"how can i get rid of sway in quickstep. I am having trouble with the basic quickstep figures. I am swaying to the right on fwd basic man step. What do i need to do to eliminate or reduce this sway."

By simply not doing it.

Do you sway when you walk?

What changes when you dance quickstep?

Actually, there should be some sway in many cases, maybe even a little in many situations where the book's oversimplification says there is none.

But if you have two much sway, go back to the basic movements, slowly, alone, and figure out where it is coming from, and then stop doing that.

Or does it only happen when you dance with a partner?

If you are too high up when you dance QS, you may feel more of an urge to sway to counterbalance your steps. Dance it much lower and it should help. Since QS is a faster dance, you really need to be in your knees to maintain control.

Hi adi,
That makes more sense. Stay low.
Thanks for the advice..will try that out and see what happens

Fyi.... I am practising it on my own without a girl partner

There is a sway on step two and three of a Quarter Turn.There is sway on two and three of a Spin Turn. Why is there sway on these or any step involving turn, it is because you are turning, Not in the Tango, there is no sway in the Tango. In the other dances there would be no sway on a normal step one. I would first check that my sway wasn't bending to the side by collapsing my right side on the above mentioned.If you were walking briskly along your garden path which has a turn to the right at the end What would you naturaly do to get around. Other than that try to stand up straight on step one. Dont't ever Sway on any Spin. This includes 456 of the Natural Spin Turn. Ask yourself now. Is there Sway on steps 1 2 or 3 of a Quick Open Reverse turn. Stay with the above instructions. Then ask yourself. Why is there no sway on a Lock Step.

"Dont't ever Sway on any Spin."

That's a beginner/basics interpreation. A very good idea for starters, but at a more advanced level it's customary to use sway in spins, either to advance or retard the movevement. No problem with the advise for now, but don't state in in terms of absoules when it is in fact NOT ABSOLUTE, but only what is appropriate for the most basic version.

"Is there Sway on steps 1 2 or 3 of a Quick Open Reverse turn."

Yes. It has the normal sway of a turning figure.

"Why is there no sway on a Lock Step."

There is little to no sway in non-turning lock steps, such as the basic one given in the book. But there is sway in turning lock steps.

No sway on Spin Turns or any Spin in any dance Latin or Standard. There are two Turning Locks . One is from an Over Turned Spin Turn backing LOD for the man. I wouldn't try swaying there into the actual Turning Lock.
There is no sway on step one of a Quick Open Reverse only on 2 and 3. The reason being is that the turn starts after the step is taken hence sway to the left on two and three.

"No sway on Spin Turns or any Spin in any dance Latin or Standard."

WRONG.

While the most basic intrepretaion of a spin turn does not have sway, and as a result the figure is taught and documented without sway, there are many other ways of performing the spin turn which do have sway. If you see a spin turn in high level competition, it is must more likely to be with sway than without.

"There are two Turning Locks . One is from an Over Turned Spin Turn backing LOD for the man. I wouldn't try swaying there into the actual Turning Lock."

Then you'd be doing it WRONG. Try looking the figures up next time before you post in ignorance. Both are documented WITH SWAY.

"There is no sway on step one of a Quick Open Reverse only on 2 and 3. The reason being is that the turn starts after the step is taken hence sway to the left on two and three."

Approximately. Note that this is the ordinary pattern for any 3-step 3/8 turn turn.

If you go to the Learning Centre you can find your way to Spins and Turns. You can if you look see a moving Spin. This is how a Spin should be wether you do one or a dozen. You might just for added knowledge look up Pivots. Then look at a Natural Spin Turn which has a Pivot in it. You'll see what I am on about without me telling you. Look. Read Record.

"If you go to the Learning Centre you can find your way to Spins and Turns. You can if you look see a moving Spin. This is how a Spin should be wether you do one or a dozen."

CORRECTION: you will see one couple's intreptation of a basic sort of spin turn.

But that is by no means the only type of spin turn that championship dancers dance. Many of the other version DO * MAKE * WISE USE * OF * SWAY.

Of course students should initially learn to do the basic one right. But it's quite easy to point that out, without having to falsely deny that the spin turn ever has sway, because in fact at a higher level it often will!

""Because in fact at a higher level it is often done"".. But more often not done at any level. If there were a 100 dancers at this very moment doing a Spin Turn I doubt if a dozen would be using Sway on 4 5. Excluding where you live.
It takes the sixth step away from how it should be done. Too much weight will be on the RF to be comfortable. It would be neccessary to quickly change the sway into a neutral position to be able to do the most used exit which is 4 5 6 of a Reverse. But if you are talking about very advanced competition dancers they at the end of a Spin Turn could be anything but 4 5 6 of a Reverse.
It should be mentioned that watching this I doubt if there are many who compete.