"Dancing Tid-bits" Issue #93, Thursday, March 14, 2002


Dancing Tid-bits
Outside Change to PP.

Now that we have discussed what is outside change (tid-bit #92), it is important to know some variations and related topics which have always irked my mind.

The most troubling thing that I find is that many times students are taught Outside Change to Promenade Position (PP) as number 1 ending and a closed ending with outside relationship is omitted. The result being that if you want to lead a non-promenade step at the end, the lady starts to fight and then you have to pull her body with left hand to keep her closed and that is naturally bad, but then you can't blame her because that was the only way (pp ending) she was trained.

How is PP is achieved? Simple! On step 3 man steps LF to side leading lady to pp and encouraging her also to step to side RF. The brushing seem more natural when we step to side.

Precede and Follow: Of course a simple Precede could be an underturned natural turn 123, ending backing DC. I like to make this discussion a little more academic and discuss 2 different Follows, the Cross Hesitation or the Wing. Are we going to change the foot position of 3rd step (Man, ladies opposite) to "side and slightly forward" for Cross Hesitation and "side and slightly back" for the Wing?

We do this sort of thing after the Open Telemark and it has always caused me to think why? Is it because that technically it is required to do so in order to facilitate the execution of these two different movements or is it something "else". I should have discussed it with my teachers and coaches but I haven't. I would appreciate your comments for my better understanding. I think "else" is the answer and this "else" is the subject of "alignment". I think the "technical description" of end alignment of cross hesitation is DW while it is DC for the Wing, so the positions have to be respectively changed for last step of open Telemark or Outside Change to PP. There is no reason why these alignments cannot be changed with an apprpriate follow. Hope to hear from you.

With Best Wishes, Max

Questions and comments to Dancemax@aol.com, thank you.


This article is part of and should be seen in the frame context of Dancesport UK, Tid-bits