Anonymous. You really take a battering don't you. You said that in a competition you mught have to cut corners. I was at Blackpool when Billy Irvine. stopped the music. Moved a judges to each of the corners and said. If you do not dance into those corners those judges will mark you. I was there.

"Anonymous. You really take a battering don't you. You said that in a competition you mught have to cut corners."

I said that if you foolishly stick to a routine designed for a smaller floor you would have to cut corners - which leads to the conclusion that you cannot use such a routine at Blackpool, and would be unwise to go on the floor in the crowded prelims with a firm determination to do any fixed sequence even if it were designed for that floor.

You need to be able to compose on the fly to fit the open spots of floor you you are actually able to find in those crowded rounds.

As always, I've been arguing for sound general principles - and arguing against those who are so caught up in details of trivia that they cannot see these details as mere examples of larger issues and necessities.

Anonymous. I don't know what you do in your part of the world, If in a competition we were to cut corners. That is dancing diagonally across the floor. Do it once it might get passed unnoticed. Do it twice and you would be crucified.

"Anonymous. I don't know what you do in your part of the world, If in a competition we were to cut corners. That is dancing diagonally across the floor. Do it once it might get passed unnoticed. Do it twice and you would be crucified."

Why do you insist on twisting my argument that because dancing a routine designed for a smaller floor would cuase you to cut corners you must not dance a routine designed for a smaller floor into an argument in favor of cutting corners?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

This whole thread can be summed up in one piece of generic advice:

You need to dance what fits the actual situation in the actual round of the competition in which you find yourself, which will probably NOT be the same what you planned and practiced in the studio.

If you insist on doing something that doesn't fit the reality of the situation, Billy Irvine may yell at you.

Anonymous.We learn how to join one group to another and change if neccessary. Also we learn how to use steps in each dance that will take a couple further down the floor. A continuous Wave in the Foxtrot is one. Running Cross Chasse in the Quickstep is another. If you want a Reverse movement a Quick Open Reverse Chasse Finish followed by another but this one travelling diagnal to the wall. You can finish this with a Tipple Chasse instead of the Progressive Chasse. Stuff like this you must have in your bag of tricks. Billy would love it. Nobody in their right mind would teach a competition dancer a routine that goes from A to Z full stop. Or would they.

"Nobody in their right mind would teach a competition dancer a routine that goes from A to Z full stop. Or would they."

I think you will find that not only many people teach this, many of the offending dancers that were cuasing problems at the British were those who were taught this.

Obviously it is not acceptable - but that doesn't stop people from doing it.

Anonymous. The word we need to use is Floorcraft. Michael Barr put out a tape and showed how he altered his routine several times whilst dancing on a floor which was a bit crowded. He added the alterations couldn't be seen. Another said. You will be very lucky if in the early rounds you can stick to one pattern. It just doesn't happen.