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Facing **Facing Diagonally to Centre (FDC)**Facing Diagonally to Wall (FDW)**Fake **Fallaway Position**Fan
Fan Position**Fast Heel Split **Feather **Feet Alignment**Fellow **Fifth Position **Figure **Finger-Tip Control or
Hand Tone** Finish (F)**Firm Frame **Flat **Flea-Hop Style **Flex (Foot)**Flex Knees **Flick **Flirtation Position Floors Floorcraft ** Floorcraft in Competitions** Floor Appearance**Floor Hog**Floor Personality**Flourish ** Follows & Precedes ** Follow Through **Foot Care **Foot Fundi**Foot Placement**Foot Positions**Foot Pressure
Foot Rise**Footwork **Formation Dancing **Forward Kick Leap (Freestyle)**Forward Walk**Fourth Position **Foxtrot Frame **Free/foot Leg ** Freestyle ** Freestyle Dancing **Free Turn ** Freeze ** Full Splits ** Fundamentals

FACING: A description of the alignment of the body, when it is the same as the feet. Example: Facing Line of Dance, Facing Diagonal to Centre, etc.

FACING DIAGONALLY TO CENTRE (FDC): A position anywhere along the LOD , but having turned through an angle of 45 degrees to the left to face diagonally to an imaginary line drawn down the centre of the dance floor at that position.

FACING DIAGONALLY TO WALL(FDW): A position anywhere along the LOD, but having turned through an angle of 45 degrees to the right to face diagonally to the wall of the room at that position.

FAKE is when the man takes a double-time step or holds a beat to be on the same foot as his partner, then skips or adds (FAKES) a step to return to the opposite foot as that of his partner's (commonly called 'cheating' a step). Also known as a Maxixe.

FALLAWAY POSITION: A V-shaped dance position similar to Promenade Position but with the man and the lady moving backward, i.e. a position used in advanced variations in which the man and lady move backwards in Promenade Position.

FAN is a basic figure used in the International Style Rumba and Cha-Cha incorporating the Fan Position by swivelling on one foot while fanning with the other foot and ending with the foot that fanned pointing to the side.

FAN : Circular motion of the free foot.

FAN KICK : High, straight leg kick where the extended leg makes a circular sweep.

HEEL FAN : Heel swings outward, pivoting on ball of foot, and back.

TOE FAN : Toe swings outward, pivoting on heel, and back.

FAN POSITION: Dance position where man and lady stand at right-angles, lady on man's left side. Man holds lady's right hand in his left.

FAST HEEL SPLIT takes one beat of music and is counted as 'and 1'

FEATHER: A basic Slow Foxtrot movement of three progressive steps, the third step usually taken with the lady in Right Outside Partner Position.

The slow foxtrot is said to be the crème de crème, the Rolls Royce of standard ballroom dancing. With its sophisticated, smooth, beautiful flowing movements and delightful music, it should glide effortlessly across the floor. Its basic components being Feather steps, three steps, reverse and natural turns, weaves and reverse waves and it is the mastery of these components that separates the outstanding dancer from the mediocre.

The Feather step is the basic movement of the Foxtrot and is usually used to commence the dance. Top ballroom dancers will tell you that the technique and actions of most the figures in the Foxtrot stem from this greatly respected pattern. A well executed Feather will always attract the judges' eyes.

Gentleman
The main problem and the destroyer of a good Feather movement, is incorrectly central balance between the man and lady during directional changes. To perfect the Feather step, both partners must move together in contact as one. The Feather step is generally danced diagonally to the centre of the floor and followed by a reverse (left) movement.

 

With the lady in the correct position, bodies centred to each other, the first thing to do is relax through the hips and knees. This allows the weight to lower for the muscles in the hips, (without sagging backwards) legs and calves to generate the power or push from the supporting leg (left) into the first step - called downswing. Many couples tend to the step the Feather with straight legs, causing a stiff and stilted movement.

