I think that it would be a worthwhile exercise and helpful for new users to share some of our growth experiences in ballroom dancing.

Could you tell others about a particular figure (step pattern) which you and your partner found unusually troublesome, what turned out to be the problem, and how you resolved it?

Also, if there are figures which still give you difficulties, feel free to mention them as well.

One figure which caused me a great deal of grief is the Outside Swivel in the Standard Fox Trot. This move is is described in the manual as the end of a combination which begins with an Open Telemark and 1-2-3 of a Natural Turn.

My partner and I were always able to perform the first two figures easily (they're not difficult) but had trouble maintaining our balance during the swiveling action.

As it turned out, both my partner and myself were contributing to the instability with poor footwork.

On her swivel, my partner was drawing her left foot to her swiveling right foot too quickly.

I took the manual too literally when it says that the right foot moves "without weight" in front of the pivoting left foot.

When my partner kept her left foot back while swiveling and I applied some floor pressure with my right foot, the instability went away. It didn't "vanish" because she had to learn how far back to keep her left foot and it took me a few tries to determine exactly how much pressure to use with my right foot.

We're not good enough yet to say that we've "mastered" this figure but we can at least perform it competently without losing our balance.

jj

PS This thread is not intended to solicit instructional advice. Terence is correct when he says that a message board is not a studio.

jj, not sure if this is what you're looking for, but it's a problem area more related to keeping the beat and staying on time. I am pretty good at this in every dance except the Vienesse Waltz. Not sure why, other than I know the bpm is faster and maybe I just can't keep up over the long haul of a 3- or 4-minute song. I keep up in terms of getting through the dance, but if anyone was really paying attention, they would know that I was off with rhythm and tempo at least part of the time. I do OK in shadow practicing, not so hot with a partner. As my instructor has said a few times, probably only half-jokingly, "you're really great when you dance by yourself."