Calling Tips

These notes a from Calling Notes for Irish Dances, a brochure that I have had in print since late 2009.

MacKenzie's Tips for Callers

    • Think ahead. Your mind should be 8 bars ahead of your body.
    • Call early. Most dancers need at least two bars to understand a call.
    • Call often. Don't give more than 16 bars of movement at once.
    • Be loud. It's called "calling" for a reason.
    • Know the dance or figure. Ideally, you will be able to dance whatever you're calling from any position in the set.
    • Know your dancers. If you haven't danced with your set before, find out what dances and figures they know.
    • Know what you're calling as well as your dancers (or better). Think about timing, location, and other details.
    • Walk it. If you have time before a dance begins, walk through tricky figures.
    • Help out newer dancers. If you see someone struggling, call in more detail.
    • Be patient. Sets break. One of the most important calls is "Everybody go home."
    • Try again. If a figure doesn't crash but doesn't look nice either, give the dancers another chance to get it right.
    • Pay attention. If a dancer says they don't recognize a call, you can change it or call the figure in detail.
    • Tell the musicians when you're done. Try calling "lead around" (16-bar warning) or "sinĂ©" (8-bar warning).
    • Clap for the musicians. It's only polite.
    • Practice. Calling is a learned skill.
    • Have fun!

These tips are an ideal. Not every tip is applicable for every dance or polka set. For example, the CD player doesn't much care when you're done dancing.