Hi Jonathan,
Could you add to my list below, the technique invloved and its purpose in ballroom dancing.
In my 3 years of ballroom dancing and being a big fan of this website and forum over these year, this is all i'm aware of.
1) compression in lowering
2) stride (body, leg ration 1:2)
3) Swing (perpendicluar swing - where does this fit in)
3) collection of weight
4) Sway
5) CBM
6) Body flight

7)

Tecnnique Man. Number 2. you can work out for yourself if you are refering to a Feather Step. The average length of the first step is about 36 inches. The two quicks that follow are also 36 inches between them. There is one way to try it, use a 36 inch door frame as a measure.

Hi Don,
A nice point you brought up here of the Q step in feather finish. SO you mean to say that each quick is 1/2 the lenght size of the slow. In other words 1/2 the beat of the slow. (makes sense).
will remember that. thanks Don

Technique Man. I've been dancing a long time. It was only recently that this was given to me. In the studio we used a double window as our guide which works well to prove the point. The best way is to measure yourself. Remembering that with strong CBMP the second quick is more of a placement of the foot. Then we settle. Bill Irvine teaches that the first quick is a strong accentuated step with more lift. Again try. The Technique book teaches , rise at the end of step one

Two very important items for your list

7)Poise and posture
8)Leading and following

Another important issue, often overlooked, is working with your partner

point 3 - is it perpendicular swing or pendular (pendulum) swing?

Aligned centers- no broken sides

Technique. When you use the word ballroom dancing. That word includes Latin. In Latin we do have what could be called broken sides often refered to as a Latin Hip. Going to swing we have a pendulum movement from side to side combined with the hips moving through a figure eight or the infinity sign on a flat surface. This and the pendulum swing can be done whilst in a Press Line and many other places. Jive has its own set of rules. Paso has none of the above. So to be techniqually correct you should have put the Standard Style of Ballroom Dancing. This is a name I hate that came in only a few years ago. Its good to see that on some web-sites that give results, they are using the words Modern and Latin which is as it should be in my humble opinion.

Yes, to be precise its Modern Style.

b.t.w. which would be a better learning program

A) A good solid foundation on these technique and later work on figures and lastly leading the lady

or

B) Work on the figures and then technique and leading.

I'm doing my medals in modern and am thinking of a more effective way of learning. Doing the medals just helps you learn the steps and leading and not much is taught on the technique

Technical Man. I did all the medals possible. It was not untill I joined a technique for modern by a currently top twenty in the world that I learnt how to stand correctly. I've had a lot experience in competitions. This I have been taught in the past few weeks. To make sure in a turn that the right arm doesn't alter its position in relation to the body . We were asked to hold our tie in our right hand which was at a right angle and to keep it tight. Be suprised how many times the tie became slack. To find the first position we were told to put our arms across our chest with our fingers touching. The elbows level with our shoulders. Open the arms to a right angle. That is where the right arm will stay With the ladies armpit on the man's wrist the ladies left arm is more towards the outside of the man's upper arm. The man's left arm is raised to about eye level and is an equall distance between the partnership with the with the palm of the hand facing across the body. With a right side to right side contact of the body which in the Quickstep will be higher than the Waltz and Foxtrot. When I was first taught the ladies right arm was bent. Today it is much straighter and in some cases very straight. Because the lady is over much further to her left than in the olden days the arm has to be straighter
All this can be clearly seen on a tape of a IDSF final. I must have about a dozen I copied. But untill I was told all of the above I just never saw it. Even though it was there all the time, it went right over my head. We are now still on the Basics which believe it or not is much harder to do correctly than most of the variations. This is no class for a shy person. Each of us one at a time have to dance to music and call out the timing, included are a few groups. Twenty four bars all told. If you do have any decent tapes, by that I mean the best six in the world, They nearly all start with a Feather, Reverse Turn, Three Step, Feather into a Reverse Wave and so on. They must show the judges some Basic Foxtrot which they do. We have been on this for weeks, and some more to go, till our teacher says its passable. I suppose I am a glutten for punishment. I also go to a Latin Technique class as well with a former seventh in the world. No partners, every one does the same male or female.This is a European type class which is the way to go if the correct technique is to be learnt. I'm not too keen on spinning ten continuous spins across the floor and ten back again. But after that one or two becomes easy.