Well - did you all miss me? Don't worry - i haven't eloped to another web site (nothing beats this one anyway) - i was simply away in the UK visiting relatives - and they were still on Windows98!!.
Now down to business. There was a long discussion a little while ago about "step to the side", amount of turn and the like on the natural turn of the slow waltz.
Recently, i was delighted to receive an Andrew Sinkinson teaching video and i played the slow waltz part in super-slow-motion to find out exactly what he does, and so here it is:
Starting facing DW
Right foot forward on beat 1 with a long power stride. On the foot strike of 1 he's at his lowest point
Left foot forward still DW planting on beat 2. At the moment of plant, his left foot has turned slightly (possibly 1/16 of a turn) and his body is facing wall, so he's made 1/8 of a body turn and he's started to rise.
Between beats 2 and 3 he makes a further 1/8 turn and closes right to left on 3 with his back DC. He's at his highest point here.
Between this foot closure and lowering on 3& he completes the final 1/8 turn.

So the second step on beat 2 is actually forward, only turning the foot at the very last minute before plant. Also, the turning is continuous, which seems very sensible.
I don't think the technique book can or does cover this level of dancing.

Anothr point - his foot rise is phenomenal and how his big toes stand the pressure i'll never know. He seems to be so high and with perfect balance for so long. I can only dream of such things. I can only console myself with the thought that he was world champion!

What you saw was the natural turn as described by the book.

Hi abcdef - Which book would that be?

The same technique book (ISTD) that supposedly doesn't cover this level of dancing.

It does, if you read it carefully.

Phil. Tell me , or us. Having got the feet together and as high as possible on the toes, Now going backwards, does he release the the left foot on and. In other words get an early start on the and count before going into one. The other question is. What alignement is he using with his left foot. Is it straight down the floor backing LOD or is it going more towards Diag to wall. My reasoning is . If I go straight back down LOD I am blocking the lady. If I step on a Diagnal I am getting out of the ladies way leaving a clear path for the lady to step through. I am well aware of what the books say, but what does Andrew do. Don.

On step four (or the lady's step one) the foot curves slightly out of the way, but the hip rotates seriously out of the way - we call it CBM. The path opened is more through than around.

Phil. Thanks for the information, this is in the main what I have been on about. In your last paragraph you spoke of the incredible hight that Andrew Sinkinson is able to get. We can all do that but only from a still position. I know what you are seeing. I see it every week. That what appears to be a never ending slow rise, most of us at that stage have been as high as we will ever get and gone. They are still rising, we have risen. Doesn't that explain it all. And from there we must do it all the time. I just wish that on a video somebody would show a overhead view of just the basics especially the alignments being used.