DANCING TIME

Otago Witness, Issue 3823, 21 June 1927, Page 76

DANCING TIME

Where Girls Should Watch Their Steps.

UNISON IS ATTAINED WHEN THE GIRL UNDERSTANDS HER SOLO PERFORMANCE.

By

Pat Sykes,

World’s Champion Dancer.

(Copyright.—For the Otago Witness.)

XIII.

‘•Follow my leader”, is not the onlv guiding- principle for the girl dancer, for there are times when her steps vary slightly from those of her partner. Dance theorists sometimes stress the importance of unison so much that they forget to mention these differences, and the girl is puzzled because her steps fail to fit in with her partner’s. The ideal of unison cannot be attained unless the girl understands her little solo performances. Let me go through the important dances one by one. In the waltz the only difference is in the reverse turn when the man crosses his feet on the third and the woman on the sixth beat. Even here the difference is scarcely noticeable, since in each case the feet are cressed on the backward movement.

The variations in the foxtrot are more subtle, and rarely seen save in the very best dancing." In the feather, for instance, the man is generally described as moving to the side when his partner proceeds straight backwards'; in point of tact the girl also should move very slightly to the side, but so slightly as to be hardly apparent to the onlooker. In the open turns, too, there is a difference. The man’s steps for the natural turn, it will be remembered, are as follows : A long step forward on the right foot, then a half turn pivot on the right heel to the right while the left foot is carried back a step; then a step back with the right foot, completing the first half of the turn. The woman here pivots with her feet together. Her steps are short—short—long. She steps back with her left foot, clcses her right foot up to it as she pivots round on her heels, and finishes with a long step back with her left foot. This principle applies also to the second half of the turn and to the reverse open turn. In the closed reverse turn the woman crosses her feet on the second step of of the second half of the turn.

In the new reverse spin turn, which Mr Stewart described a week or so ago, the man pivots round on his left foot, using the right foot to push off with. The woman also pivots on her left foot, but at the same time carries her right foot

round in the rear, and continues to pivot with a series of quick cross steps.

Man’s Steps. 1. Steps forward on left foot 2 Pivots on left foot a half turn to the left, at the same time stepping back with right foot. ° 3. Draws left foot across and in front of right, so that it lies beside ri»ht foot. 4 Step back with right foot. 5. Quarter turn pivot to left on ri°bt foot and step to left with left foot 6. Closes right foot to left. Woman’s Steps. 1. Steps back with right foot. 2. I ivot-s a quarter turn to left on right foot, at the same time carrying- left foot a step to the left. 3. Places right foot directly behind left with toe touching left heel. 4. Steps forward with left foot.

5. Step to right on right foot. 6. Closes left foot to right. The finish of this movement is the starting position of the promenade. The spin turn is commonly performed between tvyo promenades. For this the man, waiting for his partner to make her step, pivots a complete natural turn on his right foot, with his feet together, I finishing in the promenade position ready to step off with his left foot. The woman | carries her right foot forward in front I of her left, placing it behind her partner’s , right foot. She then pivots round on this . foot changing her weight on to the left foot just before the turn is completed, so I as to be ready to step off with the right foot for the promenade. I For the link the first two steps for 1 both partners are the same as for the I promenade, but on the third beat the man | pivots on his right foot a quarter turn | to the right, and then waits while his partner, pivoting a quarter turn on her I left foot, carries her right foot a, step to the right, and then clcses her left : up to it. The Charleston is tire only dance in which there is no variation between the steps of the partners. The girl who does not 'reproduce her partner’s steps is not dancing in partnership at all.