Linking to the Dance Gypsy

The Dance Gypsy is intended as a resource for the dance community. We are happy to include links to any dance group, organization or service. If you are a supporter, you are also welcome to link directly to any part of the Dance Gypsy. For example, you might want to save a link to your most frequent search (or even several different searches you need). There are basic two forms of such links:

1. An organization might want to provide information to their members by allowing links directly from their own web site to a Dance Gypsy search result. For example, they could include a link in their site that generates a list of upcoming dances near their own event.
2. Individuals may also create bookmarks to their favorite search (or searches) and save them directly in their browser’s “bookmarks” or “favorites” menus:

How to build a link:

First, remember that linking is designed primarily as a service for donors. You can build and use links even if you are not a supporter, but they will not work nearly as well.

For either purpose (embedded links or bookmarks), start by performing the search you want. Experiment as much as you want until you are confident that it represents your best interests (for example: “contra, family and square dances within 50 miles of Cambridge, MA”). Note that it is normally best to avoid date restrictions, since they will rapidly be out of date).

To make a bookmark for direct use from your computer : once you see the result you like, use the bookmark menu to save the search result. Usually you will want to give it a new (and more convenient) name (such as “My dances").

To include a link in your own website: once you see the result you like, copy the address bar and paste it into your web site as a live link.

Notes:

• It is best not to search on the basis of date, since your search will rapidly be out of date.
• You may attempt to bookmark or link even if you are not a supporter — but they will not always work as intended.
• Events to the listings for a specific event or series (identified by number) will work for donors and non–donors alike

Examples of linking directly to sub-sections of the Dance Gypsy

Although the easiest way to create links is as described above, the descriptions and examples below show some of the possibilities. They also illustrate how to create the search manually

You may always use the performer or event finders to generate your links, but for those of you who simply to create your own custom links, here you go (these are a little more flexible and a little shorter).

In general you can list by using a generic link :

http://www.thedancegypsy.com/eventList.php

Followed by restrictions describing the events you would like (and yes you must restrict the query):

Event form (dances or festivals)

http://www.thedancegypsy.com/eventList.php?dances

http://www.thedancegypsy.com/eventList.php?festivals

(you must specify at least one of the above, plus you must include at least one additional restrictions such as ones below)

Dance styles

http://www.thedancegypsy.com/eventList.php?dances&Contra

http://www.thedancegypsy.com/eventList.php?festivals&Balkan

(specify as many as you like)

and/or a state name:

http://www.thedancegypsy.com/eventList.php?dances&Vermont

http://www.thedancegypsy.com/eventList.php?festivals&NH

(specify as many as you like)

or multiple entries or combination:

http://www.thedancegypsy.com/eventList.php?dances&Contra&Square&English

Find any and all of those styles

http://www.thedancegypsy.com/eventList.php?festivals&Iowa&OR

finds dances in any (all) of those states

http://www.thedancegypsy.com/eventList.php?dances&MA&Ballroom

http://www.thedancegypsy.com/eventList.php?festivals&AK&HI&English&Scottish

finds dances of any of the styles which are also in the specified states (specify as many as you like)

 

Distance:

you can also specify a distance (miles) from your home base, by providing both items:

http://www.thedancegypsy.com/eventList.php?festivals&radius=10&near=05301

http://www.thedancegypsy.com/eventList.php?dances&radius=100&near=Los+Angeles+CA

And many more combinations. I invite you to experiment, but many of the simpler queries are listed below:

Dance series by type:

Regular dances by state:

 

Dance festivals by Region or State:

Dance festivals by type:

Dance performers:

It isn’t really feasible to list direct links to all 2500 bands, musicians, callers leaders and instructors listed in the Dance Gypsy, but we can show you the general form:

http://www.theDanceGypsy.com/performerList.php?musician=firstName+secondName

or

http://www.theDanceGypsy.com/performerList.php?leader=firstName+secondName

or

http://www.theDanceGypsy.com/performerList.php?performer=firstName+secondName

(which finds either musician or leader)

thus, to link to David Kaynor’s data you would enter

http://www.theDanceGypsy.com/performerList.php?performer=david+kaynor

to link to Wild Asparagus’s data you would enter

http://www.theDanceGypsy.com/performerList.php?band=wild+asparagus

If there are more names, just list them, separated by “+”.

As with the events you can further restrict by location, dance style, instrument, etc:

Some guidelines and suggestions:

Band and person names need not be capitalized. But the style keywords (like Balkan and Contra) should be written as here with a leading capital. State abbreviations are all capitals. If a name has diacritical marks (á, ö, Ø, etc.) you will usually do best to use the closest Latin equivalent.