"My teacher a world finalist called that "if I remember correctly" splitting the beat,also by splitting the beat one leg is always moving when we dance, so that as soon as the right leg is along side the left the left is moving befor you have lowered."

This is not really right. There are period of time with the feet apart where the body is moving horizontally but the feet are not. Some might mistakenly consider these to be times of split weight; they aren't, but they are times when the body is in transition and the trailing foot should not yet have started to draw closed.

On three of a foot closure waltz figure, the standing heel should touch the floor before the moving thigh swings backwards. The foot can articulate backwards from the ankle and to a limited extent the knee before this, but during the time when there is substantial foot rise the legs will not have yet begun to divide. Many dances fall off the foot closure steps into a feet-apart landing, rather than accomplishing much of the lowering before the legs divide.

I think it is possible to become too scientific. On the underneath instep of your shoes in felt pen write your telephone number. Which is for obviouse reasons a good idea. When you reach your highest point on you toes it should be possible to see the number by some person looking on. With the girls that shoe that has the Diamante on the instep, that should be seen. If it isn't you will have to undo most of what is being done and build around that. Don't get too high on step two, and do count in half beats, lowering on the three and. Remember that saying
KISS. Keep it simple stupid.

Well Don I admit I am not very bright,that's why I always think of KISS in reference to the Lady's. A meeting of the lips rather than the mind. No offence intended Lady's.

"The entire character of step 1 of the Waltz is a preparation for the powerful 'swing' from the end-of-1 into step 2. There are definite actions, coming from within the dancers body from the end-of-1 into 2 that maximize what in dancing terms is 'body flight'."

I see your confusion. You are mistaking "release of swing" for "body flight"

Well, i'll join in, even though it doesn't answer my original question!!
There is power generated by the standing leg at end-of-3 as we move into 1 (i.e. planting of the right foot in a natural turn), and as has been correctly pointed out (in my view)this power is continued, with swing, through step 2 into step 3
in fact, i think there is a strong body action betyween 1 and 2 which gives the character of the dance, through the rise, sway and flight. I think this is what suomynona was saying.
Also, i believe that there is less turning of the right foot in this natural turn these days. It used to be taught that you have turned 1/4 turn on the right foot as you plant 2, but from what i've seen, top dancers turn this foot very little (maybe less than 1/8) - a lot of the turn is on the left foot when it has planted. i guess this is to maximise the additional drive from 1 into 2 to enhance the flight.
It's very difficult to talk about these things - watching good video is much more helpful

"I see your confusion. You are mistaking 'release of swing' for 'body flight'"

No, I'm not mistaking 'release of swing' for 'body flight'. The former is an action while the latter is an outcome. Releasing the swing, an action, contributes significantly to increasing the 'flight' of a movement.

Rha

DAve - you wrote:
"also by splitting the beat one leg is always moving when we dance, so that as soon as the right leg is along side the left the left is moving befor you have lowered"
I've been criticised a lot for not 'gathering' at the end of 3. Watching Sinkinson very carefully in his tape, he lowers his right heel at the end of 3, and at this instant his left (now the moving foot of course) is just starting to move.
Actually, it's exactly as suomynona posted a little earlier, and i'm trying to dance like this now. i used to 'fall out' of my step 3 onto the next step 1, but i'm improving!! and it feels a lot nicer to be honest. If my coach is looking in...see what a good boy i am!!
I do a curved 3-step (sort of curved feather) in slow waltz, and the rise is more gentle. The most important thing (for this curved 3-step)is to land on a controlled toe on 3, softening the leg as you do. It's easy (don't i know it) to just land on 3 and 'plonk' the heel down.

Phil it was a mistake I did not mean the whole leg just as S said from the knee on down, but the important point is that as in walking there should always be one leg moving when possable. A lot of dancers don't move the left foot(not leg) untill they are down which is to late. What has not been mentioned is the big part that music plays in how we dance the Waltz, for example; I find myself dancing the swing and timing with my body when dancing to a clasical piece of music such as The Little Pianist but put on a Victor Silvest Waltz with the true lilting action of the early days of the waltz and it is a different matter, I have to dance to the beat and move from step to step the way that Rha described the waltz. The music is much more regimental and demanding and does not seem to have the same freedom of expresion,but I still enjoy dancing to just as much to Victor as any other band. Variety is the spice of live. To Victor I dance the second beat with my left foot ,to The Little Pianist the second beat is somewhere in flight(in my swing path). Dave

"Releasing the swing, an action, contributes significantly to increasing the 'flight' of a movement."

There is no logical way you can claim an increase in body flight at a time when the body speed is slowing.

"There is no logical way you can claim an increase in body flight at a time when the body speed is slowing."

There's no way you can logically claim the body speed is slowing end-of-1 into 2.

Rha