Betty and I would welcome guidance on developing proficiency in doing swivels.

No, Cuban Motion and swiveling actions are not compatible. The technique of one will contradict the technique of the other.

That doesn't mean that you can't make a swivel more latin or more swing-ish by the way that you characterize it. But the characterization in this case has nothing to do with cuban motion, since cuban motion as a technique does not exist in swivels.

Sincerely,
Jonathan Atkinson

We've had a few instructors that have taught it - they started out with Fred Astaire and then went independent.
Ignoring the foot that's doing the toe heel, is there a difference between swing and chacha or mambo if you just look at the swiveling foot? Is there cuban motion in chacha and mambo swivels? Thanks.
Carol

Would you please explain the difference between toe heel swivels in swing and heel toe swivels in cha cha? Other than the fact that one starts with toe and the other with a heel, what's the difference in what the swiveling foot and other body parts do? Thanks.

I'm not familiar with the toe-heel swivels in the cha cha. Actually, toe-heel action doesn't strike me as being very cha cha-ish at all. But it must be in somebody's syllabus, or you wouldn't be asking about it. Where did you learn it?

Anyway, a toe-heel action is pretty straightforward, and I can't imagine too much variety in any case (other than choreographic considerations such as what foot to start on, how many iterations, etc). Sometimes you might dance them tight and high and sharp, other times perhaps low and wide. If I were doing them in cha cha I might opt for tight and high, and I'd probably cheat by doing a sort of a "toe-toe" swivel. That is to say, I'd flick a tight little pointed foot outward rather than a big juicy swing-style heel.

I hope this kinda answers your question.

Sincerely,
Jonathan Atkinson

Um -- Can you be a little bit more specific? There are dozens, nay hundreds of different types of swivels. Just about anything where you turn on a weighted foot can be considered a swivel. Give us some context, and we'll be glad to help!

Sincerely,
Jonathan