Waltz Leg Crossing on 1 of Reverse Turn

[paintanker]

I have a problem in Standard when I do reverse turns.

The girl is offset to my right, but as I step forward she makes room by stepping back and to my left. Now I'm stepping through her leg, and this always feels awkward and wrong, because now both of my feet are inside both of hers.

Is there something that either of us can do that will make this move go more smoothly, or are we doing something wrong?

 

[twnkltoz]

She needs to not step with her left foot until you put your right foot down. She needs to open her hips like she's opening a door to let you through, then put her left foot down so it keeps her in the correct alignment after you land with your right foot. Then, you do the same when you are going backward. On all turns where you are traveling like this, the person going backward has to wait for the person going forward to come through. Otherwise, they outrun the person going forward. However, that left leg does need to get out of the way--it shouldn't be swinging through space where the person going forward has to go.

Also, if your left foot is landing between her feet, that is incorrect. She is offset to your right, so she needs to stay there--and your left foot should be outside of her right.

Does that make sense?

 

[ACtenDance]

Sounds to me like you and your partner are traveling in different directions during step 1 of a left turning figure. You probably both have the correct foot alignment but the lady is traveling/moving more toward the center than you. I think this tends to happen in left turning figures by initiating the rotation of the body at the same time that you would a natural turning figure... in my opinion, the body rotation happens quite a bit later in left turning figures (though interestingly some prominent teachers do teach an early rotation and creating the sort of awkward position you're describing). It's a bit of an enigma that you say that your partner is offset to your right because this kind of crossed movement would tend to bring the lady more central in the partnership if she's the one moving more to the center of the floor. Sometimes I see people correct this mistake by creating a strange twist in the body that almost hints that a contra check should be the step you're about to dance instead of a reverse turn. By doing that, the frame is almost correct but the base is not. Try holding each other in a tight hug, right side to right side; then do your reverse turn step by step checking that everything is in the proper closed position. Make sure you both understand and agree on which direction your common center will travel across the floor.

Then again... this is all a guess, and really your coach is probably the best to troubleshoot these kinds of things. Good luck! I had a similar problem before (for a double reverse overspin), and that's what our problem was.

 

[madmaximus]

I have a problem in Standard when I do reverse turns.

The girl is offset to my right, but as I step forward she makes room by stepping back and to my left. Now I'm stepping through her leg, and this always feels awkward and wrong, because now both of my feet are inside both of hers.

Is there something that either of us can do that will make this move go more smoothly, or are we doing something wrong?

Funny... that sounds like the problem I described in this post http://dance-forums.com/threads/how...ies-between-partners.42039/page-2#post-965605 only the opposite of the figure.

Whether you're both doing something wrong will depend on what level you're dancing this.

If you're in the higher levels (like B, A, S, or Champ) then it could be a difference in styles.

Otherwise, it could be a simple lack of basics or a combination thereof (as in: how you're rotating your top, and how she's "tucking" her back foot, and tracking of the feet (hers is probably not tracking on a straight fall line, but a curved line instead (which is a stylistic technique if you're in the higher levels, but on the lower levels is ill-advised)--and would result in what Larinda mentioned--etc...)




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