Right.
And at the "and" you described it is very important to get back from CBMP into normal position. We use this exercise: Stop at step 3 in CBMP outside partner and move to that "and"-position very slowly to reach normal facing position/dance hold (of course lowering). If the couple is not able to do this the step outside partner was to big and the dance hold was shifted in a non-standard way.

German teacher. I should have added that on my John Wood video he uses the count of 4 &, which some people disagree with. In other words have not been taught. The way you suggested is exactly as we do in our studio, which does include stopping as an excercise on the 3rd step. Then slowely coming into a neutral psition just as you wrote. Happy Dancing.

German dance teacher. THis may be a good way to teach but since there are only four beats in the bar and there are no syncopations in the feather or reverse turn where are you getting the (and) count from?

An "and" is the last part of the beat, so it's included in the '4' - no extra time.

Are you sure its not the first part of one. why would you slow down at the start of cbm when you need all the power you can get from gravity to swing on up into the next rise? Could you not say that the start of a bar of music starts from the top of swing and not from a lowered position?

Any figure starts at a neutral level and there may be a slight lowering at the very beginning of the first step. It is a coincidence when you have the luck to come from a figure of a higher level of rise and then you can use this "potential energy" at the end of the preceding beat, but there are also figures with no rise before.
In my opinion the step after step 3 of the Feather Step (man) is at its full extend when we hear the musical accentuation of that SLOW. Even the "4-and"-timing leaves the question, when the leg is extended (the time of motion) to be palaced forward with the heel. I would say somewhere at "4-and-a" so we hit the accentuation '1'. Especially in Slowfoxtrot it might be possible to start at '1' (not my style) but starting LATER as you wished would be out of timing. [The ISTD Ballroom Technique gives a rhythm of "SQQS" and says "lower e/o step 3" and not "keep up until e/o step 3 and lower at step 4"]
Another thing to remember: step 4 or the beginning of the next figure must not necessarily be at the first beat of a bar because the whole phrasing may be shiftet on '3'.

"Any figure starts at a neutral level and there may be a slight lowering at the very beginning of the first step. It is a coincidence when you have the luck to come from a figure of a higher level of rise and then you can use this "potential energy" at the end of the preceding beat, but there are also figures with no rise before."

We have to be very carefull to distinguish between an official lowering action, and any old loss of altitude. The lowering action must be complete by the end of the final step, and must not continue into step 1. However, as you reach the full division of your legs you will naturally be somewhat lower in alittude than you were when you had them together, even though your legs are straight at full extensions and should have been somewhat flexed when you are over them. This difference in height is NOT considered lowering, because it is not a result of one of the acknowledged mechanisms of rise and fall. A common problem however is that many dancers fail to finish the official lowering action before the end of the final step, and thus loose altitude in step 1 not only as a result of leg division, but also by improperly continuing the lowering action.

It is essentially unheard of to dance a characteristic upswing that is not preceded by a lowering action in a downswing of some sort. You can start from the halfway lowered position when you commence from a prep step, and you can stay down for an extra step between the lowering and the rising, but you cannot just start and upswing from a standing start and call your dancing coordinated.

Let me put it another way. Is the energy we gained from gravity on lowering lost for ever or is it converted into forward power

"Let me put it another way. Is the energy we gained from gravity on lowering lost for ever or is it converted into forward power"

It should be converted. Some will claim it is temporarily stored in compliance of the muscles first, but I dont' think this works as well as direct conversion.

I agree. Of course it is converted, but we talked about the timing. In my opinion (and as stated in the ISTD technique) this conversion is started at the end of the second "quick" and this moment is "4-and" (when the Feather is started at the first beat of a bar.)