In one of my books it say's "LF should be taken sideways without forward progession which is suspended until the 6 step RF is taken forward". Is this like coming out backwards as you do in the open telemark and a slowing down of the body?

Doug. One of the best teachers world wide says that the step under question should feel like a Hover untill the lady has past. Both Alex Moore and Victor Silvester in their books say LF to the side and slightly forward.Hope this helps.

THere is of course a body turn to the left (for a man)which starts with the right foot back (step 1 of the feather finish)So the placement of the left foot for step 2 is strictly to the side and it should feel like a hover. The lady has a difficult movement to perform in order to stay with the man, and the man must not turn to the left too quickly, otherwise the lady's job is impossible.
This feather finish movement is very difficult to perform well

All movements with this kind of rotation, have 2 components-- Inside of the turn and outside .

The person on the inside , has the obvious advantage of early completion due to less distance traveled. And of course, thats why we state " body turns less "
Between 4 and 5 of the "finish ", the foot rise is sustained on the toes of both feet ( unusual on inside turn motions ) but we know, that by maintaining that position, it allows us to swing thru in to the continuing action. It will seem as though there is little progression when the feet are apart in the side ways position , because , we are , of course , waiting for lady--
however, the rotation of the body to the left in conjunction with ladys return to a backwards position, may feel like we are actually moving whilst the right foot is still in reality , very momentarily in place , but then should start to move very slowly to coincide with the brushing action of the lady on her completion of turn .

And the lady after the Feather Finish should Not take what is now called the first step of the Three Step under the body. According to Anne Lewis, former British champion.

I would in principle-- agree with that, if we are allowed to assume that the cbm that brings the lady in line is the prep move,for the 3 step ( if so desired )which would generally be the case with Bronze level students .

A little more on the Feather Finish. If the lady takes the first step of the Three Step ( RF) under the body that will be straight back. This will make the Three Step linear. Is that what we want. Or do we want a slight curve.

"A little more on the Feather Finish. If the lady takes the first step of the Three Step ( RF) under the body that will be straight back. This will make the Three Step linear. Is that what we want. Or do we want a slight curve."

The curve if present comes as a result of the differnce between the directions of the steps in the figure.

In the case of the three step, for the lady to put her right foot under her body would not be straight back, but due to the already existing direction of movement from the preceding figure, it will actually be a diagonal almost (but not quite) CBMP placement across and underneath a body which is travelling in that diagonal direction. Similarly, her left foot would extend that diagonal. However, the step after that, backwards on her right foot, would now go much more purely down the LOD, and it's the difference between that and the preceding steps which creates the actual curve in travel over the course of the figure.

Basic rule of thumb for sorting this out: the primary change in direction of progression will be located at the point of maximum rise in the figure. The body may rotate earlier in CBM figures (which this is not) but the actual change in direction of travel comes in at or just a hair before you reach the high point.

Thanks anymouse. This high point would be on beat four in the feather finish if you are dancing on the back of the beat.

There is no CBMP on a Three Step.