Matched knee bend in standard?

[Chris Stratton]

I recently heard the theory that the amount of knee bend in standard should be relatively equivelent between the two legs at any point in time - so a figure might progress from both bent, to both straight, to both bent.

My immedaite objection was the pointing alignmnet of the second step on the back half of a waltz-style natural or reverse turn. I tend to do that keeping the standing leg (first step) very bent, even as I start to straighten the pointing leg. As I push out of the standing leg in part by straightening it, I actual bend the knee on the other leg slightly, before straightening it as I come onto the foot and close towards the third step.

I think it's possible to straighten both legs at the same time here, but I feel it creates excessive rise above the partner on the outside - especially unsuited for the person who is really 'underneath' the swing of their partner. Also it tends to result in a smaller step - suitable for the curved style of action, but not really able to keep up with the travel of a partner taking a full linear swing on the outside. Finally it seems more compatible with the style where you turn your foot in on the first step, than with the style where you preserve the commencing foot alignment on the first step and then open nearly the full 3/8 turn (135 degrees) on the pointing alignment.

But maybe the idea has merit. I know that on the outside of these turns I used to swing the leg ahead of my body on the second step, straightening it while the standing leg was still bent. I've mostly fixed this there so that the leg unfolds in coordination with the hip swing, and feel that this does work better with matching the knee bend/straightening. But I'm unsure how to make the idea work on the inside of a straight-CBM turn.

 

[Chris Stratton]

oops... put this in the wrong category... if any admins see this and could move it to 'ballroom dance' that would be great.

 

[mamboqueen]

naahhhh.....let's keep it here. Chris asks too many questions

 

[SDsalsaguy]

oops... put this in the wrong category... if any admins see this and could move it to 'ballroom dance' that would be great.

No problem... and done.

 

[Warren J. Dew]

I recently heard the theory that the amount of knee bend in standard should be relatively equivelent between the two legs at any point in time - so a figure might progress from both bent, to both straight, to both bent.

This reminds me of a quote from Benny Tolmeyer, who had the best natural turn I ever saw, giving a lecture at age 70: he said, "I never bent my knees in my life."

I can go for knee flexion, where the floor or the body weight causes the knee to flex, but "bending" implies one is using the muscles to bend the knee, which I don't think one ever needs to do....

But yes, in general, both legs are flexed when they are collected underneath the body, and both are straight at mid stride.

My immedaite objection was the pointing alignmnet of the second step on the back half of a waltz-style natural or reverse turn. I tend to do that keeping the standing leg (first step) very bent, even as I start to straighten the pointing leg. As I push out of the standing leg in part by straightening it, I actual bend the knee on the other leg slightly, before straightening it as I come onto the foot and close towards the third step.

I agree with what you're doing with the standing leg, but it sounds to me like the first straightening of the swing leg is happening a little early here. If it's delayed until the standing leg is straight, both legs will be straight at the same time; then you can flex the swing leg as your weight moves onto it.

 

[Chris Stratton]

I think over the past few days we've gotten closer to straightening both knees at the same time, even on the inside of the turn. But there's still a tendancy for the person on the inside to follow the partner on the outside body first, arriving at the end of the second step over a leg that hasn't quite managed to fully straighten. So the quest continues...