&data=04%7C01%7C%7C4de1abb9f8294b9aeceb08d951f442c6%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637630931798001302%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=3HyptU8Db4jwsRq0f4vAv%2BYPVEFUkFDoLHB%2Bg2YJBoE%3D&reserved=0> Pronouns: he, him, his <https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapp.oxford.emory.edu%2FWebApps%2FDirectories%2Findex.cfm%3Ffuseaction%3Dv.searchresults%26searchname%3Dtepfer&data=04%7C01%7C%7C4de1abb9f8294b9aeceb08d951f442c6%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637630931798001302%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=tZgfRghpfJgyhY3tIcToWzQjswr34fdpFBXHuhAMvJ0%3D&reserved=0> ________________________________ From: Bill Olson via Contra Callers &lt;contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt; Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2021 1:46 PM To: contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net &lt;contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt;et>; Susan English &lt;senglish(a)umich.edu&gt; Subject: [External] [Callers] Re: Paperless Calling Hi Susan, This addresses #2, a potential BACKUP PLAN..... and also "paperless calling" in general, though not in the way you were thinking... Maybe 25-30 (sheesh maybe more!) years ago I had been calling for several years and also played in a couple dance bands and also did sound at the North Whitefield, Maine 4th Friday dance (this was Ted Sannella's dance for many years). One time the caller didn't show up and I was asked if I could call the dance. I had no cards with me but said OK and had to do it from memory. I got through the dance (barely) without having to repeat any dances (hah hah) but found the experience very "freeing" not having to look down at a card. (yeah there were a few tense moments there).. Anyway since that time I resolved never to be tied down to paper (or recently to a computer or the internet) and have always called from memory. This makes it easier to interact with the band and more importantly to be aware of what is happening with the dancers out on the floor. Before each dance I make a plan (which is rarely fully adhered to) with dances and "spares".. I go through them in my head on the way to the dance.. There have been several times, though not that many, when I had a brain fart and couldn't remember the dance and had to bail but quickly called a no-brainer one walk-thru dance.. . Before the pandemic (i.e. not calling for a year and a half) I had about 100 dances in the memory bank. Of course to keep things fresh, I would call new ones which I would study for a while before the dance. Some times they got added to the 100 some times not.. OK I understand not everyone trusts their memory like this.. BUT it's not a bad idea to have an evening's program worth of dances that you can recall from memory (or even two or three) just in case you forget your cards at a dance where there is no internet access!!.. Rick Mohr used to have (maybe still does) a business card sized card in his wallet. He developed a shorthand for annotating a dance and claimed he had 100 dances on that card (the printing was very small!).. !! Larry Unger used to carry a set of dance cards in his guitar case.. He wasn't a caller but would give them to the caller in case "something happened", so the show would go on. I.e. it's probably good to have a set of "emergency" dance cards in your wallet or car glove compartment or heck on your smart phone. But I still like being to call from memory.. Good exercise for my brain I guess.. my $.02 worth.. bill olson in Maine ________________________________ From: Susan English via Contra Callers &lt;contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt; Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2021 4:45 PM To: contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net &lt;contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt; Subject: [Callers] Paperless Calling As I begin to travel again, I want to leave my dance cards home and access all my material virtually. I have 2 questions: 1. Which virtual method (or app) do you prefer for accessing your dance instructions and notes? 2. What is your back-up plan at a dance if you can't get on the internet? Susan [??] [:)] 330-347-8155 woosterdance.com<https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http…

