Well , I agree with Rha and will describe the feather step from an entirely different and outrageous point of view from over 40 yrs and still dance at 79, so here goes. First we ( my wife and I)don't dance the timing of the slow foxtrot with steps but with strides just like you do when you walk or march. Taking a prep step on approx beat 3&4 we swing down but mostly forward into the first step starting with the right

foot behind, on beat one the right foot is now along side the left foot in a lowered position the right foot continues to swing for beat 2 until the heal hits the floor, our weight then has past completely over the left foot for the slow count of whatever the music dictates, which of cause is variable. We then finish the feather step on the slight rise feet apart with left foot outside partner . From this position we are now able swing into the three step or a figure of our choosing. This is what we do wether it is correct or not. We are known for our beautiful foxtrot and lovely timing . food for thought? Cheers

Lluv2dance. When you wrote that it is unnatural and the fluency of progress is hindered is as Len Scrivener described in his book which was written from his notes after he had passed away. In the book it is written that the technique book is wrong in that the second and third step are the same height. Quite unnatural and should start to lower at the end of step two.
It was explained to me that if you follow the officiall book. you will climb onto a flat topped platform and lower over the end of it. With Len you go up the slope and down a slope instead of flat across the top.
Interestingly on another subject. The Whisk. He wrote that if the lady keeps the head to the left throughout a better Whisk in the Waltz can be performed. You know what he was right.
He also used to teach in the Tango don't think of S S Q Q for Two walks and a Link. Say Stop Stop Quick Stop. Timing is still the same what is different is the interpretation within the steps.
Quite a character Len Scrivener.

"the technique book is wrong in that the second and third step are the same height."

Guess what. NOWHERE in the book does it say that.

"Quite unnatural and should start to lower at the end of step two."

Depends on what you mean by "lower" If you mean "decrease altitude", then yes you should. If you mean dance a classic lowering action in the leg and foot, then no, that is saved until the end of step three - which is what the technique does tell you.

"It was explained to me that if you follow the officiall book. you will climb onto a flat topped platform and lower over the end of it."

Nope. That only happens if you take an disingeniously simplistic interpreation of the book. A beginner could be forgiven that. A skilled dancer cannot.

"With Len you go up the slope and down a slope instead of flat across the top."

Len's description is clearer, yes, but he's actually describing the same thing that the offical book is specifying. He just eliminated the potential for confusing intermediates.

"Interestingly on another subject. The Whisk. He wrote that if the lady keeps the head to the left throughout a better Whisk in the Waltz can be performed. You know what he was right."

That's true of almost any promenade figure, at least as a learning exercise. Many of the old time teachers had the lady keep her head left in all promenades, until she learned to fill out the promenade shape. Only later did they introduce the head turn. Try it in your next practice - dance the figure a few times head left, then have the lady turn her head but keep the same feeling as when it was left.

From the book . Ballroom dancing Analysed. Len Srivener.
Feather step. Tech. book wrong.
It says rise the end of 1. Up for 2 and 3. Lower end of 3.
This is quiet unatural and defies the law of dynamics.
It should read. Rise end of 1. Commence to lower end of 2. Down at the end of 3. If it is not natural it is wrong.
Please address comments or criticisms to Len Scrivener and not to me.I didn't write it. I just do it.

"From the book . Ballroom dancing Analysed. Len Srivener.
Feather step. Tech. book wrong.
It says rise the end of 1. Up for 2 and 3. Lower end of 3."

Yes, that is what it DOES say. What it doesn't it what you had yersteday claimed - it DOES NOT say that the steps ARE AT THE SAME HEIGHT. Because they aren't.

You get confusede because the official technique says what you DO but not what the RESULT IS. In contrast, Scrivener describes the VISUAL RESULT.

To stay at the same height for step three of a feather, you would actually have to dance another rising action as you legs divided. You are not instructed to do this, the result of which is that you, without needing to try to, start downwads from the end of the second step. And then at the end of the third step, you dance the actual LOWERING ACTION in the legs and the feet.

Both descriptions are right, because the y are describing THE SAME THING. But one tells you WHAT TO DO (ISTD), and the other tells you WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE (Scrivener)

I'm sure that the average person reading from Alex Moore will see a description thus. Rise at the end of one. Up on two and three.-----lower at the end of three. This last parted spaced is not instructing us on three. This cannot be put into opoeration untill three is reached.
That is why Scrivener wrote.
Commence to lower end of 2. down at the end of 3. Which is what most of us do correctly without thinking because it is natural.
There are few other things to be taken into consideration. That third step is in a strong CBMP. At the end we have a compression. On our first step we had compression. On our second step we had no compression. As you will no doubt have seen through watching Mirko frame by frame the toe arrives before the body which to me means the step is going to be downwards as the body moves forward. So I'm with Len. Does that all make sense. Get that CBMP in correctly and the rest will look after itself. We hope.

"I'm sure that the average person reading from Alex Moore will see a description thus. Rise at the end of one. Up on two and three.-----lower at the end of three. This last parted spaced is not instructing us on three. This cannot be put into opoeration untill three is reached."

Yes - because the INTENTIONAL LOWERING ACTION must not commence before the end of step three. What happens starting at the end of step two is the INCIDENTAL REDUCTION OF ALTITUDE. You don't have to make any effort to do that part, it will happen on its own unless you make an concentrated effort to create additional rise as you divide your legs.

Since you are not instructed to to make such an additional rise, you will, if literally following the books instructions, start gently downwards from the end of step two. And then at the end of step three, you will conclude the fall by dancing a purposeful LOWERING ACTION.

"That is why Scrivener wrote.
Commence to lower end of 2. down at the end of 3. Which is what most of us do correctly without thinking because it is natural."

Scrivener's description is a great picture of the result, but it's almost bad advice. You should not to anything to commence the lowering - it will happen all by itself as you divide your legs.

But because it plainly describes the result, many people do find his version easier to understand.

"As you will no doubt have seen through watching Mirko frame by frame the toe arrives before the body which to me means the step is going to be downwards as the body moves forward. So I'm with Len. Does that all make sense. Get that CBMP in correctly and the rest will look after itself. We hope."

Yes, the fact that it will "look after itself" is why the more action-oriented description of Moore doesn't get concerned with the initial decrease of altitude. But for those not versed in the implications of geometry, Scrivener's description is easier to understand.

This gets very technical and should be understood If you watch Mirko and the rest you will see that the third step is in position before the weight is sent over that third step. This is why some teachers say this third step which is in CBMP is a placement of the foot.Take a good look at that third step. You will see the knee straighten as the toe is on the floor. You will then see the body move over it and at the same time the knee has started to bend and the heel has lowered.To get the full picture it is better to watch that third step on a video preferably frame by frame.

"This gets very technical and should be understood If you watch Mirko and the rest you will see that the third step is in position before the weight is sent over that third step."

This is only true if you are very careful to mean "over" as in the location of the body, and not the application of weight force to the foot.

There is essentially zero time between when the foot stops moving and when weight is placed on it. That's why these dancers can take so much time on the the third step - they just keep moving until they absolutely have to put weight on it.

But yes, they put weight on the foot before they have arrived over it. That is generally true of all toe leads. Wheras for heel leads, the point when the foot stops moving, the arrival of weight and the arrival of the body physically located over the foot are much closer together - sometimes even coincident.

The weight is not over that foot untill after it is in position. At the point where, it can clearly be seen, that the right knee straightens, the weight is divided. Again it can be clearly seen that as the weight arrives the knee starts to flex and lower through the foot. They then go to this incredible 45 degree bend of the leg. This is beyond most of us and would take years of practise. It is something that is acquired through time only.