Dave. You must on lowering allow time to Flex your knee which enables a body to power into the new step.Which after the 2nd quick of a Feather is the first of the Reverse. It is happening all through the dance. You should be able to pick the steps that need to flex. It isn't the 1st quick of the Feather. Neither is it the 1st quick of the Reverse. But it is on the 2nd quick in both. If not how could anyone rise at the end of the 1st step and the end of the 4th step if we are still at the same level and have lowered only through the feet. Don't anybody try to tell me that when we do lower we don't lower right through the feet and the knees.

Looking in. I don't think any one is saying that you don't lower right through the feet and knees,they are just saying that as you do so that you are also moving foward and the more you lower the more forward you must go. Thats why I don't agree that you have to slow the body down when lowering on the third step of the NT in the Waltz.

"I don't think any one is saying that you don't lower right through the feet and knees,they are just saying that as you do so that you are also moving foward and the more you lower the more forward you must go. Thats why I don't agree that you have to slow the body down when lowering on the third step of the NT in the Waltz."

You have to slow the body's vertical movement as you speed it's horizontal movement.

Yes that makes sense in the waltz with a steep rise , but in the fox feather we are moving more horizontaly so we should not have to slow down to much when lowering on the RF if we time the arrival on that foot nearer to the one than the four.

Suomy - i was really considreing the motion up into the rise, the top of the rise, and then the start of the lowering action. My comments reflect my concern over my poor toes!! There is less force on them because i'm allowing my body to lower, rather than holding the position.
You are right that as we lower, we have to slow the lowering, and the energy transferred into horizontal movement, and this can increase the forces. But it's not all on my big toes!
I'm be surprised if people don't have the ankle and leg strength to control this lowering.

"I'm be surprised if people don't have the ankle and leg strength to control this lowering."

Regardless if it's a strength issue or not, many people fail to do it. Watch an assortment of men lower from their initial natural turn. Do they release the right toe as they send the body by pushing backwards from the right heel? Or do they lower from the right ball of foot directly onto a left foot already placed to the side, forcing the lady to stumble forward onto her ball of foot without taking her heel lead on step 4?

Actually, I was really wondering whether the rise was the same in Waltz, FoxTrot, and QuickStep. The discussion appears to have diverged somewhat....

Jerry

"Actually, I was really wondering whether the rise was the same in Waltz, FoxTrot, and QuickStep."

Classically no, because the characteristic elements of each dance require different rise. But it gets more interesting if you ask about the rise for a seemingly identical figure performed in a variety of dances.

Well, I suppose the seemingly identical figure that I would think of would be the chasse.

Jerry

If you are discussing the Quarter Turn and Progressive Chasse. It might be worth a look at the good book.The rise on the Quarter Turn is not the same as in the Progressive Chasse. There is also sway on the Quarter Turns , there is none in the Progressive Chasse and we have the NFR coming into this also.As well as CBM we have CBMP. A teacher I once went to said, It is a pity we have the term Quick. When a person says to them self Quick that is what they try to do. Take a look at the the gradual rise which is completed only on the 3rd step of a Progressive Chasse. This teacher I spoke of prefered to use the word up up up instead of Q Q S. It seemed to work with the results he was able to get with his pupils.