"I will ask next week. Andrew is at the present, and has been for several years there main teacher. They wont be back in this country till Sunday."

I await with eager anticaption the revelation of how the master squeezes 1.74 beats of time into 1 beat of music!

(or maybe, just maybe, he actually uses 1.74 beats of music for that third step?)

I still don't understand what is meant by 1.74 beats of time. If anybody else does I would be happy to hear. But talk to me about time like 30 bars a minute = one bar every two seconds. Or 28 bars a minute which gives me 2.1428571 seconds per bar of music. Doesn't this sound ridicules. Why not listen, and count the music and use volumes of energy up and down to suit the music being played and our interpretation of it. Different tune. different feel.

"I still don't understand what is meant by 1.74 beats of time. If anybody else does I would be happy to hear."

Thirty frames of video were counted between the time Sinkinson's left foot landed the first quick and the time his right foot took over to land the second.

The total number of frames per figure (for three SQQ figures) averaged 69.

That works out to the right foot to left foot time of 1.74 beats.

The timing of the Reverse Turn and Feather Finish was the same as the feather, plus or minus one frame.

Or turn the sound back on. Can't you see how long he "hangs" on that quick, delaying the landing on the left foot?

It is general knowledge that the first quick goes on the third beat, but the second quick is drawn out long after the fourth beat. You've been shown the measurements. You've seen the dancing. Why do you persist in denying what every skilled dancer knows to be true?

Still waiting to hear how Sinkinson fits 1.74 beats of time in one beat...

Sorry, mixed up right and left.

Left foot time to right foot time is 1.74 beats between step 2 and step 3 of the feather. And also the feather finish.
And same timing in the reverse... on the opposite feet of course.

Still waiting to hear how that is allegedly squeezed into 1 beat of music.

Can you count to a ticking clock 1 2 3 4. Its a bit slow. but I am sure you are able if you wished could count to the tic tock two ticks for a slow and one for a quick followed by another.
Or I am sure if you wished you could step tick on LF. tock on RF. then tick tock on the other two beats.
On the wall in front of me I have this rather load ticking clock. The second hand goes around to exactly 60 ticks a minute. That would be 15 bars a minute if the ticks were beats.If the speed was doubled that will give me 30 bars per minute. I could still move on time to that ticking clock wether it is 15 or 30.
Reminds me of Cole Porter. Like the tick tick tock of the stately clock as it stands against the wall.

Hi Quickstep. Night and day of course.
On this 1.74 beats thing. What i do is this. Practice counting the foxtrot tempo as 1(234) 2(234) 3(234) 4(234) at the correct speed. Then, on your own do some basic foxtrot steps and make the step being talked about (i can't remember what it was and i don't want to 'wind back' the discussion) last from, say, 2 to the 3(4). That's 1.75 beats which is close enoough!! get used to the feel of it. I'm not suggesting you dance this way, just get the feel.
i studied sinkinson doing slow waltz and counted the frames on his 1-2-3 natural turn. then split the bar into 12 mini-beats and practised (on my own)dancing to his rhythm (i wonder if he realises how much bother he's giving us!!) It was useful. Basically he was landing his second step (the left foot forward) a little early (1 twelfth of a bar - taken off the first step)to give him slightly more time to be 'up' before gathering and lowering end of 3 It felt nice and i suspect i'm doing something like this when i'm dancing.(sinkinson - here i come!!

Phil. I don't have Andrew's DVD. I only know what his pupils teach. In the Waltz does he count 1 and 2 and 3 and. The first (and) is the foot coming under the body. The solid beat out to the side is on two. The closing of the feet is on an (and). The rise and lowering are on three (and).
Just my thoughts on the Foxtrot basic timing. For years before there ever was the technology to watch frame by frame analizing they danced a pretty good in time Foxtrot. But the legs were very straight. Now we have knees bending to 45 degrees which does alter the mood of the dance. The time has to come from somewhere.The body and shoulders have a different timing to the feet which is the old faithful S Q Q four beats and three steps. John Wood goes into this one. My orginal statement said, and this is a quote. Get your two quicks on the beats and the slows will look after themselves. If I go into my Reverse Turn late with normal timing it looks bad. I will be chasing the beat. I doubt if any teacher who knows what they are about would allow a pupil to go into their Reverse out of time or out of sequence.
What sort of a teacher would say in a class. On our Reverse Turn we will let the beat go and come in late. It sounds as ridiculace as it is. Get those two quicks before the Reverse on the beats and the two in the Reverse on the beat and I am sure that slow in between will be fine.
The way you are counting your basic timing is the only way. Your count will give us a Feather . Reverse and a Three Step.
Those who for some reason like to wrestle with numbers. At 30 bars a minute that sequence will take eight seconds. I really don't need to know that because the music is my guide. I just keep time with the music being played, the orchestra look after this.. If the music is slower I don't need to get my calulator out. Just listen and dance.

"My orginal statement said, and this is a quote. Get your two quicks on the beats and the slows will look after themselves."

That is just GROSSLY IGNORNANT AND INCOMPETENT.

When all of the best dancers are dancing and teaching a body movement which results in the feet taking an extra beat to beat and three quarters, how can you stand there telling us the step must be precisely a beat and not see what an IDIOT you are being?

"When all of the best dancers are dancing and teaching a body movement which results in the feet taking an extra beat to beat and three quarters, how can you stand there telling us the step must be precisely a beat and not see what an IDIOT you are being?"

Quckstep, you make me repeat this so many times I can't even type it right!

Extra half beat to three quarters of a beat, total is 1.5 to 1.75 beats.

When I read in an official technique book, or Richard Hearn in his letter service states in writting, that the third steps of a Feather is 1.5 to 1.75 of a beat then I will beleive it. I have one before me now a Feather Step S Q Q. and guess what, the first of the Fallaway is a Slow two beats. Untill then. Fina Legare.