Weather to dance or not to dance!
Hi all,
Our summer weather that extended itself into November has exited stage south and been replaced with record artic cold snaps and bouts of snow, ice, & fog entering stage north. Welcome to Colorado! This type of weather can put us into a quagmire, “Weather to dance or not to dance” when bad weather strikes. We can take steps in making good, prepared decisions. My top ten things to consider in dealing with dances and our infamous Colorado weather!
10. PREPARE: Keep an eye on the upcoming weather forecast. It’s easy to get busy with life and get blindsided by our weather. I know the local jokes concerning weather forecasting in Colorado but over all they don’t really do too badly. Take steps and plan for an inclement weather situation before it hits!
- LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS: A rule of thumb we use here is that if our local school district closes, our dance is cancelled. This “Rule of thumb” works well. Just be sure everyone knows it!
- COMMUNICATE AHEAD OF TIME: If a problem looks like it might be rearing its ugly head and you have hired an out of town caller/cuer then the club or caller should contact its respective counterpart and discuss the situation in advance! Remember this is Colorado; the weather could be OK in at the dance location but not where the caller is travelling from, or vice-versa!
- A STAND BY: if there is a question as to the caller/cuer being able to get to your dance a good alternative is to put a local caller on “standby” ahead of time to cover the dance if indeed. Most local callers are more than willing to “stand by” if the situation lends itself.
- EARLY DECISSIONS: If a change has to be made it is usually best to make them early on the day of your dance. If a decision is made by noon then the word can get out and folks can adjust accordingly.
- STICK TO YOUR DECISSION: Once you have decided to cancel or go on with your dance, stay with that decision, and do not change it. Nothing gets more confusing than making a decision then changing it.
- USE TECHNOLOGY: If you have to make a change in your venue, use the internet, email, web pages etc. to inform the dancing populace of the changes as soon as possible. The Colorado State Square Dance Council Page or your local council page is a great place to post such announcements.
- WEATHER CLAUSE: It’s a great idea to have a weather clause in your contracts that spell out exactly what to do in case of inclement weather. This will prevent any miscommunications between both parties.
- BE UNDERSTANDING: If your caller/cuer contacts you in regards to not being able to do your scheduled dance please understand. Callers love to call so if a caller cancels out believe me the decision more than likely boiled down to safety. Remember, in most cases the caller/cuer usually has to travel back home after the dance as well. One’s own safety is a personal choice and really should not come under scrutiny.
- SAFETY FIRST: Safety for all parties is the major consideration for deciding to cancel or not to cancel a dance. Heaven forbid that a weather related indecent occur while travelling to or from a dance.
I realize a lot of this is just common sense but perhaps there are a couple of ideas that may help your club avoid problems when dealing with our famous Colorado weather.
See you in the square,
Jeff Palmer