The only time I've called in person in the last year was an outdoor English dance a week or so ago and I just chose dances I remembered well enough not to need notes. I've found myself, when calling contras particularly (especially in areas where the dance is, say, monthly and gets lots of new people, and where the bands are, perhaps, primarily concert/jam bands, have limited repertoires and limited ability to adjust tempi) not being able to predict audience needs and music affordances well enough to be able to stick to a program I made at home. So I like having a large pile of dances available. (I don't use cards because my handwriting is terrible, I sweat a lot when I'm dancing and ruin paper when I try to write down some dance someone else called, and because I really don't want to have a single copy of anything important to me.) So: I keep my dance "cards" in individual text files in a private directory on a web server. When I do make a program I use a text editor to make a single file with the program and cards; when I make a bundle (like "50 easy dances") I use the same thing. I used to print out the programs on several sheets of paper and staple them together, but when I saw video of myself using that it was really painful how distracting that paper flapping around was, so I quit doing that. Now, I have two Google Nexus 7 tablets with SD cards and WiFi. (These are just big enough for text to be readable on them, and they were pretty cheap.) I've populated both of them with the useful bulk files (50 easy dances, etc). Before I leave the house I make sure both are fully charged, download the program I've made for the event or events, and then turn both of them off. (If I'm going on a plane both of thee devices go in my carry-on bag.) At the gig I turn on only one of them and turn on the other one only if something bad happens to the first one (battery dying, drop it crack the screen, etc). So far I haven't had to do that. As a side benefit I have all the programs I ever downloaded to that device available (the ASCII text files I use mean a file is only a few k so I can store all of them and have plenty of room. That's so far been good enough to not usually require access at the dance to my whole set of dance cards. I do also usually bring my iPad Pro which is on a cell phone network so I'm free of any requirement to use hall wireless, but that's just bonus connectivity - it's not on the critical path for me calling a dance. -- Alan ________________________________________ From: Susan English via Contra Callers &lt;contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt; Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2021 9:45 AM To: contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net Subject: [Callers] Paperless Calling As I begin to travel again, I want to leave my dance cards home and access all my material virtually. I have 2 questions: 1. Which virtual method (or app) do you prefer for accessing your dance instructions and notes? 2. What is your back-up plan at a dance if you can't get on the internet? Susan [🎶] [☺] 330-347-8155 woosterdance.com<http://woosterdance.com>

