Sway. To the left on 2 and 3 also playes a part in a Whisk. One other problem that does exist in the Whisk is that some people go over the top instead of under and rise.Can't think of a better way of explaining. Just consult your Technique book. Commence to rise at the end of 1. Continue to rise on 2 . Up on 3 lower at the end of 3. Compress then take off.

Onlooker. From what I can see on the vidios, They go into a backward whisk as though you are going into a fallaway and then simply place the (RF) back. I lot easier for the lady.

Suomy, you're right about my comment and i should have been much more careful. I was concentrating an the point that there is rise on 2 in the whisk because you're down on 1 (i'd better add 'usually').
We used to start our routine with a whisk (from a standing start) and a very experienced teacher pulled me up at a lesson telling me i had to go down on '1' and come up on 2. I never forgot that, but now i'd start differently.

"I was concentrating an the point that there is rise on 2 in the whisk because you're down on 1 (i'd better add 'usually').
We used to start our routine with a whisk (from a standing start) and a very experienced teacher pulled me up at a lesson telling me i had to go down on '1' and come up on 2. I never forgot that, but now i'd start differently."

It's very important that you commence to rise and have actually risen some by the end of step 1 of the whisk. This is a good example of why it's a lot more difficult to do a standing start into a step one action, than to do a standing start into the tail end of a step three action... which we call a prep step.

In essence, to start right into the whisk you'd have to do a lowering as from foot closure - you can't use the foot apart lowering because that would have had to occur before the time your weight reached the foot it is already on.

Dave. What else is a Reverse Fallaway if it isn't a back whisk over the first three steps. The couple who demonstrated at the Australian.
I picked up a little manouver they did. From a very slow Back Whisk, instead of the old usuall a Wing. The lady simpy came around to be square with the man, very small steps. If you wanted to follow with a Chasse to the right keep turning the shoulders untill you find the alignament you want. It works very nicely where as a Wing on a crowded floor can be a bit of a problem.

One thing to remember is that while many whisk feel backwards, a back whisk is characterized not be retrograde travel, but by the man's first step being backwards. In contrast, most fallaway entrances have the man stepping forwards and leading a reverse turn to fallaway. I suppose you could step backwards as in a back whisk an continue in fallaway... is that what you mean by a "reverse fallaway" - that it's the opposite of a "fallaway reverse" (the usual step forward and reverse turn to fallaway)?

"From a very slow Back Whisk, instead of the old usuall a Wing. The lady simpy came around to be square with the man, very small steps."

That sounds like a cross hesitation?

We dance the wisk from a passing natural. The shape and position after the first two steps(if man dances back,back) would look like the end of the fallaway(before the slip) with ladys head to the left or center. The turn on the wisk would be late as the left foot closes behind the left."Cross"

Anybody who has a technique book. Can they tell me the difference in footwork between a Back Whisk and a Fallaway, plus rise and fall, plus sway. Timing we know is different, and we are not concerned with what comes after, which might be a Slip Pivot and maybe not.

To start a fallaway the man steps forward, to start a back whisk he steps back. The fallaway does not have sway (officially) and is given with foxtrot rise even in the waltz.

Anonymous. It is interesting. A look at some of the top competitors you will see they are are using sway in a Fallaway . In fact most of them are using sway. Not Tango of course. I put that in just in case a beginner is reading this.