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The moving foot irons
the floor in smooth dances. Glide, don’t pick up your feet.
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Foot pressure is
necessary to stay in balance. The slower the move, the more foot
pressure you need.
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Turn early, turn a lot.
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Knees are made to move
forward; hips and ankles, like wrists, can move in many directions. Use
those “hinges” as they are meant to be used.
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Going forward, release
weight through the knee; going back, release it through the hips.
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Never treat lowering
as the end; lower and move.
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Turns in smooth dances
occur between steps; in Latins turn over a foot.
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Swivels, pivots and
spirals occur over a foot.
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Sometimes the body
turns less (than the foot). Or vice versa.
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Roll through the feet.
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Man needs to “open the
door (hip)” for Lady coming forward (impetus, twist turn, right turning
lock).
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Waltz mantra: Begin
rise at the end of beat 1, continue thru beat 2 and 3, lower at end of
3.
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Man’s footwork on
foxtrot Three Step/Lady’s on Back Three Step: heel, heel, toe heel.
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Hula hoop arms—open
out or wrap the body to speed up or slow down turns.
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Every rotation has an
inside and outside of turn. Person going forward is usually on the
outside of the turn and has further to go.
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Keep your sternum over
the standing foot.
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Center of levitation
and center of gravity (your two centers) should have equal power. To
rise, compress the centers together; if you fall back doing shape or
sway, center of levitation is too powerful.
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Dance true to a
rhythm’s characteristics.
