I'm primarily an English country dance caller, just now getting started
as a contra caller, and am finally admitting that I need a better way to
organize my notes than the box of index cards I've been working with all
these years. There seem to be several options out there.
One is Will Loving's Caller's Companion (http://callerscompanion.com/).
This one was apparently extensively beta tested by folks here on this
list, and from what I hear is a superb organizer for contra, but
apparently not as strong for ECD. One thing I've seen is that the
programming matrix has a maximum of 32 elements. My ECD matrix so far
has about 55 elements (granted, some of those are different flavors of
heys, but they need to be distinguished from each other), and that
doesn't include the contra vocabulary. Will, can that matrix be
expanded? In the "Sets" function, is it possible after a dance to
include a paragraph or three of notes about the event ("Great evening,
but major problems with audibility. Bring own mic next time to be able
to get off stage for demos. Make sure band is extra clear about the
transition from B2 to A1 of Companions. Lots of very happy new dancers.")?
Another is Colin Hume's Dance Organiser
(http://www.colinhume.com/download.htm). This is written in something
called Delphi. I looked at it years ago when I was first getting
started with calling, but haven't researched it recently. Anyone have
experience with it?
Number 3 just came to my attention recently, and it's Ralph Canapa's
program, called The Dancing Master
(http://www.transportedproductions.com/TheDancingMaster/Instructions.pdf),
for iPads. This one requires creating your own data entry protocol,
either scanning existing source material or entering it in a consistent
document style. It does link to iTunes files. I don't currently use an
iPad for calling, due to terror of it going "blip" in the middle of an
evening, but might consider it. I know a lot of callers LOVE their pads.
Of those of you out there _who call both styles_, can you offer any
advice on this subject? So far Will's system seems the most evolved
(based on my somewhat rusty memories of Colin's system). If you use
Caller's Companion _and_ you call English, what limitations have you
encountered, if any? If you use something else entirely, what is it?
Kalia
- [Callers] Computerized organization systems for dance note... Kalia Kliban
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