Hi John!

You've already had a number of excellent suggestions, and I wouldn't argue with any of them. But I do want to elaborate on the issue of why you and your partner bump legs.

The key to not feeling like your legs are crowded, (assuming your dance position is correct relative to your partner,) is getting your center moving before your leg. This has already been said. What hasn't been said is that in order to do this your standing leg, (the one with bearing your weight,) must activate by compressing slightly and begining to move you, slightly, in the direction you wish to go. When your partner feels your center begin to move, she will be able to do the same, and lo and behold, she will move her leg at the same time as yours so that you don't bump her leg or feel that you have to push it out of the way. (This action is fairly subtle, and you will need your teacher's help to find the right degree.) This should also help you somewhat with the problem of leaning into your partner, since your base will get moving faster, but that will also require your teacher's assistance.

The annoying thing about body contact is that because you're afraid of stepping on your partner you become tentative, and because you're tentative you're more likely to step on your partner. Once you break this vicious cycle, body contact is the best connection possible.

I should add that there's nothing wrong with learning without body contact at first. Once you learn better how to move correctly, moving in body contact will become much easier. Have patience...many different concepts will help you with these problems. They can be challenging to learn, but as you do your dancing will become more and more enjoyable.

Dancing in contact is tough!

The suggestions you have already are good ones, but I would add that the lady has to respond to the movement of your center with movement of her own -- perhaps she is moving herself independent of your lead, that is also a way to bump legs!

Regarding proper alignment: it is very important to be aligned slightly off center. You also have to trust that this will keep you from bumping -- your leg and her leg should be moving simultaneously, so hers will be out of the way as you step anyway. The more you try to avoid where you think her leg is, the more likely you will be to bump into it!

--Belle

Hi Dronak. It sounds to me as if you are turning your left side away from your partner. Are you taking hold of your partner instead of allowing her to come to you?

Try this exercise to help your posture and arm positioning:

1. Stand upright with your head looking forward. Arms at the side.
2. Lift both arms to just below shoulder height, then curve them forward into the correct position. This should prevent your shoulders lifting.
3. Practice this until it comes naturally to you. Try not to lean forward.

With practice your arm positioning should be correct.

Next ask your partner to come to you whilst in the is position. Make no attempt to take hold of her. Once she has found her own position slightly to your right side. Practice taking steps to the side on the balls of the feet. Your partner should move only when you move.

By maintaining this position at all times you should be able to step in between her feet without any trouble. Both your inside right thighs should be in contact as youtake a right foot step forward.

I take it that when you step outside your partner that you bump righ hips. I think this may be because you are either forcing your partner to your left side by turning into her or that you are using your right hand to lead her to compensate for a loss of contact in the middle.

Without actually seeing you it's always difficult but I hope this has helped.

Steve

I'm not sure how much I can help you, but I'll try. If your legs or feet are hitting your partner's legs or feet, the first thing I'd check is that the two of you are positioned correctly. The lady should be slightly to the man's right side so that her right leg is between his legs (that also puts his right leg between her legs). Basically the center of her body is about aligned on the man's right side. If you're positioned correctly, you shouldn't hit your partner's legs. You may have some brushing contact sometimes, but I don't think that should be a real problem.

Perhaps others can suggest ways to improve your frame, but I think it will mainly take practice. Your muscles have to "memorize" the feeling of being in a good dance frame so that you can do it automatically. When your teacher adjusts your frame, try to feel how it is different from what you were doing before. When you set up on your own, try to recreate that feeling. There are probably some exercises or something you can do to help with this, but someone else will have to provide more information.

You also mentioned feeling like you lean into some forward steps, particularly at faster speeds. I'm not certain, but that sounds to me like you're not moving your whole body correctly. You can't just take a step with your legs and let your body follow. For one thing, it doesn't lead the lady. You need to move from your center. You may get varying definitions of "center" but if you think about it as your center of gravity, you'll probably be OK. You want to move your body and let your legs and feet catch you. If you move your whole body it will probably also be easier to keep your dance frame in place because your steps will be easier to take.

It's often hard to try to help people correct problems by written descriptions without actually seeing people dance. Perhaps others with more knowledge will be able to provide more help, but I hope that what I've said is of some use to you. Good luck.

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

Thanks Dronak:

Your words just remind me what my another male teacher had told me. "You cann't move your feet before your body take action in V Waltz".

At that time, I try to correct it, and I think I had corrrected it well. So, I never combine "lean forward problem" with " worng "walk forward" together. Tthe key point is I didn't correct it compeletly..

So I will return to the class and ask my ballroom teacher about how to" move my whole body correctly"

Thanks a lot

JOHN SHUE

Hi,
I'll through in my two cents for what it's worth, I think Dronak did a good job explaining what is likely to be going wrong. I thought of one other thing that could be compounding your problem. It sounds like you could be dancing into the women. Has your instructor ever mentioned that? If your dancing straight into your partner it will make it hard for either of you to move and she will feel like your trying to run her over. If you can stay in your own path and not dance at the women, it will make it easier to move.

Good luck

Sandy