As you lower and compress into the floor through your standing leg, your left knee will feel it is being squeezed toward the right, while the hips and upper body rotates in the same direction. This feels like your weight is being moved forward and across from the outside of the heel to the inside of the toe, thus initiating the Contra Body Movement (the early body swing) so necessary for a smooth Feather step.

Swing the right leg forward from the hip, keeping the inside of the ball of the right foot in contact with the dance-floor when the feet pass, moving onto the heel, to the full extent of the stride. The heel of the left foot is released from the floor when the feet pass, and as you push off the ball of your stationary foot, the power is generated forward so that the right heel contacts the floor quite naturally at the full stride. This smooth movement of weight from foot to foot should be counted: "slow and". Continuing to move forward (not up and down) rolling through your right foot, and as your weight transfers onto the ball of the foot, rise to the toes, creating the upswing with the hips driving in the direction of the swing and through your partner's centre. While this rise continues, the left leg is swung under the body, again with light floor-contact, and since you are going up, the foot naturally comes forward for the next step on the toe. This being the first of the two quicks.

At this point you are preparing to step outside your partner, and on to the peak of the upswing. Ensure that the knees, even at the full height of this step, are slightly flexed, not locked straight. The left side has now turned so that the left shoulder is leading. To counteract the body's forward momentum, sway should be used to the right for control and to give that lovely look associated with the Feather.

Avoid breaking your right side here, concentrate on keeping both sides long with your head facing the direction of travel (resist looking at the lady, no matter how beautiful she is!). Some ladies will tend to drift under your right arm here. If you maintain your centres, this shouldn't happen but a good tip is to keep your right hand in position by not allowing it swing backwards - thus supporting the lady's right side.  

 

Once the leading left side and right sway is initiated on the first quick keep it that way through the second quick. You are still moving forward and your weight has moved from the back foot to the front (left) foot.

 
This is where the power is turned down and the forward momentum checked by the right sway. Let your right foot drift naturally under your body and forward, keeping light contact with the floor of the outside of toes for the second quick.

This group takes one bar of music to complete which comprises four beats - one and two are taken up by the first slow with beats three and four followed by two quicks. Therefore, you need to lower onto your right heel by the end of the second quick to initiate the downswing for the next slow.

Swaying to the right during the quicks also helps control the weight by preventing a "fall" into the next slow. If done correctly, the lowering part allows ample time, at the end of the second quick, to turn the hips back to a closed position as you  bring your partner round correctly to do the next reverse figure.

Lady
The Feather step for the lady is a real tester, as she can fall into several traps of footwork and direction. As for the man, the first step is preceded by a lowering through the supporting leg which squeezes the right knee leftwards as the muscles contract to change the downward momentum to a backward thrust. This initiates the turning of the hips (with the man's) and upper body in Contra Body Movement.

Swing the left leg back from the hip with the ball and then the toe of the foot in light contact with the floor. This is done gradually in time with the man's movement, and felt through the centre and lower body. As you thrust back out of your right leg, releasing the toes from the floor and roll over your heel. Begin to transfer your weight towards the left foot, which is now at the full extent of its stride. At this point, the weight is between the heel of the right foot and the ball of the left foot.

When travel backwards (backing diagonally to centre) the turning of your body to the right, to match the man's movement, can sometimes make the lady want to put her next step on a curve to her left. Concentrate on tracking your feet back in a straight line towards the centre of the floor throughout the figure, particularly on the third step.

As you roll over your left foot, continuing the backward movement, your right foot will be drawn towards your left with the heel in contact with the floor and at the same time lower your left heel. Count this as "slow-and". This is where the man starts to rise onto the second step using his feet, legs and body. In this figure, there is no foot rise at all for the lady, she must begin a strong body rise to match the man.

As the feet pass and you move onto the first two quicks, in the same manner described before, you will have completed the body and hip turn to the right giving a right-leg, right-shoulder lead position which will allow the man to step on the outside of you while maintaining contact.

Sway is applied here to check the bodyflight of the two quick steps. For the lady, this is to the left, matching the man's right sway. Be sure you keep both your sides long or stretched at all times to avoid collapsing your left side.

