Three fallaways

[ACtenDance]

Does anyone want to describe this Foxtrot figure? steps, timing, sway/shaping?

[ACtenDance]

oops, Three Fallaways

[Chris Stratton]

I believe there are multiple versions out there differing in their details. Maybe you could describe the basic framework of the one you are doing?

One often missed point: sway is not a fundamental characteristic of classic fallaway position. It's often added to make things more interesting, but many are dependent on it to make things even work at all, in that they've never figured out the essentially stretches and balance of fallaway. I do think I might have to rely on it at the moment to make the counter fallaway work in the subject figure though!

[SDsalsaguy]

oops, Three Fallaways
So corrected. ;)

[Laura]

It's my favorite Foxtrot step!

(Sorry, not in the mood for tech writing but interested in what others have to say... :) )

[reb]

It's my favorite Foxtrot step!

(Sorry, not in the mood for tech writing but interested in what others have to say... :) )
Laura, you expressed my sentiments better than I could have.

We have three fallaways coming out of a hover and before a same-foot lunge in the middle of the floor which I totally pumps me up just thinking about. I believe it is one of the variations Chris referred to.

I'll stand by also for an expert.:D

[contracheck]

Does anyone want to describe this Foxtrot figure? steps, timing, sway/shaping?

I do the Three Fallaway in the following fashion:

1st Fallaway (done in flat, no rise) - Forward (1)LQ, Side (2)RQ, Back to behind RF(i.e., Fallaway position) (3)LQ

2nd Fallawy (in the 2nd Fallaway the lady does man’s regular Fallaway, and the man does the lady’s Fallaway) - Lower and diagonaly Back (4)RQ (she makes an anti-clockwise turn (ACT) to be in line with man, she bends backward and the man is almost on top of her), Back and Up while making a ¼ ACT (5)LQ, Behind LF (6)RQ

3rd Fallaway (3rd Fallaway is a Bounce Fallawy) - Between her feet and make an ACT (7)LQ, (8)Side RQ, Behind RF (i.e., Fallaway) and Bounce (9)LQ

After the Three Fallaway, I follow it with Weave Ending.

[samina]

It's my favorite Foxtrot step!



me too. :)

[samina]

contracheck, that appears to be exactly what my experience is thus far... then i realized we seem to have learned the sequence in the same class from the same instructors...:cool:

[samina]

a woman injured herself rather seriously one evening in our group class while we were working on this figure... tangled feet. i found that with my partner if we were not in sync with our swing (i tended to move more than he did), we could easily get tangled. tricky figure...

but when it worked, boy, just love the feel. especially when the sway is deep and the lady is practically under the man in the 2nd one...:cool:

[contracheck]

contracheck, that appears to be exactly what my experience is thus far... then i realized we seem to have learned the sequence in the same class from the same instructors...:cool:

What do you think I am, a dance genius? I copied it from your class note; at any rate, this is the best description I've heard to date.

[samina]

What do you think I am, a dance genius? I copied it from your class note; at any rate, this is the best description I've heard to date.

lol...:)

[shallidance]

my favorite figure, too! :p

It's my favorite Foxtrot step!

(Sorry, not in the mood for tech writing but interested in what others have to say... :) )

[Joe]

As Chris says, there are multiple alternatives out there, some involving bounce fallaways, some involving fallaway reverses, some involving fallaways with feather endings. The classic version is a bit like a fallaway reverse to a left whisk to another fallaway reverse with a feather ending.

[ACtenDance]

Someone suggested a side to us a while back but we never practiced it, so I don't quite remember how it was suggested. I think we did a fallaway reverse, counter fallaway, fallaway reverse slip pivot, then went on to some other stuff. Can't recall the timing. I thought it was all quicks, but it just didn't feel quite right dancing it.... of course, that could just be a problem with the counter fallaway.

[Joe]

Well, the other issue is that some permutations take you off phrase...

[ACtenDance]

Yes, the version we are dancing is a 10 beat grouping. No biggie though... seems to flow decently off phrase then back on. Worked on it some last night and it's working again. Rise and shaping in the counter fallaway was funky but now it's better.

[Chris Stratton]

Did one that had a sort of double ronde on a slow at the start of the third fallaway.

Also some versions don't have a true counter fallaway in the middle, but instead a feather finish like position.

[samina]

Did one that had a sort of double ronde on a slow at the start of the third fallaway.



oooo... i would like that version...

[Joe]

Rise and shaping in the counter fallaway was funky but now it's better.
Helps to think a little bit like a left whisk, albeit a moving one.

Also, some people will tell you the lady has the option to cross in front or behind on the 2nd fallaway depending how the figure is led, although in the former case it stops being a true fallaway (since crossing in front is not a fallaway position).

[swan]

Also, some people will tell you the lady has the option to cross in front

This would be what I call a "patch" version when the counter fallaway is not properly led ;)

Echo others' sentiment - it's definitely my favorite step in foxtrot (used to be reverse waves).

[Chris Stratton]

This would be what I call a "patch" version when the counter fallaway is not properly led ;)

It could happen as a mistake, but there are also versions that intentionally do it that way. In which case the counterfallaway is not properly being lead, because what is properly being lead is not truly a counterfallaway.

[swan]

It could happen as a mistake, but there are also versions that intentionally do it that way. In which case the counterfallaway is not properly being lead, because what is properly being lead is not truly a counterfallaway.

I know this option - as the counterfallaway is a hard one to lead. Some have resorted to this option and is done intentionally. I thought it's developed because of the difficulty of the counterfallaway. No? And I'd maintain that if it's called 3 fallaways, we should go through fallaway position 3 times.

[ACtenDance]

And I'd maintain that if it's called 3 fallaways, we should go through fallaway position 3 times.

That logic seems sound to me :cool:
Now attempting a figure I heard was called three feathers (not sure if that's correct) after seeing Pino do it on a WSS video... I like it even more than three fallaways. (but still can't do either well enough to be satisfied).

[Egoist]

Not four feathers?

[ACtenDance]

Not four feathers?

Maybe... my Standard coaches aren't real big on the whole step name thing.

[swan]

Not four feathers?

Heard of 4 feathers & really liked what Firmo/Barry did in their rising star win at Blackpool back in 2001 with that figure.

Never heard of 3 feathers ;) Perhaps a new step? Another patch of 4 feathers being too hard to lead? LOL!

[tangotime]

3 feathers-- also called the" Prince of Wales "--- still in very common usage .-- curved feather to back feather to feather finish .

Its as old as the hills !!

[Chris Stratton]

And probably has been danced by hundreds of us who'd never heard it called either name.

[ACtenDance]

yah... pretty sure I'm doing four feathers. Should have been somewhat obvious since there are four feather actions to it.

[madmaximus]

3 feathers-- also called the" Prince of Wales "--- still in very common usage .-- curved feather to back feather to feather finish .

Its as old as the hills !!

Funny TT.
I too was taught the "Prince of Wales" as you described, by an Englishwoman, and the 3 feathers she taught me was Feather (DW), Curved Feather, and Feather finish (with non-standard timing) :)





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