Let me tell you the story of hearing a band play "The Wren" and then marking that down on my card. Later, I asked a different band to play "The Wren" and it was a completely different tune with a different feel. Noting down a specific tune is really useful for that specific band. Even a different fiddler could completely change the way the tune feels. More true for Contra than ECD, of course. Seth Tepfer Director of Software Engineering, Oxford College Schedule an appointment: oxford.emory.edu/SethBooking<https://outlook.office365.com/owa/calendar/… 770-784-8487 seth.tepfer(a)emory.edu Use AskIT for fastest response: Oxford.emory.edu/AskIT<https://app.oxford.emory.edu/WebApps/OCIT/forms/A… <https://app.oxford.emory.edu/WebApps/OCIT/forms/AskIT/index.cfm> Pronouns: he, him, his <https://app.oxford.emory.edu/WebApps/Directories/index.cfm?fuseaction=v.searchresults&searchname=tepfer> ________________________________ From: Winston, Alan P. &lt;winston(a)slac.stanford.edu&gt; Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2021 3:02 PM To: Tepfer, Seth &lt;labst(a)emory.edu&gt;du>; contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net &lt;contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt;et>; Susan English &lt;senglish(a)umich.edu&gt;du>; Bill Olson &lt;callbill(a)hotmail.com&gt; Subject: Re: [Callers] Re: [External] Re: Paperless Calling I once gave Ted Sanella an airport-to-dance-camp ride and had a good chat with him (late '80s, early '90s, somewhere in there). He mentioned then that he liked to write notes on his cards. If the band played something that worked really well for the dance he'd ask what it was and write it down on the back of the card. -- Alan ________________________________________ From: Bill Olson via Contra Callers &lt;contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt; Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2021 11:32 AM To: Tepfer, Seth; contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net; Susan English Subject: [Callers] Re: [External] Re: Paperless Calling YUP! BUT.. FWIW, Ted Sannella Always used cards (I am not sure he actually looked at them, but...) So, to Lissa's "Robert Cromartie comment", I think he was more just trying to make a point! There are certainly many callers who don't completely memorize dances who lead the way these days! I think the main point is to be familiar with the dance choreography and not to be continuously staring down at a "card" and not watching the dancers... From the point of view of a musician and singer, I look at it this way: Some artists can recall several hundred songs or tunes from memory.. Why is a contradance, which might have 10 figures at the most, any different from that? Hi Seth, hi to Pam.. bill ________________________________ From: Tepfer, Seth &lt;labst(a)emory.edu&gt; Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2021 6:19 PM To: contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net &lt;contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt;et>; Susan English &lt;senglish(a)umich.edu&gt;du>; Bill Olson &lt;callbill(a)hotmail.com&gt; Subject: Re: [External] [Callers] Re: Paperless Calling I had a similar experience with forgetting my calling cards and then calling an entire evening from memory. Completely changed the way I call. I still use cards, but having no card in your hand means you are much more focused on the dancers during the teaching. Seth Tepfer Director of Software Engineering, Oxford College Schedule an appointment: oxford.emory.edu/SethBooking<https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.… 770-784-8487 seth.tepfer(a)emory.edu Use AskIT for fastest response: Oxford.emory.edu/AskIT<https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?u… <https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapp.oxford.emory.edu%2FWebApps%2FOCIT%2Fforms%2FAskIT%2Findex.cfm&amp;data=04%7C01%7Clabst%40emory.edu%7C4470f5a2709748ed679208d951fa51ea%7Ce004fb9cb0a4424fbcd0322606d5df38%7C0%7C0%7C637630957827894161%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;sdata=%2BDgEcUTHJsTW671jwVBkpBptx88H7oPwazPiEgOksvU%3D&amp;reserved=0> Pronouns: he, him, his <https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapp.oxford.emory.edu%2FWebApps%2FDirectories%2Findex.cfm%3Ffuseaction%3Dv.searchresults%26searchname%3Dtepfer&amp;data=04%7C01%7Clabst%40emory.edu%7C4470f5a2709748ed679208d951fa51ea%7Ce004fb9cb0a4424fbcd0322606d5df38%7C0%7C0%7C637630957827894161%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;sdata=%2FAUKdrraIpynm3x36%2BldH7GF9fVtfUkkaaCTuFerbHo%3D&amp;reserved=0> ________________________________ From: Bill Olson via Contra Callers &lt;contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt; Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2021 1:46 PM To: contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net &lt;contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt;et>; Susan English &lt;senglish(a)umich.edu&gt; Subject: [External] [Callers] Re: Paperless Calling Hi Susan, This addresses #2, a potential BACKUP PLAN..... and also "paperless calling" in general, though not in the way you were thinking... Maybe 25-30 (sheesh maybe more!) years ago I had been calling for several years and also played in a couple dance bands and also did sound at the North Whitefield, Maine 4th Friday dance (this was Ted Sannella's dance for many years). One time the caller didn't show up and I was asked if I could call the dance. I had no cards with me but said OK and had to do it from memory. I got through the dance (barely) without having to repeat any dances (hah hah) but found the experience very "freeing" not having to look down at a card. (yeah there were a few tense moments there).. Anyway since that time I resolved never to be tied down to paper (or recently to a computer or the internet) and have always called from memory. This makes it easier to interact with the band and more importantly to be aware of what is happening with the dancers out on the floor. Before each dance I make a plan (which is rarely fully adhered to) with dances and "spares".. I go through them in my head on the way to the dance.. There have been several times, though not that many, when I had a brain fart and couldn't remember the dance and had to bail but quickly called a no-brainer one walk-thru dance.. . Before the pandemic (i.e. not calling for a year and a half) I had about 100 dances in the memory bank. Of course to keep things fresh, I would call new ones which I would study for a while before the dance. Some times they got added to the 100 some times not.. OK I understand not everyone trusts their memory like this.. BUT it's not a bad idea to have an evening's program worth of dances that you can recall from memory (or even two or three) just in case you forget your cards at a dance where there is no internet access!!.. Rick Mohr used to have (maybe still does) a business card sized card in his wallet. He developed a shorthand for annotating a dance and claimed he had 100 dances on that card (the printing was very small!).. !! Larry Unger used to carry a set of dance cards in his guitar case.. He wasn't a caller but would give them to the caller in case "something happened", so the show would go on. I.e. it's probably good to have a set of "emergency" dance cards in your wallet or car glove compartment or heck on your smart phone. But I still like being to call from memory.. Good exercise for my brain I guess.. my $.02 worth.. bill olson in Maine ________________________________ From: Susan English via Contra Callers &lt;contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt; Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2021 4:45 PM To: contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net &lt;contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt; Subject: [Callers] Paperless Calling As I begin to travel again, I want to leave my dance cards home and access all my material virtually. I have 2 questions: 1. Which virtual method (or app) do you prefer for accessing your dance instructions and notes? 2. What is your back-up plan at a dance if you can't get on the internet? Susan [🎶] [☺] 330-347-8155 woosterdance.com<https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=htt…