As described in the man's steps, do not allow your head to turn right with the body. Instead keep the head looking left which will help to maintain a smart top line Feather. By stretching or elongating the neck you produce more body rise .

The lady's footwork in this figure is ball heel, as described for the first step. However, the timing is obviously different for the quicks, because of the length of stride and the leg being straighter. There is no need to increase the stride once the sway and turn have been completed.

As described in the man's steps, the second quick is drifted in under the body in Contrary Body Movement. This again ensures that the lady doesn't curve to the left on this figure and tracks straight along a diagonal to centre alignment .

Since the next step will be turning or swinging into a reverse direction, and because you are at the highest point of your rise over the two quicks, you must lower at the end of the second quick, again squeezing through your standing leg and turning  the body to closed position in preparation for the next step.

 

Types of Feather movements : Feather Step, Feather Finish, Feather Finish from PP, Hover Feather, Curved Feather, Back Feather. Related term 'Continuity'.

FEET ALIGNMENT is when the feet are turned neither in ( Pigeon-toed ) nor out (Duck-style) but with the toes pointing straight forward in relation to the body. Feet Alignment in Ballroom should be maintained throughout (during turns and pivots as well) to avoid the pigeon-duck appearance. Feet alignment is slightly forfeited during promenade positions. Latin dancer use a slight turn-out of the feet.

FELLOW: The top level of the International system, representing advanced patterns and concepts. Fellow is not a level associated with social dancing. It is also the highest qualification in judging and adjudicating competitions and championships (see gold Level).

FIFTH POSITION Heel to toe. Often used in a rock-step.

FIGURE: A figure is made up of steps (a STEP being the smallest component of a dance movement). A Figure, together with other figures, constitutes the full vocabulary or repertoire of a dance, i.e. a completed set of step patterns. A figure is to a dance what a word is to a sentence, without which we remain stationery and mute.

FINGER-TIP CONTROL or HAND TONE begins with tension in the upper arm through to the fingers, and is mainly applied to loose turns or underarm spins in the Modern-Beat and Latin-American dances. Finger-tip control prevents the leader from squeezing or throttling his partner's hand to death, yet allows her hand to turn freely while he firmly supports her.

FINISH(F) is a student who has completed his/her lessons and has paid in full. The studio then removes the member from the books.

FIRM FRAME: Having a firm frame or hold is the opposite to a 'Jelly-fish' hold. A Firm Frame means holding the upper body as well as the arms firmly united without slumping. The arms and body must remain a unit throughout the dance, if the man has any hope of leading his partner. Without a FIRM FRAME even the best followers flunk.

FLAT (see footwork   - 'for whole foot', abbreviated 'WF' or 'F').

FLEA-HOP STYLE: A style used in social Cha-Cha where a hop is made on counts 1, 2 and 3 in syncopated time, e.g. 1 hop, 2 hop, 3 hop Cha-Cha. No hop occurs on the Cha-Cha section. Flea-hop style can either be added to the basic figure or to forward and back progressive movements. Advanced dancers also use this style to garnish spot turns.

FLEX(Foot): An inclined position of the foot which is achieved when the heel is still in contact with the floor, but the ball is not.

FLEX : To bend slightly or relax a portion of the body. Example, the flex of the knee.

FLEX KNEES are knees that are neither over-bent nor rigidly straight, i.e. the happy balance between bent and straight - soft knees.

FLICK: A snappy extension of the lower leg taken forward or to the side in a sharp or staccato manner.

FLICK : Sharp, quick kick backwards with a pointed toe and a flexed knee.

FLICK (Freestyle): A brisk movement of the lower leg from the knee in any direction.

FLIRTATION POSITION: A variation of the Shadow Position where the man and lady are in very close contact (side-by-side) facing the same direction. Usually, the hands are connected in the following way: man's left hand (LH) to lady's right hand (RH), and man's RH to lady's LH (see cuddle Position).

