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Need A Reminder? General Rules for
Dancing
by
Sandi
& Dan Finch
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The moving foot irons
the floor in smooth dances. Glide, don’t pick up your feet.
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Foot pressure is
necessary to stay in balance. The slower the move, the more foot
pressure you need.
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Turn early, turn a lot.
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Knees are made to move
forward; hips and ankles, like wrists, can move in many directions. Use
those “hinges” as they are meant to be used.
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Going forward, release
weight through the knee; going back, release it through the hips.
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Never treat lowering
as the end; lower and move.
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Turns in smooth dances
occur between steps; in Latins turn over a foot.
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Swivels, pivots and
spirals occur over a foot.
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Sometimes the body
turns less (than the foot). Or vice versa.
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Roll through the feet.
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Man needs to “open the
door (hip)” for Lady coming forward (impetus, twist turn, right turning
lock).
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Waltz mantra: Begin
rise at the end of beat 1, continue thru beat 2 and 3, lower at end of
3.
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Man’s footwork on
foxtrot Three Step/Lady’s on Back Three Step: heel, heel, toe heel.
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Hula hoop arms—open
out or wrap the body to speed up or slow down turns.
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Every rotation has an
inside and outside of turn. Person going forward is usually on the
outside of the turn and has further to go.
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Keep your sternum over
the standing foot.
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Center of levitation
and center of gravity (your two centers) should have equal power. To
rise, compress the centers together; if you fall back doing shape or
sway, center of levitation is too powerful.
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Dance true to a
rhythm’s characteristics.
From a club
newsletter prepared by Dan
and Sandi Finch , August
2015, and
reprinted
in the Dixie Round Dance Council (DRDC)
Newsletter, October 2015.

If you would like to read other articles on dance
position, technique, styling, and specific dance rhythms, you may visit
the article TOC.
If you are not a member of DRDC,
do consider joining. The group sponsors triquarterly weekends with
great
dancing and teaching, and the newsletter is one of the most informative
available.
Past DRDC Educational Articles archived here.
Aditional articles and dance helps by
Sandi & Dan Finch
Richard Lamberty
Gert-Jan
& Susie Rotscheid
(see Notebook)
Go beyond this site. Find other references on our Sources and Links
pages.
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