We gave the Forward Walk a fair bashing didn't we. What about one of the most misunderstood steps, which is a walk beckwards male or female. But only one part. The book has us lowering the supporting heel to the floor only as the ball of the moving foot passes. Page 13 Alex Moore. Why is it necessary to do it this way. Why not lower earlier
All you English and Italians. The World Cup Soccer is about to start. Off to the TV now.

Correction that should have been Ecuador and not Italy. Incidently , didn't the Italians have a succesfull Blackpool with their dancing.

Why not lower earlier. Because the lowering after the heel touches the floor through the knee is a continuence of the lowering. Can't be done any other way unless the flexing of the knee is omitted. In other words the moving foot gets trapped unless there is an absence of a compressed knee which is a mistake trying to correct a mistake.Then you can say goodbye to a free flowing Foxtrot

It's important to distinguish between the described technique of the walk - presented with ZERO rise and fall, and the more common in dancing situation of a walk taken with rise or fall.

With a flat walk, to lower the heel with the feet apart would be to allow the body to surge backwards. As we know a flat walk is also a constant-velocity walk, perfectly smooth floating with no surging or pulsing. The rolling of the feet cannot be allowed to get ahead of the progress of the body.

In a lowering walk though the heel needs to lower before the foot closes, because the main lowering of the body in a downswing as the feet are closing is the flex of the knee, and of course in ordinary situations we do not lower from the knee until the foot is already flat on the ground.