The time at which the foot is planted is not the defining moment in the step for purposes of the book's description. Rather the step boundaries occur when the feet pass each other, but the planting does not have to occur centered between these boundaries. Because we drift out the last step of each measure, the time between that foot passing and the one at the end of the first step of the next measure is very nearly the requisite two beats of a slow, though the time between the footfalls may not be.

Footfalls are likely at
1) a hair before beat 2
2) beat 3 exactly
3) sometime after 4

Most of the comments and analysing of the technique apears to be comlng from the mans side. The lady is just as important, and not just a mirror image of the man. If we take the first step into a Natural Turn in the Waltz for the lady. Let some of you analists give a bit of thought to the term NFR. What will happen if the lady does foot rise on one. Will she take the man's centre away from him and arrive too early with every possibility of the right foot being in the wrong place in relation to the mans step. After that maybe a look at the first step of the Feather in the Foxtrot for the lady. What would happen if the lady did foot rise there. Would it make it difficult for the man to execute his first quick correctly, or does he now have to use the strength in his arms get to where he wants to be. Men be very aware of those two places.

I've puposely avoided this topic because of the obvious disagreement there is amongst instructors and professionals as well as the judges themselves. In my teachings when I begin to tell my students about the rise and fall technique and the heel, toe, ball, up, down, blah,blah,blah, they look at me as if I am speaking in a foreign language at times. When I see this occuring and after much discussion and slowing down of their dance to accomplish what we speak about, only to have them look as if they are robots, I simply tell them to take a larger stride and as a result, the body cannot help but lower and then rise again to take another stride. Once they see that the discussion pretty much ends. Discussion with judges/pros reveals too that they are critical of other judges/pros as to their ability to rise and fall "Properly". Where does it end? Just get out there and get on with it. Let the chips fall as they may. Owen