Do we need to book a Caller as well as the band?
Most definitely YES! - Unless you are booking a band just for listening to,
without any organised “called” dancing. There will always be
people at Ceilidhs or Barn Dances who have never done this sort of interactive
social dancing before and therefore, they will need more guidance than
others who may already have been to a few Ceilidhs or Barn Dances in the
past. The Caller (who used to be known as an “MC” or Master
Of Ceremonies) really runs the whole evening. The key to a successful and
fun dance is an excellent Caller who does his / her job with competence
and humour– as more of an entertainer than a teacher. The best Callers
do a very good job of making people feel at ease when being invited onto
the floor to join in the dancing, and who are very good at persuading people
politely that they really should get off their backsides and dance – RIGHT
NOW!!!
Seriously - it’s very reassuring to have all the dance steps explained
before each dance and it’s usual to be walked through the whole sequence
of moves before the band is let loose on you, so no one is left wondering
what to do next.
If you’re worried about “getting it wrong”, please be reassured
that the Caller would never expect people to get every single step of the
dance correct. It’s part of the fun of a Ceilidh, when people go a
bit hay-wire, dosi-do the wrong person, fall over - whatever…..
Occasionally, the Caller will also play a musical instrument and will play
in with the band once the dance has got under way.
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