The simple entrance makes it easier to deal with, so that's good.

Start from the standpoint of taking a basic side step in closed position. Strong compression into right leg to provide support for a good sized side step. Here's the important part: As the side step is being taken, avoid *any* hints of sway, rotation, or body shapes. Move the entire body as one unit, solid as a rock, with hips straight and level.

After weight has been fully established over the left foot, then start to work on the shape. There are two primary elements to this shape: (1) Rightward rotation, and (2) Leftward sway.

The rightward rotation takes place in the torso and hips. There should be no mis-shaping of the arms; this is entirely body rotation. Be careful not to pull back on the right side (this can affect the lady's balance and/or break the dance position). Instead, project the left side forward.

The leftward sway is all hips, baby. The right hip should be higher than the left hip, plain and simple. The man should watch out that he doesn't exaggerate this sway with his top... if anything, he should be stretching his left side long, not dipping it down. Also, even though the lady may be looking to the right, she should still work on keeping the head *weight* over her left side, just as she does in promenade position.

Try to hit on all of these points with the kids, but the most important thing to remember is: Have them dance completely through the side step, with weight fully transferred, before beginning to take to the shape. They may blend it when it comes time to dance with music, but for learning purposes, it really helps to break the movement up clearly.

Good luck.

Sincerely,
Jonathan Atkinson

Hi Jonathan

Sorry to disagree. However I do not imply in my previous reply that it is possible to over-rotate from following your explanation or that the problem of the dancer is over-rotation but rather that the conscious conceptualization of "rotation" while executing the feather is likely to be misunderstood and cause distortions. "Rotation" implies a definite turning action around some fixed point( to me anyway, it's all subjective).

We are saying the same thing in principle. It's how we are saying it. CBM, CBMP and R/L side leads are some of the fundamental concepts used in all the modern, standard dances. It gives these dances a set of common technical principles and a common language. It also enables "precise" descriptions (as is possible in describing dancing).

I believe that the dancer with the problem in question would be most effective at solving her problem by understand the actions of CBM, CBMP and side leading first and then apply them to the feather step.

Regards,
Len

(Jonathan, I am not Len Diana, I do not live in the USA)

Well, we seem to have switched topics in this thread from the Whisk and Feather to the Oversway. After reading Jonathan's post on the subject, I was a little confused and that could be because I've only had a little exposure to the Oversway. I'm sure Jonathan knows what he's talking about but this part seems backwards to me:

After weight has been fully established over the left foot, then start to work on the shape. There are two primary elements to this shape: (1) Rightward rotation, and (2) Leftward sway.

I thought that in an Oversway, the lady is going towards the man's left side. The man would step to his left and the lady would oversway in that direction. If the above quote was written from the man's perspective, as putting weight on the left foot seems to indicate, I would think that the man is then rotating left and swaying right. The rightward rotation and leftward sway seems right for the lady, but I thought she was stepping on her right foot for the figure.

So could someone clear things up for me? As noted, I don't know this move too well, so I suspect I'm just missing something here. If anyone could provide some additional help, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

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James Marshall
marshall@astro.umd.edu
http://www.astro.umd.edu/~marshall