Name That Call

Are you looking for a simple way to make your calling easier for dancers to understand (and thus they'll dance better and have more fun)?
As callers, our job is to say the names of calls. We do a good job when we say each call name correctly.

How can we know the correct name for each call? Simple! Look at the Callerlab Mainstream (or Plus or Advanced) list, where you'll find one (and only one) name for each call.


Abbreviated vs. Complete

Dancers must hear a call, recognize it, then do it. If we abbreviate, we add an extra undesirable step: dancers must now translate "what they heard" into "what was meant".

Examples:

Abbreviated: Circ
Full: Couples Circulate

Incomplete: Pass the O
Complete: Pass the Ocean

Unfinished: Reverse Flutter
Finished: Reverse Flutterwheel

Part of a call: Weave
A full call: Weave The Ring


Made-Up vs. Real

When we use synonyms, dancers need extra time and effort to translate, with increased risk of misunderstanding.

Examples:

Almost Real: Bend Your Line, Bend My Line, Bend That Line, Bend it
Real Call: Bend the Line

Fake Call: Hairy-Legged Ones, Trade
Real Call: Boys Trade

Ersatz: Flutter Flutter Peanut Butter
Bona-Fide: Flutterwheel

Made-up: Chain The Girls Across
Real: Four Ladies Chain

Not real: Well Now The Girls Go In While The Gents Sashay
Real: Ladies In Men Sashay

Mispronounced: Re-sickle like an old dill pickle
Accurate: Recycle

Requires Translation: Spin Your Top, Spin That Old Top
Ready To Use: Spin the Top

Dancers learn real call names during lessons. It's only fair to use those same real call names after lessons.
 

Benefits of using real call names instead of made-up names:

1. Better timing (because dancers no longer need to translate).
2. Better dancing / fewer breakdowns (because calls are easier to decipher).
3. More fun (because of the above two reasons).
4. The caller gains a reputation for being knowledgeable and precise.


Cluttered vs. Clean

"Please hide the calls in a stream of babble, to make hearing and interpreting the calls far more tedious" ... said No Dancer Ever. For smooth dancing, dancers need a clear call name, without audio clutter.

Examples:

Jumbled: Well Now You Circle Up Four, Burst Right Out To a Line Of Four
Clean: Circle to a Line

Imposter: Double Plow Right On Thru
Genuine: Double Pass Thru

Gobbledy-gook: Well Now That First And Third, You'll Bounce Right On Up To The Middle of the Ring, Then Bounce Right Back
Clean: Heads Forward and Back

Cluttered: Rollaway With a Half Sashay
Clean: Rollaway

Error-prone: Let's Square Thru
Clean: Square Thru
("Let's" is easily misunderstood as "Left".)

Cluttered: Do a Swing On Thru, Get Me Two By Two
Clean: Swing Thru
(The cluttered version forces dancers to listen intensely to ten words and pick out two vital words. The clean version contains only the vital words and is therefore five times easier than the cluttered version.)

Cluttered: Well Now You'll Walk All Around The Little Left Hand Lady
Clean: Walk Around The Corner

When we say actual calls (instead of audio clutter), dancers gain because they can hear and enjoy more of the music.
 

Speaking of Music

Now that your calling is newly improved and your dancers are having more fun, surely it's time to celebrate with some great new music from Chinook Records.

Examples of how to get Chinook music:

Abbreviated: Surf It
Complete: visit the website www.ChinookRecords.com

Made-Up: Hit The Cat
Real: Browse the Chinook Music Catalog

Cluttered: (this entire article), LOL
Clean: Give your dancers a special treat of high-quality new music from Chinook

Reasons why www.ChinookRecords.com is your best place to get music:

1. Browse hundreds of instrumental and vocal tracks for free
2. Enjoy safe secure checkout with instant download of MP3s
3. Get the cheapest price in the universe.

Hurry, before we change our mind and raise the price two dollars to match everyone else. :)

Back to our Calling Tip:


Now vs. Later

When dancers receive a call late, the undesirable "stop-and-go" dancing can develop. For better calling and smooth dancing, give the next call efficiently.

Examples:

Delayed Delivery: There's your Corner, Look 'em in the Eye, Get Around That Corner, with a Little Dosado
Quick Delivery: Dosado
(Quick is better because dancers get the call sooner)

Flow-Stopper: Let's Have All Those Boys Do A Run
Flow Enabler: Boys Run

Delayed: Centers make an Arch, are you ready? Outsides Dive In.
On Time: Dive Thru

But I'm Not THAT Bad!

