I only have Alex Moore's book. Can anybody quote to me from any of the other books, the alignment of the first step of the Whisk in the Waltz, and give me an alignment on where does the second step get placed. For instance LOD, or is it diagonal to the wall against the LOD.

From Guy Howard (Technique of Ballroom Dancing, 2007):

Man:
(1) LF fwd, HT, facing DW, start to rise e/o 1;
(2) RF to side and slightly fwd, T, facing DW, continue to rise;
(3) LF crosses behind RF in PP, TH, facing DW, Up on 3, lower e/o 3 (slight body turn to R on 3).

Lady:
(1) RF back, TH, Backing DW, start to rise e/o 1 NFR;
(2) LF diag back, T, Pointing DC, turning 1/4 to R between 1 & 2 (body turns less), continue to rise;
(3) RF crosses behind LF in PP, TH, Facing DC, body completes turn on 3; Up on 3, lower e/o 3.

Sway: St. on 1, Man left (Lady right) on 2 & 3.

The other books are all the same as Alex Moore.

For a basic whisk there is no turn for the man (except a slight body turn to R on 3 to keep the PP tighter)

Man's alignment is DW throughout. Step 2 is side and slightly forward and one book notes that it is consistent with step 2 of a closed change.

If the whisk is turned 1/8 or 1/4 to L, then man's step 2 is diag fwd facing LOD.

Unfortunately it is very common to see this figure danced, and sometimes taught, incorrectly facing W, with step 2 taken to side against LOD.

Social Dancer. Excellent answer. It will have sent a few people
into looking at their technique books On arriving on the first step. What mistake will occur if the knee isn't flexed before stepping on two. No need to answer. You would be too high to soon, and there is a likelihood of going over the top. Commence to rise at the end of one. Continue to rise on two and three. lower at the end of three. Page 146

"Commence to rise at the end of one. Continue to rise on two and three. lower at the end of three. Page 146"

That is not correct for the whisk. You seem to have posted the rise and fall of some other figure instead.

A whisk is 3: Up. Lower e/o 3, in all reputable technique books (ISTD, Moore, Howard)

This is mostly a terminology issue - because the whisk has a passing step three the boundaries between the steps are in a different place than they would be for a normal closing waltz figure. In a whisk step two won't end until the feet pass, vs. in normal waltz closing figures step 2 ends when the feet are half closed. That extra bit of rise that's during the final closing of the feet in a normal waltz figure is during step 3, but in a whisk it occurs during step 2 because step 3 will begin only when the foot is closed and begins to pass.

Anonymous. So the question seems to be on a Whisk is the full rise made on step two with no further rise on step three. Or is there rise on step three as a continuence of the rising on step two. I think we all know that there is lowering at the end of three.
For those interested it might be worth looking at the Whisk in Learn the Dances on this site.

Is "Up" higher than "continue to rise" ?

I was never sure whether up was lower as a result of the legs being apart lowering the centre of gravity, or higher owing the greater stability in an open position making it possible to rise further without loosing balance.

"Anonymous. So the question seems to be on a Whisk is the full rise made on step two with no further rise on step three."

There's no room to dispute the fact that the official rise and fall does not have a continuation of the rise during step three. You had simply posted the rise and fall for a different figure instead of the whisk. You can of course suggest your own way of doing it, but that's your answer and shouldn't be mistaken with anything found in a technique book.

"For those interested it might be worth looking at the Whisk in Learn the Dances on this site."

I don't see any rise on three there. Remember than in the whisk step three begins when the feet pass to end step two.

Much of the continuation of rise on step three in other figures is due to the definition of when step two ends - in closing figures, the second half of the closing action is part of step 3, so the rise that occurs during the second half of the closing is rise continuing during step three. Not so the whisk.

Hi to All,
The Whisk is a figure first danced by the late Alex Moore. He originally danced it at a corner as an alternative figure to the Change of Direction in the Slow Foxtrot.

When it was introduced into the Waltz, step 3 was only 2 or 3 inches from the heel of the supporting foot when in the crossed behind position. He insisted that the step should be classed as a closing step with it still being under the hips and no noticeable body movement backwards when the weight is transferred. (Those of us who are lucky to have an early edition of his book 'Ballroom Dancing' will find a photo of Alex and his partner, Pat Kilpatrick, demonstrating step 3 of the Whisk.)

When the Imperial Society revised the book it was the late Bill Irvine who argued that step 3 was now danced as a more open step so the rise should be Up on 3 and not continue to rise on 3.

Not quite true--- Carl Bryant developed the whisk-- there is a story told, that during a demonstration of a closed change, he stumbled slightly to the side and in so doing placed his left behind to prevent him from falling .

Being " fond " of whiskey ( a little too much at the time )-- the immediate suggestion was to adapt the name as we now know it .