Anonymous. I'm still trying to make sense out of this one. Are we discusing the 4th to 5th step of a Reverse Turn in the Foxtrot International Style. If we are. When we step to the side it will always be from a Toe to a Toe so we have THT on the RF for the man on that 4th step. 5th step is a T. The ladies 4th step is HT followed by a TH on her 5th step.
Step 6 for the lady is TH NFR. The man on 6 has a TH.
From this you will notice that side steps come from a Toe to a Toe for both. In writting it looks rather complicated. But to anybody who has passed a Bronze medal it is quite simple.
What I am pointing out her is we never step to the side from a flat foot to a Toe. This also includes the first to the second step of the Reverse Turn for the man.

A side step departs from the toe of the standing foot regardless if the standing foot was placed THT or TH, NFR.

The reason the THT is used in the feather finish is because if the mans dominant position over the lady requires him to return to the toe before the end of the step. If the lady dances the comparable situation in an open reverse she has TH, NFR which is to say that she only returns to the toe of that foot after the defined end of its step, so the toe is not mentioned again despite its being eventually used.

Anonymous. So we are describing the 6th step of a Feather Finish on an Open Reverse Turn. That is where the ladies feet pass instead of a Heel Turn. A Feather Finish is the same even if there was a Heel Turn.
What I disagree with is saying the man's dominant position on that sixth step.
The lady has the furthest to go and has to be allowed to pass. An over agressive step there will make the ladies steps impossible and she will finish back weighted. He should stay on the 5th step longer untill the lady has past and allow her to finish her step. Speak up ladies. How many of you get hauled onto that particular step. Or are you accepting that is the way it is supposed to be. If it is not completely comfortable it is wrong.

No Cyd, we are contrasting the mans action on the first step of a feather finish to the ladys action in the comparable situation of the first step of an open reverse. He uses THT because he is in a more dominant position, but when she does it she uses TH NFR.

In both cases the departure is from the toe of the right foot because the left foot is moving to the side. However he returns to his right toe before the end of step having actual foot rise to be in a dominant position over her, wheras if she does it she remains lower and returns to the toe of her right foot only after her left has passed it to formally end the step, so her return to the toe is not mentioned.

Would you rather have a teacher who has the book memorized perfectly,

Or would you rather have a teacher who had to check the book often, but who could break down the figure in a way that you could fully understand?

There are things that some students can not understand unless you break it down for them. There are other things that I will explain incorrectly, because one particular student can not understand the technical definition.

If memorizing the book was all it took, any idiot with a good memory could teach people how to dance.

A great teacher can translate the technical stuff into to words that are easy for his students to understand.

Furthermore, I am sure that some of the techincal stuff is incorrect.

The last time I heard, scientists could not even explain exactly how people can walk and run without falling over.

We watch people dance a figure, and then we try to explain it as best we can. (And Alex Moore, who I have great respect for, did the same.)

We really do not fully understand how every muscle is involved in basic movement. (Let alone dance movements.)

In my opinion, you are not a teacher unless your students actually learn something from you.

Memorizing the book is a very small part of teaching dance.

Attitude and the ability to watch your student and come up with different ways to explain a figure, if he can not get it, is more important than memorizing the book.

What I do expect from a Professional who is teaching competitive dancing is that he can go to the book, and in a couple of minutes come back to his student ready, and able to explain said figure.

If we were to exclude all who could not memorize every book to the smallest detail, we would not have many teachers.

Some of us actually believe that there is a bit of Art invloved. Unlike science, art is pretty flexable.

The Fool

PS The fact that some of you are debating how to do the basic figures pretty much proves that the book is not perfect. I suspect that one of you has had success teaching said figure one way, while another one of you has had success teaching it another way.

Does it matter who is right? Or is the students progress more important?

And always remember, "It ain't the things we don't know what causes all the trouble, It is the things we do know, but ain't so.