Could someone give me some tips in breaking down the spot turn in American Cha Cha for the gentlemen's part? After doing the open break on 2, and coming back to the lady, I know the foot work is a sort of "7-11" pattern where the feet form an 11 by being parallel, while the 7 is from a reverse 5th position (at least that's what it seems like)

I get easily messed up trying to maintain the timing of the cha cha. When I see it done right, it looks like the dancers have abandoned the timing, and are just spinning in place, but I know that's not what's going on.

Any help is much appreciated.

Thanks

If they are anything like the international spot turns, the 'spot' part of the term may be initially misleading.

What you do is step through on the inside legs on 2 (like a new yorker if you know that). Then on the and you both pivot in place, keeping your weight on that foot and turning through being back to back. On 3 you replace your weight on the other foot and pivot to face each other. Then do a 4&1 chasse facing each other.

Key points are that it's change weight on a "number" and pivot on the "and", keeping your weight on that foot you just stepped on. Thus there are the same number of weight changes on the same beats 2,3,4&1 as in a basic.

It's called the spot turn because the second step on the 3 is really a replace action - you shift your weight back onto the foot which has stayed in the same position the whole time. This is very slightly different from the lady's alemana underarm turn in international, where she will take a small step forward onto that foot.

I said nothing about left or right as you can do the spot turn in either direciton, and it's symmertical betwen the partners.

A Spot turn is only a foreward walk turning. A New York is a checked foreward walk, in other word you are coming back. In the Spot turn get the whole of the foot in contact with the floor. For all Spot turns and Spirals the foot is down before you turn. Do not turn and then lower which is a common mistake. And don't forget to get the heel down again, this time on the beat of three, then nail it. This is an expression we use here Unless things have changed in the past few years this is how I was taught.

Yes, you are right about forward walk vs. checked forward walk. The analogy to a NYer hit me for step direction, but the action is different, at least in cha (some do rumba NYers as a full forward walk)

(Checked forward walk basically means keep your knees together, back leg bent, so it's a smaller step into a braced position)

New York. The way I have been taught is that the knee of the moving foot bends only after the step has been taken and on the count of and. Up to that point both knees are straight. If they are not, it is considered a major fault. This also applies to a Rumba Walk or a foreward basic in the Rumba. Please see demonstrations on this web- site and all your problems will be solved. Apply the same technique to a Spot Turn except
for a slight deviation and that will be a straight leg on the none supporting foot after the turn, although some of our top dancers do something near to the ladies Alamana. This needs to be watched on a tape before it is tried.

Tom, are you talking about like a back spot turn (natural top in international--where the couple is turning together around a central pivot point), or like a walk around turn which is usually a free turn?

I read your question as the first option. In this case, practice first by just going hook,side,hook,side,hook,side in a small circle, going slow. Then speed it up. Then, when you're feeling comfortable with the step, do it as you count: 2,3,4,&,1 (hook,side,hook-side-close). The biggest secret is to count as you go.

The first one you said where the couple turns together around a central pivot. Sorry if I'm using the wrong terminlogy. I've only been dancing for about half a year in American style, and the spot turn is still really new to me. After doing half of a basic, on the second measure, the lady steps back as normal on 2, while the man does the same, thus doing an open break.

By "hook", are you referring to the shape of your feet (sort of like a 7)?

You HOOK your right foot in back and to the left of your left foot. The step goes like this:
1. Open break on 2
2. RETURN from open break on 3 into closed position, but starting to rotate clockwise (back for the man)
3. The 4 and 1 steps continue the rotation, but the AND step may be a hook as described above. Some do not do this, I believe.
4. The 2 is definitely a HOOK.
5. The 3 is side, and you then can continue or end the step in a variety of ways. (e.g. RopeSpin?)

Jerry Blumenthal