Hello,

My partner tends to break his right shoulder and squeezes me out of position especially during left-turning figures. Is there any excercise he can do to stabilize his frame?

Have him initially try not to turn at all, but just put his standing right knee behind his moving left knee and take a forward step. This will initiate a turn in his hips where it matters, but the for the upper body it will feel like the turn itself is delayed and takes place more over step 2, after he's given you a chance to get into your heel turn or whatever. Also make sure that the end of the turn is not over rotated but stops short of neutral - leave a side to swing into the next figure.

Anonymous. Sometimes the man is at fault.Check that the left palm is facing across the body, any turn of the hand even slightly anti-clockwise can cause problems for the lady. Reverse Turn. Foxtrot or Waltz. Check that the poise is the same as before the entry. By that I mean , solo, put the hands about shoulder height as if you were holding a pair of handle bars. On the Reverse Turn are the hands still in the same position, or is your right elbow now behind the line of your body. Another way is to hold your tie in the right hand holding it tight. Does it remain in position, or has it shifted in relation to the body.If all of the above is correct then attention must be turned to the lady. Maybe she is moving the position of her body. Or does she know that the man has the greater distance to travel being on the outside of the Turn.

"Check that the left palm is facing across the body, any turn of the hand even slightly anti-clockwise can cause problems for the lady."

Wrong, wrong, wrong. The hand is more parallel to the body than facing it - tango of course is different but we aren't talking tango.

"Or does she know that the man has the greater distance to travel being on the outside of the Turn."

The problem described is that of a man who does not know this. Because his open left side is initially on the inside of the turn, he tries to turn too sharply. Instead he needs to progress before turning - but while still indicating that a turn is being made. Hence the knee tuck (CBM) in step 1, but the linear travel with the full-body turn delayed until after.