Hi to All,
The quote below is from the posting "Cha Cha Cha , Urgent Help..."

/* Whilst we are on the subject of technique. A turnout of the feet. This will encourage a student to turn the toe out. It should be turn the heel in and not the toe out. If I place my front foot on the Ball and then flat and then turn the toe out. My heel should turn in, not my toe out. Do you get the picture. Best Wishes.*/

I'm almost at a loss with this one. Are you suggesting that a dancer who is required to take a walk does so with the foot straight and then swivels on that foot to finish with the toe turned out?

lluv2Dance. As the moving foot passes close to the standing foot it is straight the turnout of the foot does not take place at that point. Karina explains it much better than I.I suppose you could call it a swivel both front and back foot. I wouldn't use that term lest it gets misunderstood.

I have always been taught (from years of ballet training) that turnout comes from the hips, not from the toe or heel. Forcing turnout from the foot may cause injuries to the knees so you should be focussing on opening up the inner thigh first an then presenting the heel. Just my two cents worth...

Sambamania. Forget Ballet. keep the knee pointing in the direction you are going.In a Rumba Walk looking at you from the front I should see one leg only on the actual walk. Richard Hearn
News Letter on Video demonstrated by Paul Richarson.
One thing leads to another. as a Ballet Dancer you will flit across the surface of the floor. In Latin you should be into the floor. The question is how much foot pressure is required. Try this, which is a standard excercise in a class. Place a small table napkin under each foot. Walk as in Rumba Walks without loosing the napkin. Take the pressure off the moving foot and you will loose your napkin. Keep that knee pointing in the direction you are going and forget your Ballet training. Our teacher often says. Not another ballet person. Having said that many of the very best Latin dancers have done ballet. Slavik and Paul Killick both spring to mind. Paul was a member of the Royal Ballet School in London.