Hi All.
Am I right in assuming that some dance associations use the term 'Footwork' to mean the same as 'Foot Positions' that is used in describing a figure in English ballroom style. If this is the case, would someone care to write the definition of Footwork in relation to the part or parts of the foot that make contact with the floor. Having read one or two postings referring to 'Footwork' I've found it to be confusing until I realised it referred to the foot positions. I would like to mention that the subscribers to 'Rise and Fall (again!!)' started by phil.samways is one of the best I've read. Just one small criticism, there are too many Anonymous writers. Please give me a name.

Although some people have used the two expressions interchangeably, there's actually supposed to be a difference. [b]Foot positions[/b] should refer to the relative placement of one foot to another, such as "left foot forward", "right foot side" and so forth. [b]Footwork[/b] should refer to the part of the foot in contact with the floor, such as "heel", "toe", "whole foot", etc.

There is a dance dictionary on this website, which contains definitions of many such expressions. Here's a link to the "F" page, containing footwork and foot positions:

https://www.ballroomdancers.com/Learning_Center/Glossary/Default.asp?Letter=F

(Note that this link will only be good for the rest of 2004 and the first few months of 2005. After that, we'll be launching a database-driven version. If you're reading this during the second half of 2005 or later and the link doesn't work, please remind me to update it. Thanks!)

Regards,
Jonathan Atkinson
www.ballroomdancers.com

If i was asked what is footwork I would answere toes and heels. If i was asked what is what is foot positions. I would answere. That is the direction the footwork ir travelling. On top of that we have timing. On top of that again we have the shoulders sometimes moving at a different timing to the feet otherwise it would look very robotic. I believe it is esentual that a dancer attends medal classes even if they don't do the medal. I danced with a lady who has danced for a number of years and didn't know that in the Quickstep Quarter Turns and the Progressive Chasse, plus the Lock Step, the forth step is up then lower. She was literally dropping onto that step. In the beginning a bronze medal class would have fixed that problem.