Don. I will try that when I next dance a foxtrot. I asume you are dancing on the 2cd beat,example ,lowering on one. But I don't agree with you on the second quick. Most coaches I have been to,always say to be a little late on the second quick in order to arrive just in time to lower on the one,this gives a smooth continual foxtrot.

cdrogue. I think we now are aproaching in the discusion whether the technique book on the second quick is correct. The late Len Scrivener after he passed away, his notes over his years of dancing was published in a book form. He said the technique book is wrong. He said that at the end of the first quick, which is the second step, we are actually on the way down. To do it the other way impedes the movement. So I go to my tapes of a major competition, and what do I see. If you can see any top competitor in the Feather doing down. up. up.then lowering from that up position I can't. So to get back to Sir Bill Irvine 's accentuation of the third beat falls in with the above. I mean how could anyone be up at the same height and than lower. It would be like dropping off the edge of a cliff face.

Don . I don't see what up.down ,up, has to do with arriving a little late on the second quick. There is a second compresion off the (ball,toe,) of the first quick which gives us more flight so at the end of this flight as we arrive on the ball of the right foot we may be starting to lower. As we have a (ball'heal, Ball)on the second quick we have to make sure our body does not arrive to early over the foot causing our weight to shift back. I like to feel that my legs are swinging at the same speed or that my timing is 1.1/3 beats on each step,but what I think Im doing and what I actually do are not the same and would take a good teacher to analize it,but everyone says my timing is spot on ,and that we are very smooth and it feels good so I don't care what the book says. Doug

cdroge.You'r dead right when you say what you think you do and what is being done are not the same. One of the teachers here says that it is a pity we use the name quick for a step. because quick to most of us is just that , quick. He prefers a 1234 count. If I read this right you appear to agree that the second quick is on the way down
Once I was also told to delay the second quick by dragging or delaying before stepping onto it.I think this became popular at a time when the dancer arrived on the first quick to soon, which goes back to not using the full timing of the slow before it correctly.I have on tape the solo foxtrot performed by the six finalist in a IDSF competition. They all at the start of their routine do absolute basics. The camers work is excellent with a head to toe look at the dancers. The ones I rave on about is the German Couple Ferruggia and Kohler. They are worth trying to copy. I have looked hard and often and cannot see anything but an unresricted go go go.

There is if anything a slight rising action as the first quick moves into the second, but the division of the legs naturally begins the loss of altitude.

You are going down, but think up.

Anonymous. We seem to have got onto the Foxtrot now. We have suggestions that the hip does something and the knees, and variouse other words of advise Nobody mentions the length of the step in relation to the dancers height. If it is too short and you don't want to arrive early, there will have to be a hesitation on the steps to stay in time.If it is too long, overstriding. you will never keep time. Even some of our better dancers, if you watch, appear at times to be a little behind the beat sometimes. If a judge wishes to find a difference between the dancers something like that could decide who is the winner and who isn't.

annon. There can only be an increase in rise on the second quick if the right foot is suspended in flight and does not touch the floor untill 4.1/2 lowering on one.

Not true - the free foot can easily be extended further than the standing foot. As long as your standing foot is on the floor, you should have no problem drawing your free foot across it.

Annonymous. We got our wires cross somehow. But here's one for you. In both vidio's of the Hiltons and Veyrasset, you can clearly see the heal of the left foot on the second step(first quick of feather) touching the floor,if not actualy using the floor. Now where does is say in the book that you dance a (ball flat,heal,ball,toe.) If you don't believe me,check out ( ballroom competition figure; Marcus and Karon Hilton) (slow fox.Victor Veyrasset & Heather Smith. Preperation of feather Step)

The heel is not actually no the floor, it's just not as high as many of us would assume.