Thanks for the input. It took me a while to get back to the site to respond.

The reason I mention the first step of a Fishtail as a checking action comes from the Victor Veyrasset & Heather Smith Dancevision Quickstep series of tapes where Victor describes the first step of the Fishtail "as having a light, checking action." He never implies that it is a heavy checking action. However, another instructor I have had taught the first step of the Ftail as having a (and please excuse the spelling) "lilting action" where one rises to the toe of the Rfoot to imply a halting/rising/slight hovering action before proceeding into the 4 quick steps of the Ftail.

I'll re-ask the original question since I'm not really still clear about your answer to the cross-swivel. The ISTD manual has the Xswivel ending with man facing diagonal center Rf outside partner. Yet a follow to the xswivel is a Tipple to the right which is suppose to start with man facing against LOD. So if one follows a Xswivel with a Tipple to the right, 1) does one overturn the Xswivel to execute the book version of the Tipple or, 2) or does one somehow overturn the Tipple step to end DC or LOD or 3) is it a little of both? I'm presuming (here) that the Tipple will always end heading DC or LOD.

By the way Steve, my last name is Zafian. My family heritage comes from Slovakia (or so we think) but the 'ian' ending on our name implies to some people that we are Armenian in ancestry.

Many thanks,

Pet