*// For instance. In the Waltz AS IN OTHER DANCES there is no foot rise on the back half of any turn //*

Don. I'm only quoting from your message. I've made one of your statements in caps and it was this statement I answered too. Your message is there for everyone to read. The next message also stated *// any backwards step 1 - can you find one that has foot rise? //*

Dancefad. I think you will find that foot rise on that particular step has been long gone by the competition dancer. The technique now is to allow the lady, who has the furthest to go, more time to do so, and for the man not to arrive before the lady completes her step. You must remember when that book was written the ladies poise was very square to the man and not way out to the mans right. I think therein lies the clue. Not forgetting that the author of the original book said this is not to be taken with a parrot like mentality. Unfotunately if you are being examined from the technique book . In those days they knew nothing about getting out of each others way and seem to have carried this mentality into the present day.. So the lady will jam that first of a Reverse Turn backing diagonal to the centre no matter what. It just isn't done that way anymore. But in an exam you will have to answere as in the book. Try telling your examiner, that on that particular step, ( the fourth of the Reverse), that there is a slight shaping of the foot and a slight curve to the centre which brings both feet pointing in the same direction just before the Feather Finish. Any comments.

Yichen. My teacher says that he doesn't think about a down step. gravity takes care of that with the length of the step. His main concern is showing a good rise and getting high on the toes and the feet neatly together.

Don. So are you saying that the man does not have a foot rise on step 4 of the reverse turn in the slow foxtrot? Are there any other message board writers who agree with this? I for one do not!

Hi DanceFad,

I don't dance that step with footrise either but I also don't have a toe release like the NFR in the Reverse Wave. So I dance it with NFR but a heel release like the backhalf of many other figures.

The toe or heel release of the old supporting leg as the weight moves on to the new supporting leg may be the point of contention. A NFR is not necessarily always related to a toe release as the weight is received onto the new supporting leg.

Rha

Hi dancefad,you are correct. As you push off from the right foot there is a forward and upward swing onto the next foot,this rise takes place at the end of four as the heal leaves the floor and left toe touches the floor. On lowering we always think of swing forward and up, not down and up.

In dancing the Lady always swings forward and up to her partner, this is not easy for the Lady to do as she is wearing high heels which brings her body weight more forward over the foot than the man,so she has to realy concentate on tipping forward as she lowers. I have tried to dance in my wifes shoes and it's hell. The Lady needs lots of help from the man when she dances any kind of heel turn.

Ups. I should have said .Concentrate on not tipping forward when lowering.

Hi Rha,

*** A NFR is not necessarily always related to a toe release as the weight is received onto the new supporting leg. ***

Rha. (1) When a side step follows a no foot rise (NFR), the supporting foot will be flat and when full weight is taken on to step 2, the heel of step 1 will be released from the floor. eg 1-3 of Natural Turn in the Waltz as lady.
(2) When a backward step follows a NFR, the toe of the supporting foot is released from the floor so that when step 2 is taken pressure is felt in the heel of the front foot. A body rise will be felt between the heel of the front foot and the ball of the back foot. eg Feather Step as lady in the Slow Foxtrot.
(3) When NFR follows a side step, the heel of the side step will lower as the next step is taken to end Up NFR eg steps 2 and 3 of a Feather Finish, as lady.

*** I don't dance that step with footrise either (Step 4 Reverse Turn, as man) but I also don't have a toe release like the NFR in the Reverse Wave. So I dance it with NFR but a heel release like the backhalf of many other figures. ***

Let's just think about that one! You are dancing step 4 of the Reverse Wave, as man. You've extended the right foot back on to the toe then lowered in to the heel and the body weight rolls through the right foot into the heel when the left foot is taken back on to the toe (step 5). Now with the weight in the right heel you shift it forward to the right toe so that you can release the heel of the right foot before you take the right foot back (step 6). Rha, have you ever considered you are at fault?

"Let's just think about that one! You are dancing step 4 of the Reverse Wave, as man. You've extended the right foot back on to the toe then lowered in to the heel and the body weight rolls through the right foot into the heel when the left foot is taken back on to the toe (step 5). Now with the weight in the right heel you shift it forward to the right toe so that you can release the heel of the right foot before you take the right foot back (step 6). Rha, have you ever considered you are at fault?"

Illuv2dance, have you ever considered YOU are at fault?

Step 5 of the reverse wave is the toe only step, so it is the movement of the left foot into step 7 (start of the next figure) that will not feature a toe release. Where you are specifically wrong is that the right toe must release as it moves from step four to step 6.

It's a common confusion to think that the toe does not release when TH is followed by a rising step. Nothing could be further from the truth. It's only if the following step is sideways that the toe does not release. (Yes, there is a note giving the man only permission to omit this for a backwards locking action, but it's rarely wise)