Spirals in the Rumba are something of a problem at first. Men don't do that many, and ladies have a bit of help from their partner. To do it solo is a little more difficult. Face a wall, the wall is only used as a guide. This can be done on any alignment. Step with your left foot to the wall. On the same line step with your right foot, and at the end of that step turn a 1/2 a turn anticlockwise. Do this a few times. Start again, but this time turn 3/4 of a turn. The wall is now on your left side. Start again but this time do the full turn. The heel of the supporting foot must be down. Hazel Fletcher. "On all Spirals and Spot Turns the heel should be in contact with the floor ". After this is mastered try everything starting with the opposite foot. The step L.F.then R.F. turning at the end on an and count is a very important step. After a Hip Twist it can take the lady to the Fan Position. Just add one backward Walk. For the lady it can also be a Curl, leaving the front foot in a loose Spiral Cross. The book says 5/8 of a turn on this one, but a 1/2 will do for now.

Hi Don,
Thanks for the information. Hope you don't mind me pointing out that the rise in the Waltz is commence. I know you know that so it's easy for you to correct. Again I would like to point out that the Spiral turn commenced on the LF should be clockwise, otherwise it becomes a Pivot. To add to the information you have given, The standardised Spiral for the lady is on her RF and turns anti-clockwise or to her left. I know you are a fan of Wally's and you will find it interesting to see that he writes the footwork as 'Outside edge of toe then toes both feet, then lower RF.' The rise during the turn enables the feet to cross at the ankles.(That's the difference between the Spiral and a Loose Spiral Cross which crosses just below the knees.) With Hazel Fletcher being ISTD UK she quotes the Imperial accepted technique, which is ‘Ball Flat RF, toe of LF'‘. But since the Imperial UK updated their Latin technique in 1996, they now accept that the footwork can be danced using the Laird technique. They also except that step 3 of the Spiral for lady may be an Extended Forward Walk (Laird's Delayed Forward Walk.) I enjoy reading your postings, Don, so please keep them coming.

lluv2dance. Heres one for you. I have a recent tape of the World Amatuer Standard from Finland. In the final every one of the ladies on the floor, their left hand was on the side of the mans right arm, only the thumb was on the topside. One in particular the palm was more to the floor, in other words if she wanted to give an opponent a Karate chop the hand was in the correct position. This means to me that the position of the lady is now different to how was being taught even a couple of years ago ( more to the right ). This could alter the shape of the mans left hand also ( more with the palm facing in , and not turned even slightly towards what would be a diagonal ). The message I was given was if a teacher has n't had a lesson in the very recent past they are being left behind. By the bye. If you wonder where Anthony Hurley is, it's here on the Gold Coast, as busy as ever. On Easter Monday he gives a lecture.

Hi Don,
They keep coming up with different ideas on how to hold but at the end of the day what has stood the test of time will prevail. I believe Hurley has had a house built next door to Robert and Helen Richey. Two fine dancers from your area. Another two who I had the pleasure of watching was Alf Davis and Julie Reaby. I believe when they retired they went back to Australia. I suppose you know but others reading this may not and that is Karen has her own site at: www.karenhardy.com

IIuv2dance. Just been reading your comments again. I have looked very hard at dancers performing the Spiral. At this moment I have watched a few. The latest is the Letter Service where Paul Richardson and his former parner Lana Dawson show three warm up groups. Each contains a Spiral. Both man and lady do the exact same steps. I see the supporting foot flat on the floor. Each group was repeated four times which made it possible to see both front and from behind. We as a practice thing Start in the Fan Position and on every 4 1 we Spiral, so we get the first anti-clock and the second clockwise. We keep going to the end of the hall. This is of course to Rumba music. At first it can be a little confusing. It's o.k. if it can be remembered the turn will be to the open side. I'm sure somebody will benefit from this bit of information. Did you notice that Wally Lairds book was first published in 1961. The ISTD was first published in 1971 in separate parts. and as one book in 1974. Tell me. In the latest book has the New York in the Rumba been included.

Happy Easter to All.
Yes, the ISTD have included the New York. It's named in 2 parts: New York to Left Side Position and New York to Right Side Position. I still have the original copy of Laird's book somewhere (1961). Practically every figure contained typos. Walter told me that he wrote the book over the years when he had the time. The General Secretary of the IDTA (Walter was a member) the late John Dilworth, heard that Walter had this book and persuaded Walter to finish it and give it to him to get it published. Walter objected because over the time of writing it, he changed his mind not only on the page formatting but on some of the technique. Dilworth insisted that they must get this book on the market and only then would it be corrected. In the end Walter gathered all the loose pages and gave them to John. If you had been around at that time you would have heard all the so called technicians trying to correct the writings before Walter. The original book was more towards teaching Latin and very deep in some parts. When the IDTA Latin committee got their hands on it they decided to try and simplify the writings and make it more of a book for professional examinations. In the end the final book - known at that time as the green book - was published. It still contained a lot of the original writings but, to me the book lost a lot of its magic. This book is now back on sale known as the Green Book. In a private conversation, Walter, seemed fed up with the committee making all the changes and said to me, ‘I'll sell it to you (My name) for £20.000.' God bless you, Walter. PS. Due to work in dancing, I will be missing for some time. So, keep truckin!

I also ( as did 100s of others ) spend time around Wally...

I often wonder what he would make of todays exponents ?

It also goes to show how techn. is " fluid " .. I would also agree that a lowered heel is more within keeping of latin in general .

Why drag this old thread up?

Do we mean to lower the R heel after the Lady's turn to L on beat 1? The current edition of Laird charts the usual foot position of being tightly crossed at the ankles and up on toes of both feet. Lowering the supporting foot, before extending the LF fwd B flat, forces an ugly flex of the L knee.

Well it isn't hidden from me - what is this message supposed to mean? It appeared while I was writing my earlier message, although the time stamp would suggest otherwise. And what is the writer on about - or am I missing something obvious?

lluv2Dance. Are you still there.
Lorrain had a bit to do with some of the alterations to Wally's book so I was told. She told him that some of the moves for the lady were not good, so some of the technique for the lady was changed. I can only remember Wally dancing Modern Ballroom. His partners very blonde hair stood out.That was at the Star in about 1955 or 56. Cheers.