Blackpool Style Multi-dances

COMPMNGR has a new feature to simplify the handling of Blackpool style multi-dances, which for COMPMNGR purposes will be called a multi-heat. A multi-heat is a group of single dances which may or may not be danced consecutively, unlike a regular COMPMNGR multi-dance in which the couples stay on the floor for all the consecutive dances. Couples are automatically entered into all dances when you enter them into a multi-heat dance category, you don't have to enter them separately into each dance. Entrants are invoiced for the group of dances rather than for each individual dance. The dances are marked individually such that if there are preliminary rounds different entrants may be recalled in different dances (also unlike a multi-dance). COMPMNGR automatically sets up a combined heat award, which is similar to a combined event award, for each multi-heat. In case you don't know, a combined event award allows you to calculate placements for a group of events from the placements in the individual events (like combining Standard and Latin 5-dances to get a 10-dance award). But setting up a combined event award can be a little tedious. You will find the option to calculate a combined heat award everywhere that you have an option to calculate a combined event award; they are included in the same menus.

A multi-heat is set up as a regular COMPMNGR dance category which contains the several single dances (no multi-dances) but no level or age subdivisions. A dance category is designated as a multi-heat by selecting the pricing method as 'Priced by dance category', which is a new option in the dance category setup box. A multi-heat dance category must be a couples event marked by the skating system.

So it is pretty simple to set up a multi-heat. But suppose you get to a competition and find that the organizer created some kind of weird category and entered all the dancers in that. You can very quickly create the correct kind of multi-heat and copy or transfer the dance entries into it. If you are not familiar with the copy and transfer operations you might want to read about them in the help system. Briefly, all you do is highlight all the entries in a competition, then click 'Change' in the menu bar and select either 'Switch to different category' or 'Copy to different category'.