"At the extent of the stride we have two straight legs. Heel of the front foot. Toe of the rear foot. Weight right in the middle moving. Go look at your tapes frame by frame if you like and tell me it is not so. Or a look at the technique book will do."

You are accurately describing the visual position, yes, but it is impossible for the weight to be split when the figure is fully danced. In an exercise, yes. But not in full dancing. The reason is that skilled dancers do not let the third step land until it is no longer possible for them to support their body with the departing foot. Achieving split weight would require cutting their action short - and they don't do that.

In tango perhaps - but NEVER in foxtort.

You've lost me again. How did the third step get into this. One step, a heel lead. Every book ever written has said at the extent of the stride the weight should be equally divided between the heel of the front foot and the toe of the back foot. Man or lady, going forward or backward. After this the moving foot will come into a position that is under the body. If it is Foxtrot or Waltz the action is the same. In the Waltz as the foot comes under the body and the supporting knee is bent we turn. If its a Natural this will be over the RF. If it is a Foxtrot the Turn will be over the RF for a Natural and the LF for a Reverse. But don't take the books word for it. Get your DVD's out and watch frame by frame what our best dancers are doing. Look at those feet only.

"How did the third step get into this."

Simple: going into an action like the third step of a feather is the only sort of place where you will actually ACHIEVE the "two straight legs" you mentioned.

You might think you achieve then going into a heel lead, but in fact you don't. Nobody does...and it would be a real mistake to try to literally accomplish it there, as it would only be possible by overstriding.

That third step, if you look frame by frame, is very interesting.The weight is over the LF. The right knee is bent untill the toe of the RF is in place, then it straightens As the weight is passed onto the RF the knee starts to bend. Then watch for that LF coming under the body into a neutral position. Neutral also means a balanced position, or if you like how we started in the first place which was , with our feet under our body.
Here it is. Both knees are bent. The moving leg which is the left leg will have to straighten to a straight leg as well as the standing leg which is as the technique book says.

"That third step, if you look frame by frame, is very interesting.The weight is over the LF."

Actually, it is not. The weight is located well past the left foot, while it is still resting only on the left foot. You can plainly see this on any top quality couple - they have overbalanced past their standing foot, at a point when it is obviously still the only standing foot.

"The right knee is bent untill the toe of the RF is in place, then it straightens As the weight is passed onto the RF the knee starts to bend."

Actually it is straight shortly before it is placed. The weight transfer (when actually DANCING the feather, as opposed to doing various training exercises is INSTANTANEOUS - it has to be, as the right foot doesn't stop moving and prepare to take weight until it is no longer possible for the left foot to support the body)

"Neutral also means a balanced position, or if you like how we started in the first place which was , with our feet under our body."

Nope, having the moving left foot under the body says NOTHING about the position of the body weight relative to the standing foot. For most top-ranked dancers, the moving leg won't move under the body until the body has already overbalanced slightly beyond the standing foot.

"The moving leg which is the left leg will have to straighten to a straight leg as well as the standing leg which is as the technique book says."

Nowhere in the description of a figure is a "straight leg" called for!

Again, you mistake the description of a walking exercise for any actual dance figure. IT IS AN EXERCISE, NOT A FIGURE!!! It is NOT DANCING, but rather EXERCISING.

Page 10. Under Knees. " The knees are only straight at the full extent of the stride , not rigid ".( step three also the same ).
As your partner comes towards you to take up their dancing position. Your legs are under your body.
You do not have a leg either stuck out to the side or in front of the body. You should be in a balanced position which can be called neutral if we wish to refer back to that position.
Also page 10 Under the distribution of Weight. The reason for the book saying that . " From a stationary position always feel that the body commences to move slightly before the foot. Remember the speed of the foot is always greater than the speed of the body. If the foot is moved before the body the weight will be kept too far back and a sitting down effect will be made " .
Just my thoughts. Each of those two moves cancel each other out. 1 divided by 1 = 0. So at first the leg doesn't go by itself.
And lastly. We do not overbalance and then catch our weight. Which would happen if the body is overbalanced. In Latin in the Rumba Walks Yes. But in Modern NO.
Hold a pencil on a piece of paper keeping it verticle and move it forward. Now lean the pencil forward of itself and move it. Is that how you suggest we dance a forward step.
Victor Silvester. Page 56.
Generally speaking the knees are at their straightest - but not stiff - at the full extent of the stride and relaxed slightly as the weight is taken on the foot ".

"Page 10. Under Knees. " The knees are only straight at the full extent of the stride , not rigid ".( step three also the same )."

And what figure is that describing?

Answer: it is not describing a FIGURE, instead it is describing a TRAINING EXERCISE.

You still don't understand the difference between an EXERCISE and DANCING.

It is a Basic Technique which if not learned correctly will always result in a major fault not only in the Foxtrot but also the Waltz. The technique quoted is not a training excercise as you claim. If it were why would it be spoken about in the basic technique section. Use a bit of logic here. The figure being descibed is a simple step forward. The very first step we take.
There are none so blind that will not see. Never was a truer word spoken.

"The technique quoted is not a training excercise as you claim."

Oh? Then what DANCE FIGURE is it given in the description of?



That's exactly why it is given in the BASIC TECHNIQUE section and not in the DANCE FIGURES. It is an EXERCISE for developing technical skills - but it does not correspond literally to anything that happens in ANY actual DANCE FIGURE.

"Use a bit of logic here. The figure being descibed is a simple step forward. "

With a little care, you will see that "A simple step forward" does not literally occur in any dance figure. Instead, we have forward steps with additional characteristics. Those characteristics will make it IMPOSSIBLE to fully achieve the action described in the walking exercise, because they conflict with the details presented in the exercise.

For example, heel lead walks in dance figures are taken from a partially lowered position. Wheras the walking exercise is given at a higher body altitude (still with not foot rise). When walking at a higher altitude it is quite easy to achieve straight legs at mid stride. But when dancing a walk-like action at the lowered altitude where it occurs in dancing, few champions can create enough movement to make achieving fully straight legs appropriate - which is why you don't see their legs fully straight WHEN DANCING the walk-derived heel lead actions. Yet anyone can get straight legs in the WALKING EXERCISE.

They just aren't the same thing!

"There are none so blind that will not see. Never was a truer word spoken."

You are the one who still cannot see the difference between what is presented as a TRAINING EXERCISE and what is required to ACTUALLY DANCE.

There you are. Blind again.What dance figure is it giving a describtion of.
One step Forward or Backward .Waltz Foxtrot or Quickstep. The technique remains the same.
Under the heading of a Forward Walk. We have Poise. Movement of the Legs and Ankles.Distribution of Weight on the Walks. Knees. The Ankles and Instep. The Feet.
Once again Victor Silvester's Book this time, called Modern Ballroom Dancing. Generally speaking the knees are at their straightest, not stiff, at the full extent of the stride and relax slightly as the weight is taken on the foot.
Just think about this. I believe that you haven't lowered with both knees flexed which includes the left as we step forward left foot. This will cause the knee to naturally straighten at the extent of the stride. You are not able to relax the knee at the extent of the stride because it is already bent and was never straight. You are sitting.
Back to Alex Moore. At the extent of the stride the heel of the front foot and the toe of the rear foot are in contact with the floor lower the front foot imediately. The legs are only straight at the full extent of the stride.
Don't be upset when you realize that you have not been taught correctly. Join the club. Any teacher who has passed their teaching examinations should know this and should have explained this in their test in front of an examiner. If they can't then they should fail the examination. It never happens that way does it.