Heres a good one if I can write it as it was told to me. Just a Waltz Square.
Forward RF on a straight line South to North. Step across feet together . Back LF on a line paralell with the first step. This is where it goes wrong. That back LF must be on a straight line equall to the front step. But we have a tendancy to veer the foot inwards instead of straight back. Somebody is already thinking what about CBM.
Ask yourself the question. Do we send our foot towards CBM or does CBM go to the straight step. There is a difference
When we dance solo we can do it all wrong and carry on in our ignorance. Put a partner in front its a different story. If we were to draw paralell chalk lines on the floor and do those six steps can we stay within that frame. If there are a few of us in a line. Are we moving into our neighbours space. As it was told to me step straight back and not across. Somebody else may be thinking. But on some steps I see foot shaping taking place. Yes, but at the end of a straight step. I found this a difficult one to write. That's where a good teacher is needed. Once again. Does the foot go towards the shoulder. Or does the shoulder go to where the foot will be.

Hi Quickstep
I think you've introduced a couple of differnet questions here.
However, on the foot shaping thing, i think it depends on the step. If there is a turning action, such as 4,5,6 of reverse turn in waltz, then the foot shaping helps make the space for the lady to move past on the outside of the turn (same goes for feather finish in foxtrot). Where this doesn't apply, such as the end of a veave into pp, where the couple ends in PP, then th previous backward step for the man would be straight with CBM. In this case, the shoulder and upper body will go to the foot.
On the six steps of a box waltz...this is great practice for beginners, or for advanced dancers honing their gathering - lowering - rising and hovering, forward and backwards. To practice CBM, a turning figure is useful - can't do better than a weave in waltz and keep good hip contact.

Is this the sort of thing you were talking about?

Phil. Mainly is to learn not to step across the body even slightly on a backward step. The one I got picked up on was after a Spin Turn in the Waltz 4 5 6 of a Reverse Turn, turning to diagnal to the centre Ready for a Reverse Movement. Step 4. I had a habit of coming across the body with the RF. which also causes a slight twisting of the spine. When you think about it my leg is telling my body to go in a different direction to which I am backing. The poor partner not knowing any better hereself never complained. Now she thinks its wonderfull. I am now looking at simular steps in other dances. Step 4 Reverse Turn Foxtrot for instance.

Do you mean your right foot was coming under your body? That would make life difficult! I would tend to bring my right foot a little outside my body to allow my partner past on the outside of the reverse turn.
If by step 4 reverse turn foxtrot you mean what i would call step 1 into the feather finish, then it is recommended to take this step back on the right foot a little outside the body - a 'curly' as some people call it. I think it stems from the fact that it's a step back, but the body alignment is already slightly left (i.e. slightly backing DC). Again it will let your partner through and she'll love it!

Yes. Even though it could hardly be seen my leg was heading inwards. The teacher who had just come back from being abroad picked the shift in balance up imediately. I'll give you the full story. You are aware that there is a social Foxtrot, we call it Rhythm Dancing. It's ideal in crowded places. To demonstrate a particular point which was keeping our poise constant. The teacher said to me. Hold on , that's three out of three that you haven't stepped straight back with that right foot. From there I started looking at any simular steps in other dances which included steps forward as well as back. First step Double Reverse Spin is one worth looking at. I knew all the rules about not stepping outside the line of my hips. Be a bit careful there.

Quickstep,

You are onto something interesting this time.

Generally straight steps are not executed well, because they turn out to be impractical at more than a social-foxtrot type scale of movement!

Pretty much all actual figures in the more dynamic dances incorporate either CBM or a constant side lead. This introduces a diagonal component to the motion, which creates space for both partners to move without obstructing each other.

Now you are quite right to point out that CBM does not mean diverting the track of the foot, but instead rotating the body while sending it and the foot straight. (Last I heard, Jonathan still tends to get that one wrong, and you can see a lot of people who do know better diverting their foot way off the track on step four of a spin turn).

To deal with this practical, I'd make two suggestions:

1) Do not ever dance body square to movement in closed hold. This is fine for walking exercises or arms length hold, but trying to do it in closed hold will cause you to develop bad habits for accomodating and awkward situation which simply does not occur in actual dancing. Instead, dance closed hold actions with the legitimate CBM or side lead which they are designed to employ.

2) Dance the CBM actions with a mind towards common progression. Use the body rotation of CBM to make space for the partner, while staying "in their way" and moving just ahead of them. This creates much more efficient joint movement than falling off to the side on a diverted foot in order to "get out of the way". The backwards/inside partner needs to make space, but they should not make space any "faster" than it is actually needed - no big gaps on the turns please.

Also, something to think about: when viewed with respect to the path of net movement of the fictional "joint center", properly executed turns actually "turn" the opposite of the way in which the are named. For example, 1-3 of a natural turn accomplished a path change of 1/8 turn to the LEFT. If we draw the path of movement on the floor, there will be a vertex at the footprint of the second step. Given that the turn is actually towards the center of the room, there should be no steps falling to the outside of that originally DW line of travel painted on the floor.

It is worth discussing that step four of the Spin Turn. If we watch John Wood you will see that before he takes step four he is backing diagnal to the wall. If we watch Richard Gleaves he is backing the LOD. Both step straight. If you turned John to back LOD the step is still straight to the way he is backing and not across the body. The difference between the two is the alignment over the first three steps. Or rather where the second step is placed. On the tapes and DVD's I have watched. The most favoured appears to be to step across the LOD and taking that fouth step backing diagnal to the wall. As dancing is an art and not a science some dancers will be a cross between the two. Both ways as well as the cross breed are correct. It all depends now on that adjudicator.

"It is worth discussing that step four of the Spin Turn. If we watch John Wood you will see that before he takes step four he is backing diagnal to the wall. If we watch Richard Gleaves he is backing the LOD. Both step straight. If you turned John to back LOD the step is still straight to the way he is backing and not across the body. The difference between the two is the alignment over the first three steps. Or rather where the second step is placed. On the tapes and DVD's I have watched. The most favoured appears to be to step across the LOD and taking that fouth step backing diagnal to the wall."

Might guess is that if you look at where the lady is going - probably right down the LOD - then it becomes clear which dancer had the skill to move with his partner, and which had to resort to a detour out to the side to let her past. If the lady actually moved to diagonal to the wall on step four, then I'd agree it was proper for the man to go there, though I'd not be willing to call the preceding figure a natural turn!