Dear SocialDancer,
You're learning. None of us can keep up with Don's replies. I say Don because 3 years ago he insisted that the forward walk in the technique book was spelled 'Foward Walk' He then started to use about 5 other nom de plumes to defend any postings he had written.

Looking on the bright side he never quoted the footwork of the ladies Change of Direction to you.

Remember this: he is the man who believes there is a 'Checked Backward Walk!'

I can expect an 'earful. for this. Anyway, has the late Major Eric Hancox would write: Back to the Salt Mines.

I must say, SocialDancer, I've enjoyed reading your postings. Please keep them coming.

lluv2Dance.If the man is doing a Checked Forward Walk then at the same time what would the average person say the lady is doing. Wouldn't you call the whole thing a Checked Forward Walk.
If we were to split every movement in half. It would be near impossible to make any sense of the writting. Wouldn't it .
A bit of additional information. Many of todays dancers do the Back Basic movement with a difference. Instead of replacing the weight on step two they bring the left foot to the right foot. Everything else is normal. This works very well for the lady especially in the Cha where they don't want the weight to go too far back and consequently have to chase the beat. That cost me $20 to be told that. It's cost you nothing. Think of it as a birthday present.
Change of Direction Lady. T H. T IE of T. Then H. then inside edge of T of RF then T. S. S. S.. Which still brings you out of rhythm unless you change the timing. Or unless you use the last step as the first of a Curving Three Step or whatever. How did this one get into the conversation anyway. Here's one for you. Did Alex Moore simply copy from Henry Jacques. I was speaking to a guy only last weekend who knew them both. He has Henry's book in his studio which is always on hand.

AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!>

OH! me head. Stop drinking that 'Sheep Dip'

lluv2dance. Take an Aspirin and have an early night. Are you going to Blackpool this year. It doesn't seem a year since Brian Watson retired does it. The results, could be a few suprises this year.

Serendipdy,
Lots of queries.
First, one for you: Change of Direction Lady. 1. T H. 2. T IE of T. Normally the lady draws the heel back. With the lady having a toe,on step 2, does this mean she draws the foot back on the toe instead of the heel?

I have Henry's book and in the Preface he mentions the Revised Technique and with that technique already published (1955) it has to be assumed it came first.

The movement of the lady's LF when stepping back has been seen for a number of years.

It should be understood that the techniques of both Ballroom and Latin American dancing are a description of what good dancers achieve at a particular musical beat or point in time. It is not a teaching manual and instruction has to be given on how to demonstrate these things that are set down on paper in a musical and interpretative way.

I will be in Blackpool for the Friday.

Iluv2dance, I think you may be a little out on the publications dates.

I have a first edition of Henry's book "Modern Ballroom Dancing" autographed by him in 1944.

My copies of Alex Moore's "Ballroom Dancing" only go back to the 3rd edition in 1938. The first edition apparently dates from 1936 which was when Henry was the British Professional champion.

Hi SocialDancer,
The title of my book is: Ballroom Dancing. The Theory and Practice of the REVISED TECHNIQUE by Henry Jacques. I bought this from the National Association (NATD)

As I understand it the NATD took the technical elements of Henry's original book and published it as the revised technique.

Even back in 1940 Henry made reference to differences in his book and "the present orthodox technique".

Seven of the 570 pages in the book are given to discussion of rise and fall as applied to the different dances. He includes graphs showing the rise and fall relative to step timing and distance traveled. The graphs show a straight line for waltz and a curve for foxtrot. Regarding the feather step he says,
"The rise is gradual and commences at the end of the first step. Maximum height is reached at the end of the second step in actual practice, and not at the end of the third step. As the third step is taken, the height is very slightly lowered in preparation for the lowering of the right heel at the end of the step".

Before anyone jumps on his use of the word gradual, he does not use it in the same context as we do currently for the waltz, but to indicate that there is no instant rise at the end of step one. He later refers to the waltz rise as "a straight line graph, not curved as in foxtrot" and also as "different" and "delayed".

He also gives detailed descriptions of rise and fall when moving backwards, much of which became redundant when the term No Foot Rise was introduced in later years.

Moving onto the ladies footwork for the CoD. Bear in mind that because of the unusual turn the lady is not drawing her foot back, but to the side or even forward, so she uses the toe instead of the heel.

Len and henry pretty much agreed on the lowering aspects of the Feather .

SocialDancer. Could you explain your last paragraph. what is meant by CoD. I know it can't be Cash On Delivery. Billy Irvine in a lecture given in Singapore said Quote.In the Waltz he stressed on the first accentuated beat. In the Foxtrot he stressed on the accentuation of the third beat. No names but another coach known to us all in the Waltz likes a strong second beat and thats what he teaches. The dancing personality who wrote The Natural Turn was first introduced in December 1922 and all these years later they are still arguing on how it should be done. I suppose we must take our lead from how it is being done by those who should know.