Phil: You couldnt have said it better. An old Army technique comes to mind. "See one,do one, teach one". Yes, working on more advanced steps does make the basic seem easier. In my teachings a lot of my students ask "Isnt that the same as a (whatever) but with a lttle twist added?". Owendancer

We are not talking Tango here Why do coaches allow pupils to bend the front knee on a walk . I always say walk across the floor, or from the lounge to the kitchen. Any shoes or bare feet .Now analyse what you are doing. Is't the front and back leg both straight. Does the back heel leave the floor and at the same time do you flex the knee.. Does that put you onto the front foot. Dancing is only a exaggerated walk .If you tried walking onto a bent knee in your local Super Market every body would look at you. If anybody doubts the two straight knees go to the charts on this web- site and have a look.
One other thing. Girls when executing the first three of a Natural Turn. Keep step two on the inside of the mans foot. Don't take the centre away by stepping too wide . Very important but often neglected.

Remember that the moving leg will only be at its maximum straightness at the instant at which the moving foot finds it's final place on the floor. Before that it will still be extending, and after that it will be softening at least somewhat to absorb the arrival of the body over the foot.

If the walk is legitimately curtailed for some reason, the leg may never fully extened as it would be innapropriate to use the leg in a way that is not in proportion to the other actions.

Exactly right. Also if the foreward step is not done correctly, the top line will suffer, also the rise and fall. If you watch some not so good dancers, isn't it obviouse how the feet get put into some funny positions to try to compensate for their body being in the wrong place. The worst of all is the feet turned in on a Lock Step. And still the judges mark them.
Next subject. Try in the Quickstep bringing the second quick in a little faster for a better effect. This is on Locks ,Chasses, Quick Open Reverse or whatever.

Feet turned out would be a far greater sin than turned in. Consider the direction of travel in a lock - this isn't latin!

Feet turned out, or in, or straight. Cancell feet turned in there should be no such thing. I've always maintained that the two styled, Latin and Standard if you are going to be good at one or the other then you should choose which you prefer and give the other away. Why, because of the turn out of the feet in Latin clashes with the straight feet in Standard, If I am going to pracise each style with an equall amount of time, put everything into my muscle memory, I feel my mind will be in a whorl. I'd like to make a point here. In the World Ten Dance Championship the finalists in both styles would be hard pressed to even reach a semi final in either style in a Standard or Latin World Championship. Thats a fact. Question . In Standard which is the only time the feet are turned out, that is one pointing west and the other east.

open telemark?

Try the feather finish in the Reverse Turn. Have a good look at the Open Telemark you might be suprised at the aligment of the foot after the second step is taken. Are both feet pointing in the same direction.

To continue with the Open Telemark. I've been looking at tapes by Richard Gleaves, John Woods and Michael Hillier, I've come to the conclusion that it is the most badly danced figure of them all where we are concerned. The mans rotation on his right foot is stopped by the lady opening to soon, Now we have the lady looking on the inside of her hand and not the outside, and the mans feet pointing east and west. You must continue to turn on The Right Foot untill the feet are on the corect line line. And at that time you are still in a closed position. Right hip to right hip. Go to your tapes and see what the experts are doing and not what you think they are doing. Now have a good look at the Open Impetus. I might just add this . There have been a few quires about the Double Reverse Spin. Go no further, it is on the Steven Hillier tape Dance Basics explaned in simple language.

One key to a nice open telemark is for the leader to dance it with almost a latin spiral type of footwork for the first two steps: leave the left toe almost in place and pivot on the right ball of foot, so that as the left foot swings towards closing it actually crosses in front. And make the right foot step fairly small. This makes it easier for the shoulders and toes to stop at the correct amount of rotation and just hip continue to promenade, than if you try to brush the free leg or move it continuously.

And of course the lady does have to pivot on her left ball of foot as she rises out of the heel turn.