In the thead entitled "Body Contact in Whisk & Feather", James Marshall wrote:

>> I thought that in an Oversway, the lady
>> is going towards the man's left side.

Nope. If the lady were to really move towards the man's left side, she would shift across the his centerline and drop her head weight rightward into his space. This is actually a very common mistake. Here's a tip for you ladies out there: Your head weight should always be to the left, even when you turn her head to look to the right, and yes, even when you sway to the right.

For James: If you're trying to figure out how the oversway works the way I described it (as man), try doing it by yourself without a partner. Try to eliminate all pre-conceived notions of what you think an oversway is, and do the following actions:

(1) Stand with your feet together, weight on right foot.

(2) Bend your right knee.

(3) Shift sideways onto your left foot with a good-sized step. Remember, no shape, sway, or rotation yet. Just straight to the side.

(4a) While standing on left bent leg, allow the right leg to partially straighten, causing the right hip to lift higher than the left hip.

(4b) Turn your sternum about 1/8 to the right (yes, to the right ). The reason I numbered it "4b" instead of "5" is because these two things should be done simoultaneously.

(4c) I almost forgot. Also at the same time: Your head should turn to the left, with head weight being held strongly over the left side. Nice stretch on the right side of the neck.

Here's a tip: Sway comes from the hips, not so much from the sides of your body. When inclining your right hip, it's easy to let the left side drop. If anything, you should try to actually *stretch* your left side, in that area between your left hip and left shoulder. This keeps your oversway nice and picked up.

Oh, and one more tip: When turning your sternum to the right, try to do it in such a way that you bring your left side forward; Don't actually pull *back* with your right side. If you pull a side back, you'll be throwing the lady's balance off.

That probably seems very foreign to you, but trust me: It works. Practice this action a few hundred time by yourself, and then test it out on a partner. When done correctly, the lady should have no problem following you, and she'll stay balanced easily. A less experienced lady may still shift across your space, but it will feel a heck of a lot better than if you're pulling her across.

Also, you will ultimately blend the shape with the side step. But don't attempt this too early on, because you'll be much more likely to distort the shape in strange ways. For now, do one thing at a time, just as described.

Give it a try. Then let me know if it helped.

Sincerely,
Jonathan Atkinson