Sandra. I've got that disk by Slavik also. One thing I sometimes do is to correct the posture from the feet up to the head. Ankles under knees. Knees under hips. Hips under shoulders. Head held high. Keep the spine straight and stretched The reason for this is we very often forget there are other parts of the body besides the head and shoulders. Sometimes the bottom part gets forgotten.

I have continous problem of holding my posture up and keeping my sight level up. One problem that induces the problem is floorcraft problems on crowded floors socially and competition.
Dancing with a variety of partners throws me off some too. It seems I go through periods of having very good posture and then I will develop some type of bad habit that will throw it off.

I take ballet and pilates and this really helps and I use good posture when doing these activities, but all bets are off when I start dancing challenging figures and start thinking a lot about floorcraft--especially with a variety of partners.

Some of the competition floors are jam packed with dancers and it is easy to get knocked off the floor.

I recently watched an American Smooth comp. that had 8 couples on a small dance floor. They were really flying around and bumping into each other. Don't know how the did it--maybe I need more experience to hold every thing together better or just simplify my figures, so that I can think more about
posture.

You bring up such a good point about comp floors, and something I have thought about a lot....

Just last week-end we attended a regional comp. We were on the dance floor at times with up to 18 couples. In one event we chose to let go of the material we had planned to dance and dropped down to more basic steps. We felt we would be more successful dancing "good" basics rather then trying to fit in combinations that there was just no room for...

The problem that I have with all of this is that if we spend all our training just for a crowded comp floor we will never expand our knowledge or try to master the more difficult concepts.... So I am really struggling with what is more important... A safe placement for comps, or take the risk, with opportunity to grow....

Janet . This a good one. What must happen is you have to be able to split your routine to fit the size of the floor or the number on the floor.. Michael Barr put out a tape which covered this problem in the International Style Waltz. I think on a crowded floor, with that many people on the floor. Those who learn a routine which starts at A and goes to Z are at a disadvantage. The dancers who learn a group preferably eight bars. Then a few more also about eight bars. Will be able to switch their groups around if needed. Or leave some out. This has been on before . I have a tape of a still top Professional on a very crowded floor at Blackpool. Over twelve bars of music he did the same group three times, the camera stayed on him the whole time. And again in slow motion. If you have a group that you do well then repeat it. A judge can't look at you for more than a few seconds with eighteen on the floor that gives a judge less than five seconds per couple.
Myself I have a few pet steps that I can use if I need to get out of trouble. In the Waltz a Travelling Contra. A Chasse. I like after that a Curving Feather and an Open Impetus and then whatever. What is of prime importance on a crowded floor, keep a good posture all the time. That sometimes is all you need do on that crowded floor to get a few ticks on that card. Trying to do too much can be a disaster.