I store my choreo for dances in Word documents (one document per dance) that I have online in the online file storage/sharing app Dropbox. I use Word and Dropbox because these are commonly available programs that will be available and supported for decades. I avoid using specialized dance programs because they have a tendency to stop being supported after a period of time, and I don't want to get into a situation where I need to recreate a new electronic library of choreo and deal with potentially problematic import/export/format issues. I set the Dropbox directories so that they are stored offline on my phone and iPad, so I do not need an internet connection at the dance. I always have 2 choreo sources with me (a phone and an iPad) in case something goes wrong with one of them. I also frequently take the program for the evening and take screen shots of the individual dances--in sequence--so that they will be in the Photos app in addition to Dropbox. I usually call from the Photos app, but I can consult Dropbox if I need to go off program. The fact the choreo is stored in Word docs allows me to easily edit them to add notes, change things, etc., over time. Hope this helps! Jimmy Akin San Diego On Wed, Jul 28, 2021 at 9:45 AM Susan English via Contra Callers < contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt; wrote:

I started out calling contras but moved entirely into Community Dance (a little of everything) and a much heavier emphasis this past year in International Folk Dance. One of the best thing Beth Molaro ever told me to do when I was at a little music camp many years ago, and I was the only one in a dance session with her, was to “lose the cards.“ I practiced a simple dance over and over that afternoon till I had it down, and called it that evening without my card, and it was the most freeing experience I had had up to that point. Since then I do write cards, and I bring them with me (ones that I think I will draw from for my program), and I may refer to them during the walk-through, but rarely need to use them when I’m calling. (I end up laying them out and deciding on the spot which one feels like the right next one to do.) Meanwhile, I would love to know of a good, simple, easy-to-use program that works on Macs/Apple products. Patricia Patricia Campbell Newtown, CT Sent from my iPhone

I use a FileMaker database to store my dances, with slightly different versions for Contra and English. I sync it to my phone and tablet (so don’t rely on the internet). I am happy to make empty versions of the database available to anyone who wants them. However, FileMaker has gotten so expensive that I suspect this only makes sense if you already own a copy. I like having the database, for several reasons: * I don’t have to worry about losing my cards. * Making updates doesn’t require starting a new card (though cards are more flexible). * I always have it with me. I have called from the tablet, with the phone as backup, and it works fine. But I admit that I prefer to call a full dance from printed pages (I keep all my dances in a few 3-ring notebooks). I find it easier when I want to change the program on the fly, and it’s annoying when the tablet goes to sleep. If you do go with a database please keep good backups, including on media not connected to your computer, for protection against ransomware. Regards, Russell

What a fascinating thread this has been! I use a combination of Google Slides and Notion, which is my new favourite life organization tool. Google Slides has my walkthrough and card, each dance as a separate file, and I can easily drop dances into a program. Notion helps me catalog the dances and keep a history of programs. I display the cards on my iPad Mini, which is a nice size. I have an iPad Mini case with a wrist strap and excellent drop protection for use in person. Slides can display offline, so I don’t need Internet. That said, I love Alan’s idea of the backup tablet, and may adopt that myself, because my backup right now is paper cards. For virtual dances, I’ve had my iPad positioned just behind my camera, so when I look at the card I’m actually looking right at the camera, which increases the feeling of connection with those attending. My backup for virtual is my laptop, and I keep the presentations in sync, just in case. Cheers! Drew

Wow, thank you! All these responses are interesting, putting my questions into a broader context. Let me list the technical solutions suggested so far to see which ones I want to try: - Colin Hume's dance organizer - USB stick - Evernote w/ tags - Dropbox - Filemaker - Photos - screen shots - word files - PDFs on Kindle - Google Drive - Google slides - Notion (?) - Victor's Gascon's Contra DB My story FYI: Since my start in 1990 (with Ted Sannella), I have carried my trusty 4x6 cards in little 2-ring notebooks labelled Contras, Squares, Novelty, and Community, plus separate full-sized notebooks, including sheet music, for ECD and Civil War Balls. I plan a program by putting the name of each dance on a sticky note on a single sheet of cardstock. This way I can change the order, remove, and add dances as the evening progresses. The next day I mark the date, location, and comments on the back of each card (some cards are full!) Several years ago I purchased (at some expense) Caller's Companion, but today I can't get the software to open. During the lockdown I used Chris Page's Caller's Box for finding (and submitting) virtual dances. Thank you, Chris. That's it. I look forward to trying some of the methods you all have suggested, plus others to come! Susan☺🎶 On Thu, Jul 29, 2021 at 1:29 PM Emily Rush &lt;em.rush(a)gmail.com&gt; wrote: -- Susan [image: 🎶] [image: ☺] 330-347-8155 woosterdance.com

