Hi All,
It is interesting to note that the gent's fifth step of the Natural Spin Turn differs between the Alex Moore book (ISTD) and the Guy Howard book (IDMA). Alex Moore wrote: RF fwd in CBMP and Guy Howard wrote: RF fwd. So who is right? If we read the definition of CBMP that Alex Moore wrote in his book Ballroom Dancing, page 17: ‘Contrary Body Movement Position is the position attained when either foot is placed across the front or back of the body without the body turning.' Guy Howard wrote in his book, Technique of Ballroom Dancing, page 9: The placing of the stepping foot, forward or back, onto or across the line of the other foot, giving the appearance of CBM having been used, but without turning the body.' If you haven't spotted the answer then they are both right. Moore: Because CBM was used on step four (Natural Pivot) the body will be almost or facing diag to wall when the RF is moved forward for step five down the LOD, it is in CBMP (across the body). Howard. When the Pivot is danced the gent's right leg is held forward between the lady's legs so it would be almost impossible for the gent's RF to arrive in CBMP (onto or across the line of the other foot). The update of the Alex Moore's technique by the ISTD in their book, ‘The Ballroom Technique, page 6.'(1993) the technical committee changed the definition of CBMP to: ‘A foot position. To step on or across the line of the supporting foot, either in front or behind to maintain body line.' So the definition is similar to Guy Howard. Now the interesting part is the technical committee still wrote that the fifth step of the Natural Spin Turn is in CBMP. If you are studying with the ISTD book, check and query this, it could have been altered in an amendment on a reprint.

Interesting point towards explaining the discrepancy.

However, I think many people today are leaving the pivot under turned, so that there is a substantial right side lead (body facing LOD or even DC) as or just before the time when the right foot is being placed. (actually, the book says LOD, rather than your DC) The left side then swings into advance during the rise. In effect, we are taking step 5 with CBM too (which in fact the ISTD currently says it should have).

sorry, what I mean was that the book says facing LOD rather than your body to DW suggestion

I really don't see how one can have the body facing LOD and place the foot either across it or on the track of the other foot. In fact in a facing alignment, the two CBMP definitions would be equivelent.

Hi to another Anon,
Don't know if you are the same poster to the Hover query. True! the body alignment starts LOD and the foot will still be pointing to LOD, at the e/o 5, but is there a turn on step 5, if so, where do you think the body will end facing at the end of 5? How does the body end with a right-side lead having used CBM on the Natural Pivot, even if the pivot is underturned? Or did you mean a left-side lead? If you did then the body is turned against the stepping RF which Alex Moore wrote. If you dropped the anon name and called yourself Chris or Daffyduck you would be able to edit your orignal posting instead of writing another, that's if you found any typos.