What exactly is meant by 'body flight'?. And how does one work to achieve it?

Body flight generally refers to arriving on the moving foot with enough momentum that, absent any intention to change, you would coast across it into at least one more step in the same direction.

Intention to change could take the form of a check into the floor, or more commonly a rise to absorb the forward momentum and allow you to pause or lower in a new direction.

Body flight is the forward or bakward (any direction really) that moves you across the floor

Body flight can you live without it. Take an ordinary drawing compass. The centre of balance is the centre. It doesn't matter if it is closed or open the centre of balance remains the same. Isn't that strange that is exactly how we walk. We don't thrust our leg forward and we also don' t leave the back leg behind so that we are toppling forward. Just think of the way we all walk naturally. Or if you like think of the compass where the centre is always equally divided whether it is closed or open.Just my thoughts. Be carefull of these visiting professional teacher who barn storm around the country flogging their gimmicky ideas. To my knowledge there is no mention of bodyflght in any of the technique books. If there is please copy from the book and put it on the screen for me to read.

But if you want proof of the need for body flight, you need only analyze the physics behind the given patterns of rise and fall and the precise points in each figure where the direction changes. Once you see the pattern there, you will instantly realize WHY the technique is at it is - to release and absorb the flight of the body in order to create the kind of elegant movement that has always characterized the swing dances.

So what is bodyflight. It's a myth. If when we rise and fall we create bodyflight without realizing it then why even mention it or give it a name. Wouldn't it be better to pay more attention to the correct footwork and exactly where is the moving foot at the time that the heel of the supporting foot touches the floor. That is where our movement through space comes from. I still haven't seen any quotes on the subject from a technique book at this time.

"So what is bodyflight. It's a myth."

No, it's a term commonly used to describe the way that motion energy is carried across multiple steps. Not every teacher uses this term, but ever dance teacher with a clue teaches this concept by some name or another. Body flight is merely the most popular term for it.

"If when we rise and fall we create bodyflight without realizing it then why even mention it or give it a name."

You don't necessarily manage to create it, unless you rise and fall properly. But body flight is more than that - it is carrying this energy through from the fall into the next rise, even if there are (in some cases) several flat steps in between.

"Wouldn't it be better to pay more attention to the correct footwork"

Footwork is merely one of the tools necessary to enable the body flight style of motion that characterizes these dances. Footwork by itself is only a goal in that you'll need to be able to do it right in isolation in order to be able to do what is needed in context. But the proper footwork is never to be found in a book - the proper footwork is the footwork which supports the desired action. The book merely suggest what that would be for some popular actions.

"and exactly where is the moving foot at the time that the heel of the supporting foot touches the floor."

Depends on the type of step being danced of course.

"I still haven't seen any quotes on the subject from a technique book at this time."

You were already told it isn't in the book. Get yourself a private lesson with a world class teaher and ask about it.

Or better yet, continue to go around denying it's importance... which will have the public service of warning everyone not to take anything you say seriously.

Phil,

Body flight is a term loosely used to describe the apparently effortless, smooth and uninterrupted motion of the body in dance. It is not a particular or distinct technique but rather an organizing principle around which one builds one's technique. That is footwork, leg usage, swing, body swing, etc should produce the outcome, ie. body flight. It is often used by trainers to emphasize the motion of the body in contrast to the feet/legs that novice dancers seem to fixate on.

Anonymous's said:

"Body flight generally refers to arriving on the moving foot with enough momentum that, absent any intention to change, you would coast across it into at least one more step in the same direction."

This description is far too prescriptive and restrictive. I've never heard it being used in such a definite way.

Quickstep said:

"So what is bodyflight. It's a myth."

I know where he's coming from when he calls it a myth however if one uses it as an organizing principle for the rest of one's technique it can be useful idea.

Rha

"Anonymous's said:

"Body flight generally refers to arriving on the moving foot with enough momentum that, absent any intention to change, you would coast across it into at least one more step in the same direction."

This description is far too prescriptive and restrictive. I've never heard it being used in such a definite way."

Well, to my way of thinking Rha, your description is rather vague hand waving. There are specific properties in body flight.

Jonathan describes it as the release of swing. I find THAT too restrictive, as it ignores the component of body flight that takes the form of carrying movement from one "swing" through non-swinging connectors into another.

But yes, body flight is a description of something that happens - in for example the type of dancing described in the book. The term itself doesn't have to be in the textbook, because self-consistent and efficient posessing the characteristics given in the book will have it. On the other hand, if a literists sets out to accomplish the details in hte book without understanding of the overall picture, they will probably end up with a very choppy dance having no body flight.

THanks for all your input on this. BUT, as well as asking exactly what body flight is, i also asked how does one work to achieve it. I know all about leg and foot action and rise and fall and correct footwork etc. Knowing what something is is not the same as knowing how to achieve it.
So, what are the important things i should be working on to improve body flight? Is it correct use of the standing leg? Is it staying on the standing leg for as long as possible (something i know i'm not good at). Am i not compressing enough? trouble is, you guys haven't seen me dance, so it's impossible for you to answer except in general terms - i understand that.