This has been a fascinating thread, with a huge amount of valuable information, perspectives, and technical options. I am impressed by those callers who can call from memory. Since for contras I don't have a good one. (Squares seem to come naturally to my memory; contras not so much). I still use cards. And my backup is a potpourri of photocopies of the cards and a pile of pdf versions of them. Although with all the ideas expressed in this thread for digital notes and backups, I am considering expanding and trying some. But I was thinking that, memorizing or not, using virtual or not, using cards or not -- this is a bit like playing jazz. There's no single best way to play jazz. Likewise, I think there are lots of ways of creating a good evening with calling. Some rules -- like watching the dancers and reacting to the them and the musicians -- are universal, but every caller plays the way that works for them. All these techniques should not make a caller feel bad or inadequate. On the contrary, they illuminate the wide array of tools that we have access to, each in our own way to make the best of all that jazz. Woody -- Woody Lane Caller, Percussive Dancer Roseburg, Oregon ________________________________ On 7/28/2021 9:45 AM, Susan English via Contra Callers wrote: As I begin to travel again, I want to leave my dance cards home and access all my material virtually. I have 2 questions: 1. Which virtual method (or app) do you prefer for accessing your dance instructions and notes? 2. What is your back-up plan at a dance if you can't get on the internet? Susan [?] [:)] 330-347-8155 woosterdance.com<http://woosterdance.com>

Yes! Calling squares, especially straight-ahead old-timey squares, is definitely a right-brain experience. Beth says that when she really got the hang of calling that kind of square, it carried over into her contra calling. I grew up with both squares and contras and learned to appreciate the merits of both. For me, calling a contra is something like following a recipe and measuring every ingredient, whereas calling a square is like tossing in the things I have on hand and tasting as I go. I often get into what feels like an altered state of consciousness while calling a square, whether during a memorized figure or an improvised break. Tony Parkes Billerica, Mass. www.hands4.com New book! Square Dance Calling: An Old Art for a New Century (available soon) Sent from my phone. ________________________________ From: Susan English via Contra Callers &lt;contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt; Sent: Sunday, August 1, 2021 9:00:51 AM To: Woody Lane &lt;woody(a)woodylane.com&gt; Cc: contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net &lt;contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt; Subject: [Callers] Re: Paperless Calling Woody's mention of jazz brought up a deep memory for me. I was patter-calling a square in Ann Arbor, and the fiddle player walked over to stand very close to me. He started playing a shuffle in harmony to my patter. I got into the dance such that all my thought processes disappeared. It was just me, the music, and the dancers. It was a life-changing experience for me. I say my calling shifted from left brain to right brain that evening. I wonder if this is what other callers experience when they call without cards. I still refer to my cards for contras, especially at the beginning and end of a dance, but the calling comes from deep inside me. Susan On Sat, Jul 31, 2021 at 9:36 PM Woody Lane via Contra Callers <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net<mailto:contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net>> wrote: This has been a fascinating thread, with a huge amount of valuable information, perspectives, and technical options. I am impressed by those callers who can call from memory. Since for contras I don't have a good one. (Squares seem to come naturally to my memory; contras not so much). I still use cards. And my backup is a potpourri of photocopies of the cards and a pile of pdf versions of them. Although with all the ideas expressed in this thread for digital notes and backups, I am considering expanding and trying some. But I was thinking that, memorizing or not, using virtual or not, using cards or not -- this is a bit like playing jazz. There's no single best way to play jazz. Likewise, I think there are lots of ways of creating a good evening with calling. Some rules -- like watching the dancers and reacting to the them and the musicians -- are universal, but every caller plays the way that works for them. All these techniques should not make a caller feel bad or inadequate. On the contrary, they illuminate the wide array of tools that we have access to, each in our own way to make the best of all that jazz. Woody -- Woody Lane Caller, Percussive Dancer Roseburg, Oregon ________________________________ On 7/28/2021 9:45 AM, Susan English via Contra Callers wrote: As I begin to travel again, I want to leave my dance cards home and access all my material virtually. I have 2 questions: 1. Which virtual method (or app) do you prefer for accessing your dance instructions and notes? 2. What is your back-up plan at a dance if you can't get on the internet? Susan [🎶] [☺] 330-347-8155 woosterdance.com<http://woosterdance.com> _______________________________________________ Contra Callers mailing list -- contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net<mailto:contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net> To unsubscribe send an email to contracallers-leave@lists.sharedweight.net<mailto:contracallers-leave@lists.sharedweight.net> -- Susan [🎶] [☺] 330-347-8155 woosterdance.com<http://woosterdance.com>