In the CBMP stance one of your legs will show a diagonal crease on the front from groin to hip where the thigh joints your trunk.

Here's my version of it - with a little demonstration even!!
Imagine you're in the centre of a dance floor. Face 45 degrees into the corner. Point the feet, hips, trunk - the whole schemozell into the corner.Now step across your body (with the right foot moving to the left) but the direction of the step is down the line of dance - 45 degrees to the direction in which everything is pointing.
When you're making that step, you're in CBMP. It doesn't have to be exactly 45 degrees of course.
I hope i'm right on this - please let me know if this isn't correct (don't all shout at once please!)

Hi Phil,
I understand that. Stepping down the LOD will certainly crease my hip! More important, probably, is that Blackpool starts today. I will be going next week.

Dancefad. In the Waltz try 456 of a Reverse Weave. On the first step if both you and your partner are not in CBMP with the lady stepping outside body facing wall, yours the center. It should be long and cigar shaped not wide and short. That is one use of CBMP.

Seems to be the outside change action. Lady goes outside partner on the first step.

She needs to send her body over her foot, putting the foot through first puts the thigh through and forces the bodies apart to "four hips wide". Putting the body through with both partners in good CBMP shape lets the bodies stay in near contact with the thighs not interfering.

The Man needs to be sure not to begin his turn to the left until the second step - check the book, there is no turn on the first step. In fact, the figure will work better if he winds up his body (but not his feet) slightly to the right while leading the lady's outside partner shape. But most ruin the step by turning to the left too early.

Dear Anon,
CBMP meas place the stepping food in one tract or accross the standing foot without body turn .
When we perform CBM , our body should turn toward the stepping foot ( foreward/ backward ).Are our feet should also be placed in one tract? I think so. doesn't it ?

Hi Yichen
i'll give you my version of CBM with an example.
Steps 1-2-3 of a reverse turn in the slow waltz. A beginner would probably dance this: Right foot back on 1 (these are lady's steps). Rotate left by 120 degrees (3/8 of a turn) and left to side on 2. Close Right to left on 3.
A more advanced dancer would be thinking of turning all the time, not just on step 2. Thus the same steps would be:
right foot back, softening left leg and rotating upper body to left (for a reverse turn). This body rotation starts as the right leg is moved back, so that, as the right foot is planted (in its final spot, as it were) the upper bosy has rotated 45 degrees (1/8 turn) approx. At this instant, you are in CBMP (i think), but in any case, you're in the middle of a CBM. Your left leg hasn't yet moved, the right leg has moved back along its line. but your upper body has rotated, leaving your left shoulder towards the right (moving )foot. This is why the books say that the opposite shoulder moves towards the moving foot.
In all dances involving turns, CBM is inevitable if the turning action is to be continuous throughout the turn, as it is for a reverse (or indeed natural) turn in a waltz.
Try it - you'll get the hang of it. However - as a lady, you MUST follow your partner. If he doesn't put in the CBM, it'll be difficult for you to do it.

It's interesting you mention this passing through CBMP in an ordinary CBM action. I think this is very nearly what a lot of the top English teachers do and request, wanting the body turn nearly complete by the time the foot is placed for the first step, but good luck finding any American coach who will agree with or do it.

Only thing I would change is to talk about rotation in the hips rather than the upper body. It's hip rotation that will make or break a step. I think a reverse action is primarily in the hips first and top only later, but even if you think they occur together it is probably good to concentrate on the hips and not the top - otherwise you usually get shoulder rotation and square hips. When the book says body, what it specifically means is hips - this makes all the descriptions (promenade for example) much more clear.

Good explanation. Thanks.
When I rotated my upper body more than before I did , the steps became fruently .

Just a quick clarification. CBMP means placing the moving foot on the track of the standing foot without resorting to body turn to do so. You can still have body turn coinciding with CBMP, but the turn is not what creates the CBMP position . At least in the swing dances, CBMP has to come as a result of a trajectory established on a previous step, you can't create it at the moment that it occurs. Natural turn outside partner in quickstep - there is CBMP as a result of how the previous figure ended, but there is also body turn - CBM - to make it a natural turn.

In tango the establishment of CBMP is a bit more complicated... in fact it appears we often do turn the body and step into CBMP. Perhaps the term CBMP is misapplied to tango... mostly it is just a very strong CBM. Or perhaps the hint is that we are supposed to turn the body in tango while in place over the standing leg, and then move in a straight direction. That would mean the turn that causes CBMP is preceding the action of stepping as in the swing dances, even though it is happening during the time alloted to the step where it results.