Prior to the popularity of the practice of dance calling at public dances in the mid-nineteenth century, dancers could learn "the newest and most fashionable" dances of the day from dance manuals such as Asa Willcox's book.

NOTES
"The 'Book of figures' is a little manuscript that has recently been presented to the Newberry Library by the Librarian. The book appears to be a guide such as would be used by a fiddler or other musician in calling off the successive movements of dances. It was found some years ago in the attic of an old house in one of the smaller towns in Hartford County, Connecticut."

(I haven't seen the manuscript or a reproduction of the manuscript and I don't know if it still exists.  In 1918 they seem to have thought this was somebody's fiddlecase book of calling notes. If they were right that would suggest that there was calling in New England a bit earlier than your New Orleans example.  I don't know that they *were* right in 1918.  It's also possible that the little booklet which is dated 1793 was acquired blank by Willcox in that year and then filled out years later.  It was 6.5 by 2.75 inches,  so not a full size book.)

-- Alan