Thanks for the support, Lisa. Of course, I'm just one opinion on this subject, but it comes from experience on both sides. My primary concern is actually for the dancers - I'll quote a bit I wrote to an off-list reply:
My point is: being unclear about what dancers should expect on such a contentious issue, before they arrive at the dance, will ensure that somebody is surprised/ disappointed/ angry when the decision is made "on the fly" - I've seen dancers storm off the floor in such situations. It's unfair to stick the caller in such a charged situation from the start. But more importantly, it's unfair to the dancers who may be traveling a distance for anticipated fun. And, ultimately, the organizers end up having to deal with resultant issues anyway - in my opinion it's better to just address it up front.