I'm a newbie at the foxtrot, and not doing too bad. I do seem to have a problem with the rise for the quick quick beats. My coach says its more foot rise than leg rise, but I find myself straightening my knees on the steps. Any ideas on how to break this habit? Also, for the heel turn and reverse turn when exactly should the feet close on the turn?

which role are you dancing?

I'm sorry. I always forget to do that. I'm a female.

That's what I was afraid of, as it seems like your coach may be confused.

Since you mention heel turns, I'm going to assume you are talking about the passing QQ of international foxtrot, and not the closing QQ of bronze american foxtrot.

There are male (low-level) instructors out there who are ignorant of this, but most of the lady's steps in the basic foxtrot figures have no foot rise at all, only body rise. This is despite the fact that the man has a medium-low foot rise in addition to body rise.

Even when the lady starts a step forwards, such as step 2 of a feather finish, and then turns to go backwards, her heel will come down as she travels over the foot, so the step is still said to have no foot rise.

There are a few places the lady has foot rise - most obvious in fairly basic elements would be the middle of a weave action while she is going forwards.

On the heel turns: the the turn begins as the feet are closing, and completes sometime after they have closed. The lady should not have to close her feet, it should result automatically from the man's early foot rise, in fact its finding her feet closing (vs passing) that will be her first indication that a heel turn is happening.

Hi wannaB
You asked about how to break the habit of straightening your legs when you do a foot rise.
Don't try to break this habit only when you're dancing.
Every day, take some simple walking stpes with your knees bent, and then continue walking, but now on your toes, but keep the knees bent.
In dancing, the "bent knees with foot rise" won't happen much(for you as a lady), as suomy says (it will happen more in slow waltz, i think), but where it does, it'll only be for 1 or 2 steps, and it's hard to break the habit under these conditions, especially as you have so much else to worry about.
Focus on just walking on your toes with bent knees. Do it for several steps so you get used to the idea, and it becomes a new habit.
I had this problem (as a man) up till recently in the slow waltz (i asked a question here about it, but actually got very few answers because the topic spread onto other things) but i've made great progress using the suggestion above. Hope it works for you.

Phil. Not too sure about walking on the toes with the knees bent. I would not stake my life on it but i think going from toe to toe the knees are straightish. Take the first and second quick in a Feather. On both the knees are straight, only lowering at the end of the second quick to compress. It would be fine i think for strengthening
the knees. You have a Sinkersen tape i believe. Could you have a look and tell me in the Foxtrot which part of the foot is in contact with the floor, that is the foot which is to the rear Is it to the very last part of the toe. I will buy one but not yet. I have over spent on Slavik's Latin tapes.

"Phil. Not too sure about walking on the toes with the knees bent. I would not stake my life on it but i think going from toe to toe the knees are straightish."

It depends on how precisely you use the words and what action is being described. It would for example be very correct to describe a weave action as stepping from ball to ball with the knees quite soft.

"Take the first and second quick in a Feather. On both the knees are straight, only lowering at the end of the second quick to compress."

On the other hand, a figure with definite rise to prepare for fall, such as this, will go higher. As will the exit of a weave as it runs towards something like a feather ending.

Anonymous. I agree with that. But will add one more thing the knees on a Reverse Weave Foxtrot are of course not dead straight, which i think is probably natural to do. I was told something years ago. When watching a tape or disk keep one eye on the way the mans trousers are hanging. It gives a clue on what the knees are doing.

WannaBe10dancer. Whether it be the lady or man going forward or backward. The knee bends to your front. You can call it flex, or recharge whatever you call it the knee must bend towards your partner whilst your weight is still on it and your other leg extended. Imagine this. Two legs in the centre yours and your partner, both are bending , both towards each other. Now do you have stored up energy, ready to be released to send you onto the next step. As said before, practice solo up and down the floor. A top coach on her tape says that she feels that even though she is going backwards there is a feeling that the weight is momentaraly going forward with the flexing of the knee. How long will you keep this practice going. Answere forever. Happy Foxttrotting.

"Whether it be the lady or man going forward or backward. The knee bends to your front. You can call it flex, or recharge whatever you call it the knee must bend towards your partner whilst your weight is still on it and your other leg extended. Imagine this. Two legs in the centre yours and your partner, both are bending , both towards each other. Now do you have stored up energy, ready to be released to send you onto the next step."

This is true for step 1 and step 3 actions, but it is not true for step 2 actions when the lady is "up" without foot rise - specifically, the middle step of a feather. There her leg will be as straight as it should ever get when her weight is on it, as she lifts her body up from her heel.

Since the man generally has toe only when doing the back feather, his leg would be more flexed in that situation.

Also note that the rise on the feather is different than the rise on the three step - all through she has NFR on the middle step (book step 1) of the three step, she is not yet "up" so her knee will remain softer as she is over the foot and only straighten as she leaves it (the rise is at the end of this step).