Pivots are tricky. Throughout my career, I've probably spent over $10,000 on this one action alone. And there's still room for improvement.
On the other hand, getting past the awkward stage and just feeling reasonably comfortable is not a very difficult thing to do. I can usually accomplish this with a student in anywhere between two and ten lessons, depending on the skill level and commitment. Unfortunately, without actually being there to work on you, I can't be anywhere near as effective.
The information itself is relatively straightforward. But making sure that you're actually applying the concepts -- that you're doing what you think you're doing -- takes supervision. That part of it I cannot provide here, so it's up to you to find your own. What I can provide is the basic concepts in print, so here they are:
(1) Pivoting is not a symmetrical action. You should have very different actions on each foot. While one partner is doing one action, the other is doing the other. The action on the left foot is the pivot proper, where the foot actually turns while weight is passing over it. The right foot action is known ambiguously as a pivoting "action" (a horrible term, IMO), which basically means that it's not quite a true pivot. You don't turn the right foot very much, if at all, as the weight is passing over it. The body has some continuation of rotation, but not so much the foot. The foot rotation takes place as you leave the foot. This produces the feeling of two forward-ish steps, because as you leave the right foot, the left leg is swinging forward and slightly around, and doesn't really become back until weight starts to move through it.
(2) Two bodies cannot occupy the same space at the same time. In order to continue moving down one line, two partners cannot both move in the same direction. When you're moving onto your left foot, you *must* shift slightly inside towards the wall. If you move straight down line of dance, your partner will be forced to shift slightly towards center, and the pivot will under-rotate. Moving to the same direction also causes the "rocking" or "teetering" feeling that seems to be afflicting you.
By the same token, the person moving forward onto the right foot must not follow his or her partner towards the inside track. Always move forward towards the inside of your partner's right leg, which is essentially CBMP.
To get a feeling for this, stand in a loose practice hold, lady facing LOD and man facing against. The man should step diagonally back on his left foot (towars DW) while the lady moves straight down LOD, just to the inside of his right foot. Then switch roles. This will give you a feeling for what has to happen during a pivot.
(3) During progressive rotation, the two sides of the body must always move in one direction. If you've ever seen my dance lesson on Ballroomdancers.com about spins & turns, you should understand the concept that in order to rotate progressively, you can't keep one side stationary or move it backwards through space as the other side moves forward. This produces spot rotation, which wreaks havoc on a pivot. In order to progress past your partner, particularly on the forward step on the RF, you must make sure that even though your left side is going to pass your right side, you cannot pull back on the right side in order to aid the rotation. If your left side passes your right side before your left foot passes your right foot, you've twisted yourself into an extremely awkward pivot.
More common mistakes include:
(1) Allowing the right leg to swing sideways after stepping onto the LF. This pulls your right side off of your partner and does not allow him or her to pass. The movement becomes lateral, rather than an exchange of inside & outside of turn through forward & back movements. As the technique book says, "RF is held in CBMP".
(2) Not turning the LF enough, or at all. This will happen if you allow weight to drop onto the heel (which is why some teachers will tell you to keep your left heel up). Of course, it can happen whether or not you keep your heel up. The turning of the left foot against the floor needs to be a very deliberate action because it should be turning faster than the body, and turning no less than to diagonal center... and because it just plain doesn't like to turn on its own. Stop yourself before you step onto your right foot and check to see where that LF is pointing. Remember -- no less than DC, even while your body is still facing center.
(3) Turning the RF too much, or more accurately, too soon. I shouldn't say that there might not be a tiny bit or turn over a weighted RF, but that should be your goal. If your RF turns at all before you have left it, it's too much. Always think "forward, forward, pivot" (referring to the RF, LF, LF, respectively).
(4) Allowing posture to be affected. Move all of your blocks of weight together. The head should move at the same speed as the shoulders, chest, midsection, and hips. It's very easy to buckle or pitch as you go. By keeping the blocks of weight vertically aligned, you have one less force working against you.
(5) Holding the left leg in CBMP after the RF forward step. This goes along with the rotation of the right foot. If you hold your left leg and don't allow it to swing forward, your right side will pull back and RF will pivot. To pass your partner, allow the left leg to swing forward as though to take another forward step.
That should be enough information to keep your feet busy for a while. Remember: These concepts should be supervised by a teacher. No matter how intelligent you are, your body will naturally do things you don't even realize it's doing. If you can do a pivot while following these rules, I guarantee it will feel 100% more comfortable. And if it doesn't, go back to your teacher and find out which rule(s) you're not applying, or which mistake(s) from the list above your making.
I hope this helps. Good luck!
Regards,
Jonathan Atkinson
www.ballroomdancers.com
