Well what do you know, In dancing we have very few movements, We have forward or backward and to the sides. At this point somebody will be thinking what about diagonly forward or back. There isn't any because you will have turned and it is a forward or backward movement.The point being made here is that the feet direct the body and point the same direction, not the body directing the feet. Otherwise we get that dreaded misalignment of our center which is our spine. What do you think, any comments on this one, or has that explained it all.??.

"Well what do you know, In dancing we have very few movements, We have forward or backward and to the sides. At this point somebody will be thinking what about diagonly forward or back. There isn't any because you will have turned and it is a forward or backward movement.The point being made here is that the feet direct the body and point the same direction, not the body directing the feet. Otherwise we get that dreaded misalignment of our center which is our spine. What do you think, any comments on this one, or has that explained it all.??."

Might want to rethink your theory to accomdate CBMP and across in CBMP movement, also it's opposite, such as the right side lead on the second tango walk.

Guess we don't always move in line with the feet after all, do we?

In actuality in terms of the body all steps are diagonal - forward backward and directly to the sides are impossible. But in terms of direction relative to the feet, all directions are possible and occur - along the line of the foot, diagonal across it in either direction, and sideways in either direction.

Anonymous. What are you on about. You are in bad shape if you cannot step straight ahead and apply CBM or CBMP. When you get there straighten up . Are you not in the same position you started. If you want to turn at this time turn over your feet with CBM. Don't forget to turn at the end of the step and not the beginning. Sigh!! I don't know what the world is coming to.

"Anonymous. What are you on about. You are in bad shape if you cannot step straight ahead and apply CBM or CBMP."

First, straight forward relative to what?

As I explained, you can step straight forward relative to your foot. What you cannot do is step straight forward relative to your body - it does not work when dancing with a partner.

Also, CBMP is by definition a step taken diagonally across the alignment of the foot, and so it is not forward either. In dance terminology, "forward" is a direction (relative to the feet) and "forward in CBMP" is a DIFFERENT direction (a diagonal one), also relative to the feet.

"Don't forget to turn at the end of the step and not the beginning."

That depends on the direction and the body part.

For natural turns, the body rotates early in the step. For reverse turns, the body rotates late in the step and the hips rotate before the shoulders.

For forward CBM, the feet turn after they are placed. For backwards CBM, the foot toes in some on the first step, and the following step will be pointed in the new alignment before it is weighted.

"Sigh!! I don't know what the world is coming to."

Well, when you get such basic elements of technique wrong, who do you have to blame but yourself?

Also, a rather obvious question - if all steps were in line with the feet (and never diagonal across them) how could a lock step be danced?

The answer of course is that it is danced diagonally across the foot in the direction called CBMP.

I should correct that. For forward CBM, the feet do not really turn until the placement of the step following the one which had CBM. On a forward movement, the feet turn only after the body.

Anonymous. How can you possibly argue about a simple step like a Lockstep in the Quickstep. After a Progressive Chasse you have turned a 1/4 of turn to your left. This puts your left shoulder leading. The next step on the RF is where we apply CBMP our next step is straight ahead placing it in a position where our RF can go on a straight line to cross behind. If we place our LF which is the front foot in the wrong position it will not be possible to bring the rear foot on a straight line to Lock.. Back Lockstep just a mirror of the forward Lockstep. Just keep the right shoulder leading and the whole of the body turned sideways( hips on one line.
Only a twit we bring the Tango into the discussion. I think everybody knows there is a strong CBMP on the first step of a Walk and nothing on the second step.First of the Link ,strong CBMP

"Anonymous. How can you possibly argue about a simple step like a Lockstep in the Quickstep. After a Progressive Chasse you have turned a 1/4 of turn to your left. This puts your left shoulder leading. The next step on the RF is where we apply CBMP our next step is straight ahead placing it in a position where our RF can go on a straight line to cross behind."

The movement is in a straight line, but the feet cross because the straight line of movement is diagonally across the standing foot. The movement of the body across the standing foot at an angle brings the moving leg across the standing leg, into a lock. Understand?

"If we place our LF which is the front foot in the wrong position it will not be possible to bring the rear foot on a straight line to Lock.. Back Lockstep just a mirror of the forward Lockstep. Just keep the right shoulder leading and the whole of the body turned sideways( hips on one line.

"Only a twit we bring the Tango into the discussion. I think everybody knows there is a strong CBMP on the first step of a Walk and nothing on the second step.First of the Link ,strong CBMP"

Its not the first step I was brining up, but the second. The second step does not move in line with the feet, instead it stretches towards the outside of the curve, meaning that the foot moves somewhat to the right. CBMP steps cut diagonally across the standing foot, while this is a step that does the opposite and stretches diagonally away from the standing foot. I bring it up as yet another example of something real which does not fit your mistaken theory.