Anyone with any techincal advise for me would be great....

We are working on a new comp routine. The opening is a run around, beginning in shadow position, for an 8 count. I find this position difficult, coming from an international standard background. The most difficult part is finding my dance frame in a open position and as the lady driving the movement, being on the outside of the circle. I seem to not know where to look, where my head weight is... It like everything is all turned around!

I dont know that I have explained my problems well, best I coud do!!

Well, since no one else has answered your question, I'll say a few things, that may or may not be of help (I'm not that experienced, just started silver a few months ago, and don't do that particular step in my routine). I do empathize with how weird it feels not to be facing your partner. I have trouble with those steps, too. I recently took a smooth lesson with a female instructor to get help on issues like these (you might want to try that). Some of things I got from that lesson:

1) in open positions, posture is very erect, rather than being a frame designed to be counter-balanced by your partner. You still want to swing and sway where it's called for, but you don't need to try to assume the kind of stretched up-and-out posture you do in dance frame. Just try to stand up straight and shape as required from that base.

2) I've found that if you maintain a feeling of slightly stretching away from your partner, if the hold allows it, centrifugal force will help you drive the movement.

3) you probably want to look out, facing slightly away from your partner toward the audience. If you'll be extending a free arm, I like to shape a bit toward the entended arm and and look out along the arm.

Hopefully, now that I've gotten the ball rolling, someone who knows more than I do will come along and correct what I've said!

When you are not completely open but in an alternate hold, you may still want to stretch every bit as much as you would in closed hold - however it might be in a different direction than usual. Generally most things come in four versions (forward and right, forward and left, back and right, back and left) and while standard often uses only one, smooth will use all four options.

Do be sure though that you are not over doing the stretches in closed hold, both for the sake of your closed hold dancing and also becuase the flaw may be much more obvious in open hold. It is very funny to watch dancers who cheat with the protruding belly in closed hold mainting this in open work!