CliveHarrison. Bad habits start in a beginners class. I suppose it depends on where you are, but invariably there is no explanation given except a count of 1 a 2 and so on. This encourages a count in half beats But as we all know there are in two bars of Voltas eight beats and seven steps. Seven is an odd number. I'll say no more except in a Botofogo there are three steps and two beats. Halfs wont fit if it is to be done correctly. It must be 3/4 1/4 1. To make life even more difficult there is supposed to be two body ticks in there.
Have fun.

Your absolutely correct. Once the height of the left heel is set going to the left, with Voltas it stays. It doesn't pump up or down at all. The step is naturally an up step, and the right a down step, with a body tick not sideways but front to back. This is where it can get technical. If the feet are at five to one. Which on the Latin cross is heel to toe. The step with the RF is a Latin cross position. That is the first step of a Volta. If the feet are in the natural position the Right toe will be pointing slightly in the opposite way to which you are travelling. I think this is where the heel leading comes into the equation but is badly explained.
So there is no misunderstanding. If we use ballroom alignments the right toe will be pointing to diagonal to the centre with the LOD. And the heel of course, diag to wall against the LOD. Having said that as we all know there are no alignments in Samba. Only amounts of turn. Have fun explaining the above to your friends.

Counting "1 a 2" means 3/4, 1/4, 1 beat, "1 and 2" in Samba same as QQS 1/2, 1/2, 1 beat. See at least Laird's technique!

And the other topic:
In my opinion at a latin cross feet are at 90°

GermanDanceTeacher. We are instructed that from any position Latin Cross or otherwise. If we bring our heels together without altering the angle of the feet. Our left toe will be pointing to 11 on a clock face and our right to i. This can be a little more but never less.
So without altering the angle of the feet place the right heel to the left toe. There is the first step of our Volta. A 90 degree angle for me would be about 10 to 2 on a clock face. We are taught, as I said 5 to 1. Nothing is set in cement though. Some people may have thicker thighs than others, and there are some very large feet out there also.

My teacher is also telling me to keep my right foot (the one in front) straight when doing voltas to the left. It was a surprise to me 3 years ago. I think it's a current fashion. Lain Balloom is subject to fashion, it seems. I don't think it's wrong, even though DVDs show it differently. Noone is dancing syllabus the way it's described in the book anymore. You can think of it as fashionable variation. (It works the same way for volta to the right)I'd say, don't sweat it and trust your teacher.

I don't quite get it what you say about the heel lead. My left heel is never touching the floor on voltas to the left. Right foot is going ball-flat, ball-flat...

Just learning a lot from the forum and wanted to share what I have been taught so far as well - maybe someone can tell me that mine was wrong as well :~)

The steps that I am taught are as follows -

1) Rise on both feet (ball of the feet) - this is the first tick. At this it should feel that the left foot has been restrained by the right foot.

2) Release the left foot to go left as if it were held back and place it toward LOD (almost about 180 degree, maybe a little less) and keep the left heel off of the floor - at this position the hip stays on the right foot and the weight also stays on the right foot

3) Start to swing the hip from the right foot toward the left

4) When the hip reaches on top of the left foot, stretch the hip a little bit more toward the left side, which will start to bring the right foot dragging

5) Place the right foot on top of the left foot (straight - toward 12 o'clock; don't step on your left toe though ), making it almost 90 degree (remember the left foot was almost 180 toward LOD). Right foot is going ball-flat, ball-flat

6) Then the hip gets tucked in - the second tick

7) Follow this until you are satisfied

Well, this is how I was taught to fee the voltas in Samba. It worked for me. I also think that fashion plays a roll in dances, so - it doesn't probably have to 180 LOD, could be less, so long you create a 90 angle between the direction of your right heel and left toe (and left heel and right toe when going right). However, if the right foot points toward more than 1 O'clock, it may not look so good. To me it looks like I have serious foot problem.

Hope this helps; however if anyone wants to give me some professional opinion (other than my teacher of course), please feel free. One of the posts said to trust the teacher - I like that advice a lot. I trust mine - so you should trust yours as well - of course if your teacher is a world champ, or 10 dance champs etc - I don't see why you shouldn't trust your teacher - they didn't get there without knowing how to properly do Voltas in Samba

Samba. Who dug this one up. The timing can drive you insane you know. Start with the feet slightly apart and Volta to your left. Or start in a Volta position. On the first you will need to start with a count of one. On the second you will need a count of (and) If a Wisk is to be used after the Voltas, the step to the side will need to be 3/4 of a beat. I did ask once. If I finish a move and I am on the wrong foot to start the next what then. Answer if it suits just throw in an (and). That's fine but it does mean a thorough understanding of the music is needed. This is where most of us come unstuck.

I've lost count the times that you have been corrected on this phonetic count:
'and' is an half beat.
'a' is a quarter beat.

Luv2Dance. Which book are you looking at. I have looked through Walter Laird and can find no (and) as a half beat in the Samba..All through the charts the timing is on most 3/4 1/4 1. The 1/4 is called a, which it has to be to fit the music. When on the move it is not possible to say (and) because of the speed of the music so we call it (a) 1 a 2 a 3 a 4 which is 3/4 1/4 3/4 1/4 3/4 1/4 1. Those who can count will see there are seven steps there. Thats why the last step has to be 1 beat, making 4 in all before going into a Volta or whatever.

Read the paragraph on Samba Bounce. Very busy to write more.