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Contra Check &
Slip
by Tim Eum
Capone is a phase 5
foxtrot written by Warwick & Paula Armstrong. It was the Roundalab
Phase 5 Round of the Quarter for the First Quarter, 2015, it is still
popular today, and it is one of the few dances that uses the figure
Contra Check & Slip. Almost all other uses of the movement “Slip”,
as in the phase 3 Slip Pivot to BJO, involves using the man’s right
foot curving back with the lady swiveling left face from SCP into CP
with the couple turning at least 1/8 left face. The Contra Check &
Slip is one of the very few places in round dancing where a “Slip”
movement is done with man’s left foot curving back and turning right
face. To do a Contra Check & Slip, start the same way that you
would a Contra Check. Lower by relaxing your knees and then step
forward with the lead foot (man’s left and lady’s right) while turning
the upper body frame 1/8 left face (i.e. man turns upper body so that
right shoulder leads). This by the way is called Contra Body Movement.
As you put weight onto that lead foot swivel both feet left face about
1/8 of a turn, which has the effect of twisting the upper thighs
together. Finally, as you complete putting most of your weight onto the
lead foot and checking your forward motion and slightly rising, allow
your upper body frame to expand. The lady may even stretch further into
a leftward and upward poise. The man must keep his body upright and
stretch the upper body away from lady; he must resist the urge to
“lean” over her. That completes the Contra Check portion of the figure
Contra Check & Slip. This first step is a slow step that takes two
beats. To finish the Contra Check & Slip, recover back onto the
trail foot (man’s right, lady’s left) on the third beat, and then
“Slip” on the fourth beat. This Slip, as noted before, is done on the
man’s left foot stepping back while turning about 1/8 to a 1/4 right
face ending in CP postion.
Tim
Eum has
prepared many Round Dance Tips for Calls 'n' Cues,
WASCA, for his weekly Rocket Rounds email reports, and for
other
publications.
DRDC is
grateful for permission to collect and reprint. A Tim Eum archive.
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