I have been dancing for a while now and i am having allot of trouble with my pivots -- is there any trick to make them easier???

thanks

Vic

1. Make sure that you have a good frame and good posture. Nothing throws off any turning figure worse than bad posture and a forward-leaning head.

2. Stop worrying about your feet and keep your shoulders turning.

3. Don't rush it. Take the time to do the proper toe-heel-toe footwork on the pivot foot.

4. Keep in mind what your partner is doing. You don't say whether you're a lead or a follow. Either way, you must be aware that you're only one half of the figure.

jj

OK thanks - - i will keep that in mind, next time i practice them.

thank you

Vic

Vic. Pivots. No rise and fall. No Sway.
Pivot is a turn on the ball of one foot, the other foot being in front or behind in CBMP.
When watching your friends Pivot, see how many of them get out of being verticle. There is one Pivot for the man on step four of a Natural Spin Turn, rising from there onto step five which is a step. Good Luck

That's not strictly right. There is no rise at all between 4 & 5 - Step 5 is HT. Down on 5, rise e/o 5.

BTW, the lady dances a pivoting action, as the man pivots, on step 4. The key difference (apart from being on RF turning R, rather than LF turning R) is that the other foot is NOT held in CBMP.

CliveHarrison. Step five is really a Hover. The Pivot is on step four. The weight is still on the supporting foot. Five is a step and not a replacement. It is a heel where the foot will lower imediately to the flat of the foot. From there it will rise after the weight arrives over the foot.
When I wrote rising from there onto step five is correct. Don't forget that after a step forward we should rise as the moving foot passes the standing foot. Which is standard technique often neglected.
Which brings me to. On a Natural Spin Turn in the Waltz which step or steps are actually the Spin.

The book is quite clear. There is 3/8 of a turn to the right between 5 and 6. Step 5 is not a hover.

jj