You're probably thinking, "My calling is much better than these examples". You're right! The examples show extreme cases. It's pointless to measure ourselves against bad examples.  The real question should be, "Can my delivery be improved?". Even if your answer is "My Delivery Is Always Perfect and Cannot Be Improved", it's still a great idea to keep practicing so that your delivery remains clear, concise and accurate.

Name That Call

Question: you're the caller, and it's the moment you've been waiting for.  It's time to say the name of a call. Which exact words do you say?

Why not say the real name of the call?

When we use real call names, we improve our timing, increase accuracy, enhance our professional reputation and bring greater dancer enjoyment.

How to Get Bookings

This article is for new callers. A future article will explore bookings for experienced callers.

Be Empathetic

When we call, we must think like a caller. When we seek bookings, we must think like a "caller-booker" (person or committee who hires callers).

Be Findable

The caller-booker must to be able to easily contact you!  Each caller-booker has favorite method(s) of contact. Make business cards which list all your methods of contact (email, phone, facebook, fax, twitter, website, snail-mail, etc.).

Be Effective

Some callers leave business cards on the check-in or flyer table, hoping that a caller-booker will pick up a card. Some callers hand a business card to a club member with the request, "please give this to your caller-booker". To maximize your chances, use the personal touch: personally give your business card directly to the caller-booker.

Be Persistent

If you don't know who a club's caller-booker is, ask someone. If the person you ask doesn't know, ask the club president. After you find out who the caller-booker is, approach him/her with a genuine smile and offer your business card. You can even mention who pointed you in the right direction: "Hi, your club president told me to speak with you!".

Be Memorable

Try to make the interaction sincere yet memorable. If humor fits your style, use it to make yourself memorable. For
example:

- "If you need a Good Dance done Cheap ... and you're flexible about it being a "Good Dance", then let's talk!".
- "The next time you book callers, you can save yourself a ton of time and effort by calling me first. I'm brand-new, therefore I surely have the date available!".
- "This is a great opportunity to book Tomorrow's Caller at Today's Price!".

If your style is more serious, develop a few reasons why the caller-booker should book you. Example:

- "Future square dancers need experienced callers. The only way to have experienced callers in the future is to book them for dances today. Let's build a better future together."

Be Appreciative

Caller-bookers are volunteers. Their work can be difficult and thankless. Make sure to thank the caller-booker for his/her volunteer service. You can mention the great job the caller-booker has done, i.e. you always enjoy the callers at this club. Make it clear that even if the caller-booker does NOT book you, you still appreciate his/her volunteer effort.

Be Musical

You knew the ad was hiding somewhere in here, right? :) Before you get all these new bookings, you'll surely want some great Chinook music to please your adoring fans. Just think: you could actually become the first caller to own every song in the entire catalog. :) At ChinookRecords.com, you get easy and secure checkout, instant download of MP3s, and the lowest price anywhere. We're two dollars cheaper than some sites! Use the savings to get snazzy business cards for yourself. :) Even if you don't buy a thing, visit the site anyway, where you can listen to hundreds of sample audio clips for free. You might even pick up new ideas to use at your next booking.

Be Helpful

It can be awkward to ask for a booking. You may want to offer a favor in return, such as "If you ever have a last-minute cancellation and you need to find a substitute caller in a hurry, please contact me, even on short notice. I'm eager to help!".

Be a Closer

Ask for the booking. If you find it difficult to ask for the sale, just get over it. :) One effective closing technique is to assume that you will be booked, so let's iron out the details. For example, ask, "How do you usually contact callers for bookings? By Email? Phone? Facebook?". When the caller-booker replies, enthusiastically express that you'll be waiting for that call / email / tweet / PM, etc. You can even ask, "Would it make your life easier if I contact you? When's a good time for you?".

Be Realistic

A 100% success rate is improbable. But you will definitely have some kind of success rate. The more bookings you try to get, the more you'll get. Sometimes it takes repeated attempts, over time, to finally get the booking.

Be Danceable

A guest tip is a great opportunity to get hired. Dancers sometimes find it difficult to dance to a new voice or a different calling style. In addition, new callers generally try to "prove" their skill by using choreo which is too difficult. Keep them dancing! A guest tip where people actually dance is far more impressive than a tip where everyone stands around perplexed.

Be Repeatable

Getting hired is wonderful. Getting hired back (for a repeat engagement) is fabulous! Sometimes the caller-booker will hire you back while the event is still happening. If nobody brings up the topic of a repeat booking during the dance, make sure that you bring it up. A great time is when a club officer says that you "did a great job". You can then suggest that it's a dandy idea to set up a future date.

Be Easy To Book

Caller-bookers have a hard job. They need to figure out (today) which caller dancers will enjoy (months or years from now). Think like a caller-booker, make their job easier, and enjoy more bookings.