On 2017-04-07 1820, Cheryl Joyal via Callers wrote:
I am at the point that I want to reorganize my dance box to be able to
better program an evening. I plan to go to “categories of dance
features”, and have listed what I am thinking for possible categories
below.
I am wondering how others organize their boxes - if categories, what do
you include ? Do you file Becket and/or Double Progression separately
from “dance categories”, or just note on card ?
Or do you have another suggestion ?
snip
Appreciate your suggestions !! Thanks - Cheryl
Cheryl Joyal
Hi Cheryl,
Most responses seem to follow the categorisation ideas you've started
with or alternates. So I suppose I'll chip in with this as I haven't
seen anyone else mention it.
I don't categorise mine, not to that degree.
Nor do I use cards, too small to see.
I often have one-side-used paper available so I simply use binders with
letter size print outs. I stand a chance of seeing what I need from the
music stand if I require a reminder at all during the dance.
Also I can put the Calling version of text at page top and if I do a
Teaching version of text I'll place that below, on the lower half the
page. That's usually for ECD. That keeps the Calling portion clean, with
minimal text.
I do keep one binder for ECD/Playford and that ilk, and another which
tends to house Contra, Barn/Community/Easy, and eCeilidh, Scottish
Ceilidh. Each binder is alphabetically sorted.
(Kalia: Just a _handful_ of dances do have a copy in the other binder.
Others I know where to find them, and mark them up if they migrate to a
collection for an event, so they may find their way "home".)
Occasionally I'll pull most of a type out for a gig, or a gig's worth
and spares. i.e. overnight travel for a Scottish ceilidh.
I tag such items as Becket, Double Progression, Easy and such in text
and underline or bold that. Occasionally I'll mark it up with another
term or characteristic if it seems useful along the way.
I've tried Colin Hume's program and enjoyed it, however I can't really
afford it so haven't carried on using it (shareware honour and all
that.) I don't always have a computer along running MS Windows either.
The one I own is a 10" netbook so not as much real estate for viewing.
I'd really enjoy a cross platform application, however don't expect one
to show up any time soon. (In Java perhaps?) I'm also loath to enter
then re-enter loads of dance and event data with the adoption of new
devices or operating systems. So, for now, this works.
If I really desire a dance or to include a move/figure for an event,
then at initial program planning time I'll do some text searches on the
desktop computer, gather some titles and pull them. Not a big deal.
Other good go-to dances are known to me, or I somewhat automatically
recognise dances for certain characteristics as I review the collection
titles or body manually (computer or binder.) Again no big deal.
Going beyond the collection and heading to programming - at a dance (or
before) I'll often pull the "cards" I might use, maybe do a physical
sort by perceived overall difficulty (for the event audience) or
possible sequence (then spares). Then I hand-print a program page with a
pick-list of titles in a right-hand column. I tend to code them to
remind me of the set formation (for non-MUC), significant
characteristic(s) or figure(s). Then when I've called them (and entered
them in the main body) I'll stroke them out in that column.
Works for me, both for a record, and a program planning aid for before
and during.
So much of all this kind of breakdown relates to how one approaches
things, how we perceive or see them, our own organisation style, how
much of what kind of work we wish to do, or how much chaos we'll
tolerate, etc.
Enjoy learning about your own process.
Cheers, John
- not a luddite
--
J.D. Erskine
Victoria, BC
Island Dance - Folk & Country
dance info - site & mail list
Vancouver Island & BC islands
http://vecds.ca/island.dance/
