The problem
Building a show running order by hand means checking that no class is in two dances back to back, that quick changes are possible and that every class knows when it is on. An owner putting on 2 shows a year can spend about 12 hours per show on the running order, backstage timetable and parents' timings sheet.
What the AI does
List each dance with its class names (not pupils' names), length, costume and any props. Paste the list into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini and ask for a running order where no class appears in consecutive dances, with any class that has less than 3 dances between appearances flagged as a quick change. Ask it to draft a backstage timetable by class and a timings sheet for parents. Check every line against your own list, because assistants can miss a clash. You decide the final order. Licenses for children performing and chaperone arrangements follow your local authority's rules; the assistant doesn't decide them.
A worked example
A dance school in Exeter puts on a summer show and a Christmas show each year, each with about 22 dances from 14 classes. The owner pastes the dance list, using class names only, into an AI assistant to draft the running order and timetables, then checks them.
Before
About 12 hours per show on the running order and timetables
After
About 5 hours per show drafting and checking; 14 hours saved a year
What it's worth
About $39£29€35A$56C$55 a month in time saved, averaged over the year: 7 hours saved on each of 2 shows is 14 hours a year, which at an assumed $33£25€30A$48C$47 an hour is $466£350€417A$672C$658 a year. The assistant costs nothing on a free plan or up to about $27£20€24A$38C$38 a month on a paid one.
How to set it up
- Write a list of every dance with its class names, length, costume and props.
- Paste the list into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini and ask for a running order with no class in consecutive dances and quick changes flagged.
- Ask for a backstage timetable by class and a timings sheet for parents.
- Check every dance and class against your own list, by hand, before sharing anything.
- Agree the final order with your teachers and the venue, and confirm licenses and chaperones with your local authority's rules.
What goes wrong
- Never paste pupils' names, ages, photos or medical details into the assistant. Class names are enough.
- Assistants can miss a clash or miscount dances between changes. Check the final order line by line.
- The timings are only as good as the dance lengths you give it, so time each dance at the dress rehearsal and update the plan.