What does CBMP mean?

"Contra Body Movement Position."

I'll leave it to an expert to describe exactly what that is...I started to write something but was afraid I'd tell you the wrong thing!

"Crazy Ballroom Mind Puzzle"

Quite seriously, it's a complicated subject that can either be discussed in person with a teacher, or in writing if you are very patient and already familiar with the stricly proper execution of a number of dance figures to use as references.

CBMP stands for "Contra Body Movement Position". When a teacher or a technical manual described a step as being in CBMP, it is an indication that you should place the moving foot either along or across the track of the standing foot.

When the step is described as being "forward in CBMP", you should place the foot along the track. When it is described as "forward and across in CBMP", you should place the foot across the track.

People will probably also mention to you that CBMP is a position of the body whereby one side of the body is in advance of the other (the side opposite the moving foot). This is true enough, but it's not something you need to concern yourself with. The position of the body is the natural result of having placed the foot correctly, and having turned the correct amount.

So don't concern yourself with the body position, as that tends to confuse, as well as create poor habits in your dancing. Just remember that when you see "CBMP", it's telling you explicitly to place the moving foot along or across the track of the standing foot. Everything else is implied.

Regards,
Jonathan Atkinson

Contra Body Action
To put it in simple terms, this is a body action during which your upper body moves on the oposite direction from your lower body..