Hi, every nice people:
I'd asked questions about leading before on this site, and I've improved my leading skill less or not. Thanks to many kind and skillful people here!
I thought it might because I could move my weight with body frame more stable than ever, and kept better balance than before.
My socail teacher didn't tell me that my walking or moving was not right any more, of course , that's mean I did it right less or not.
But, instead, he told me, my body is too stiff. Yes, I've known that for a long time, my partners also told me that. Becuase, when they were dancing with our social teacher. They couldn't feel any pressures and just let it go, they all know how to dance automatically without thiking. As for me, I push to mush power to them, of course, I didn't know I was pushing them when dancing....I just wanted keep my frame stable and used my "body-shoulder-hand leading".
Frankly, sometime I used "force" was because I flet I couldn't let them going where I expected when I took steps about any turn, like as natural or reverse turn (For V Waltz, I couldn't let us turn an enought degree amount. And my partner always couldn't ending in front of me correctly, even my turn amount is right, especially, I was take inside turn. If I take outside turn of reverse time, I felt there's not enough room between me and she).
I asked that qestions of my teacher many time.
Because our lesson or many lesson I've took before, just tell our how to use foot, no how to deal with our body. But my teacher just tell me, I need times to dance more, and need a personal teacher.
Well, that is really a ambigous answer! I am sorry, becuase now I didn't have enough buget and time to find personal teacher.
Originaly, I thought that, when I took stable frame,good balance, walked and danced a correct angle, and used "body leading"(a good weight moving and frame, then my body will respone my feet moving) would be a good leading way; but I knew it was worng, now!!!
So, this time I have may questions, maybe some nice people could teacher me.
1: what is the real meanig of "body leading"?
2: how to keep body flexible and mantain a stale frame?(it seems contradict,right?)
3: how to leading well when dancing an inside or out turn?( I try to use CBM indeed, but it seem didn't work)
4: how to leading a correct and enough turn amount when danicng inside or oustside turn, especially dancing V Waltz.(I try do that with a bad behaviour, that is use my body-shoudler-arm to push her.). Let my partner just ended in front of me.( I am sure I am at right place).

thanks a lot in advance.

John

P.S. this trouble often happened in Waltz, cause it take many turns. Although, I felt too less room for us when I took outside turn, like as 1~3 steps of reverse turn in V Waltz or slow Waltz. But my foot didn't hit my partner(after I improved my leading skill, this situation almost didn't happen again).

[This message was edited by John Shue on 07-11-01 at 10:40 AM.]

Hi, John:

I think most of the problems you have memtioned occured in Viennese Waltz because the speedy tempo of this dance.

First, a solid connection does not equal to stiffness. Solid connection is done so that the lady can read your lead through her left hand which is connected to you right upper arm. From this connection she should read how much you want to turn or how far you intend to travel. Your right hand behind her back should send the signal of right or left turn and indication to her that you want her to move forward. Your left hand to her right hand connection needs just enough tension so that she can read you, no extra forces in pushing or pulling required.

Secondly, body flexibility come from the knees particularily in dancing Viennese Waltz. Your knees should be relaxed while doing the entire dance. There is no rise and fall in V. Waltz,if you find youself dancing rise and fall, then your knees are not relaxed enough. If you keep your knees slightly bent, you will find that it enable
you to turn a lot easier.

Third, I like to think of the outside turns or inside turns by using very simple words. 1-2-3 of reverse turn or natural turn, man does the pass while lady move out of the way. So on beat one of reverse turn you should lead the lady to take a 1/4 turn left, this open up for you to pass on beat two and three. On beat 4-5-6, the lady does the pass. So on the beat 4 of reverse turn, you should have your right heel back into the center of the floor and this allowing the lady to pass you toward L.O.D. on beat 5 and 6. When you are passing her you will take big steps and while she
is passing you, you will take smaller steps allowing her to pass easily. Again no pushing or pulling needed. If you are dancing the 4-5-6 with large steps, this will cause the lady to make extra effort to pass you and therefore breaking down a good connection.

Hope this help.....

Regards,

Keh Gough

Hi, John:

I read you post of 7-12-01 again and I think what you are concerned about getting too close to her might have been on the 2nd beat of reverse turn.

I will try to explain more below. As for man, on 1-2-3 you are dancing the outside turn which I refer as " I pass " while on the 4-5-6 you are to dance the inside turn which I like to use simple term as " she passes ".

Reverse turn:

Beat 1: You will lead her for 1/4 turn to the left and therefore she will be out of your way for you to pass. You are now facing center with your back slightly against LOD.
Beat 2: Your RF take a side step toward LOD (pass her) with right heel slightly pointing to DW. Your body continue to turn CCW. You take large step to pass her, in the mean time she should take smaller step in order to dance the turn smoothly.
Beat 3: Bring your LF lock in front of the RF, now you and her have made a 180 degree turn and she is now facing the LOD.
Beat 4: RF dance back and make a 1/4 turn toward center of the floor. This set up for allowing her to dance pass you toward LOD.
Beat 5: Now that you are out of the way, she will take a larger side step toward LOD to pass you. In the mean time you take a smaller step with your LF to the left and with your toe pointing DW, continue turning CCW.
Beat 6: Bring your RF close to LF. Knees relaxed at all times. Now you are again facing LOD.

Natural turns with the same principle. 1-2-3 you pass and 4-5-6 she passes. Only there is no lock steps on beat 3 or beat 6.

Hope this clear things out for you.

Regards,

Keh Gough

Hi, John:

On the V. Waltz, both you and your partner should step on time on the beat. If she delays a step and you bump into her, then that is entirely her fault.:(

Don't push your frame forward first. As in reverse turn, when you take a step on beat 1, lead her to a 1/4 turn left, the minute you take that first step your frame and weight follow to that point at the same time. As CBM goes, reverse turns or natural turns are all danced in CBM.

In all standard dances you and your partner should have right front facing right front anyhow. That first step for reverse turn, you are steping slightly to her right side with your left foot. I don't think this is called "cross over position" as you have mentioned. Nevertheless you and your partner shoulder always mentain facing each other (CBM) in V. waltz.

Regards,

Keh Gough

Thank you,Keh Gough and Joelwood:

As Ken mention below, if I lead lady to turn 1/4L(a crossbody position?!) on my left side on step 1. Did it mean I should make a CBM first with my RF pushing my frame forward a little, but my free standing foot just stayed under my body before lady turn 1/4L (Face DC, aligment LOD)? Becuase if we moving at the same time, and if she was delay a little, I might be close her too much.

As for Joelwood's advice for me, I think, that means not only leading but also following my partner. Well, that sounds difficult! And did it also imply that the turn amount I should turned was depedened on lady's? On the other words was to keep "in front of her, not ask her ending in front of me" (Because my partners didn't learn or be familiar with those steps. As you know, that made more challenge!)