Two very important items for your list

7)Poise and posture
8)Leading and following

Another important issue, often overlooked, is working with your partner

point 3 - is it perpendicular swing or pendular (pendulum) swing?

Aligned centers- no broken sides

Technique. When you use the word ballroom dancing. That word includes Latin. In Latin we do have what could be called broken sides often refered to as a Latin Hip. Going to swing we have a pendulum movement from side to side combined with the hips moving through a figure eight or the infinity sign on a flat surface. This and the pendulum swing can be done whilst in a Press Line and many other places. Jive has its own set of rules. Paso has none of the above. So to be techniqually correct you should have put the Standard Style of Ballroom Dancing. This is a name I hate that came in only a few years ago. Its good to see that on some web-sites that give results, they are using the words Modern and Latin which is as it should be in my humble opinion.

Yes, to be precise its Modern Style.

b.t.w. which would be a better learning program

A) A good solid foundation on these technique and later work on figures and lastly leading the lady

or

B) Work on the figures and then technique and leading.

I'm doing my medals in modern and am thinking of a more effective way of learning. Doing the medals just helps you learn the steps and leading and not much is taught on the technique

Technical Man. I did all the medals possible. It was not untill I joined a technique for modern by a currently top twenty in the world that I learnt how to stand correctly. I've had a lot experience in competitions. This I have been taught in the past few weeks. To make sure in a turn that the right arm doesn't alter its position in relation to the body . We were asked to hold our tie in our right hand which was at a right angle and to keep it tight. Be suprised how many times the tie became slack. To find the first position we were told to put our arms across our chest with our fingers touching. The elbows level with our shoulders. Open the arms to a right angle. That is where the right arm will stay With the ladies armpit on the man's wrist the ladies left arm is more towards the outside of the man's upper arm. The man's left arm is raised to about eye level and is an equall distance between the partnership with the with the palm of the hand facing across the body. With a right side to right side contact of the body which in the Quickstep will be higher than the Waltz and Foxtrot. When I was first taught the ladies right arm was bent. Today it is much straighter and in some cases very straight. Because the lady is over much further to her left than in the olden days the arm has to be straighter
All this can be clearly seen on a tape of a IDSF final. I must have about a dozen I copied. But untill I was told all of the above I just never saw it. Even though it was there all the time, it went right over my head. We are now still on the Basics which believe it or not is much harder to do correctly than most of the variations. This is no class for a shy person. Each of us one at a time have to dance to music and call out the timing, included are a few groups. Twenty four bars all told. If you do have any decent tapes, by that I mean the best six in the world, They nearly all start with a Feather, Reverse Turn, Three Step, Feather into a Reverse Wave and so on. They must show the judges some Basic Foxtrot which they do. We have been on this for weeks, and some more to go, till our teacher says its passable. I suppose I am a glutten for punishment. I also go to a Latin Technique class as well with a former seventh in the world. No partners, every one does the same male or female.This is a European type class which is the way to go if the correct technique is to be learnt. I'm not too keen on spinning ten continuous spins across the floor and ten back again. But after that one or two becomes easy.

Hi,
I'm male and I am thnking of taking classes from a very experienced and technical Male teacher (as the female teacher are not as technical as he is)

Do you think the European style classes (w/o partner) with the male instructore would yield better results in learning techniquw than dancing with a female teacher?

ABC, I did mostly lessons with a female instructor and recently started taking some hours with a male instructor to work on technique. It helped me a lot so I'd deffinitly advice you to go ahead and do it. Not only because he might be more experienced when it comes to technique (my male instructor has been teaching for more years than my female instructor has been dancing), but also because any dancer should take lessons with instructors of their own gender.
But you really want a mix of both I guess. Especially if your male and female instructors communicate and try to make their lessons build on each other.

ABC,

I dance with a female teacher that has very good technique, timing and etc. However, she can't see everything if she is dancing with me and while doing our routines. During our lessons sometimes we borrow a good male teacher to look at what we are doing. It only takes a few minutes and it really helps me, especially if he dances the technique that I'm trying to do with my partner. He also borrows my teacher to demonstrate something with one of his lady students. This is the best of both worlds, unless you have enough money to pay for both teachers at the same time--this can get expensive quickly. I do take (with my pro am lady) occasional technique lessons with a higher level visting male teacher.

Dear quickstep,
I do agree with that to know and to do correct basic is much more harder than figure or variation itself because of that this most important part lack of full figure in book or showed by coach. To observe Marcus instructional clips and learned with Tony ( 7th on the world now )( only one lesson with him now, but will be more after I did well as he said completely ), I have some points as follows: 1. the elbows are not level with the shoulders, they are slightly lower , and forward, outward, man's left hand levels with lady's nose and keeps in midway between the parnership, arms fix with torso, man's right forearm 7-10cm above his wrist support lady left arm from her left posterior axillar line, this is very important for leading and beautiful, relaxed , big volume frame, lady feels very comfortable for bigger room and stable balance , and necessary extension from her supporting foot, couples obtain larger upper spaces also .
( unfortunately, such chair is too expensive . most of chairs are rigid ,and small,unflexible for the figure needed more room.), man's right hand is UNDER ( not on )lady left shoulder blade with light touching only ( I don't want to be lifted, or have a sense of dropping in the well.)
You wrote the neck tie hold on man's right hand for required angle. when right side to right side connection, lady left armpit hight ( posterior axillar line )has set the wrist position.
finger tips touching on the chest bone with nipples line underneath the hands, then oper the upper limbs , both hands facing each other may be what we want. Lady upper limbs forward , slightly round and upward , both shoulders back and down, left hand places on man's arm ( yes, more outside of man's upper arm is more natural than book said, top female dancers put their left arm outside the man's upper arm with fingers (excepts with the thumb ) closed. When I did like that , my coach watched and said nothing till now. I knew he preferred I did it in common way , but I hated .)Such most perfectest ( natural and very relaxed ) holding can be noted in the top seven in the world commonly. They really keep their arms parallel to the floor just like holding a tray with glasses ,upper part is a reaction from the ankles and knees. no pull nor push. ).
ylchen