FLOOR TYPES:

Coping With Awkward Floors

We have all been there, you practise and practise until your balance is perfect and then on the day of the competition it feels more like ice skating than a dance comp. Awkward floors can really affect your performance and not knowing how to cope can often be your downfall. This guide aims to provide you with some handy tips for overcoming the "problem floor".

 

Slippery Floors

Sometimes referred to as 'fast' floors. Slippery floors can be downright dangerous and will certainly impede your performance as you lose traction and generally feel unsteady and unsafe on the dance floor. Fortunately there are a few tricks you can use to help gain the traction you need.

The most obvious is to wear proper, well maintained dance shoes. Dance shoes have what is known as a non-skid sole which is made of chrome leather. It has a "suede type" of feel to it which properly maintained really helps your grip.

Over time and use, the "suede feel" to these soles is worn away leaving a hard, shiny surface. At this point the shoes have lost much of their non-skid properties. Use a wire brush to gently brush the sole of the shoe which will restore the finish and non-skid surface.

Eventually this sole will also wear away with brushing, If after brushing, your shoes stop recovering their non-skid properties, it is time for either a new pair of shoes or more cheaply, a new pair of 'stick on' soles. Non-skid soles also tend to wear out quicker if the practise floors you use are dirty.

Stick-on soles cost around R90 including glue and are a very easy and effective way of restoring your shoes. All you have to do is trace around the outside of your shoe on the one-size stick-on soles and then cut the soles to the right size and shape, using your tracking or lack of it as a guide. The trick is to roughen both the shoe and your new sole with a wire brush, coat in the glue provided and stick them together. Use a hammer to flatten any air bubbles and really whack the sole into place. Leave overnight before use, and hey! Presto! as good as new.

Sometimes even properly maintained soles do not provide enough traction and so time for a little trick, rubbing moisturiser or castor oil into the bottom of your sole. Oil? To help you stick? It sounds very strange but a little bit of moisturiser or oil on the bottom of your sole really helps you to bite into the floor.

If you're not convinced try it at a practice before a competition and feel the difference. If you happen to have none of the above on you and you need to gain extra grip in a hurry try lemonade (not diet) or water. Lemonade is better because of the sugar content but water will do. The effect will be similar but will not last as long as moisturiser or castor oil.

Take note that some organisers and studio owners do not like people pouring moisturiser or water into the floor. It is better to rub the stuff directly on your sole. If you are unsure if the organisers or studio owners will object then ask them. Better safe then sorry.

If you are still slipping, there is something wrong with your dancing. Bad balance or incorrect weight distribution is often the cause of slipping around. Make sure that your weight is always underneath you rather than positioned to one side, front or rear. This should correct your problem. Central balance of the weight lessens the chance of slipping and sliding on a fast floor. It is when you throw your weight all over the place that your feet seem to have a mind of their own.

If you are an organiser or studio owner and find that your floor is very slippery, one way to treat the whole floor is to sprinkle 'Persil' or other washing powder over the floor. The grittier the powder the better. Over time this does slow the floor down. Sprinkling a fine layer of grated candle wax is also an excellent way of slowing down the floor. What's more, when dancers move over your waxed floor, they polish nicely for you.

Sticky Floors

Exactly the opposite and just as disruptive to your well-rehearsed routine. Sticky floors make the more technically able dancers look like beginners as they are forced to lift their feet up to avoid stumbling. Sticky floors are just as horrible to dance on as slippery floors, but at least you are less likely to injure yourself! The first trick or rather lack of it is, do not brush your shoes. The second is to deliberately make the sole lose its non-skid properties by practising on a carpet if there is one at the venue. The coarse, hard, wearing carpet found in community halls is the ideal thing.

If you are still struggling, try a fine talcum powder and sprinkled it under your shoes. While coarse materials help you stick, fine materials often reduces the traction on the floor.

If you are still having trouble you will simply have to learn how to cope. You can not be as 'into the floor' as you would like to be and must learn to support more of your weight with the leg that is not moving.

FLOORCRAFT is a couple's good sense and ability to use their pattern-knowledge and skills, in a manner that will best respect and avoid colliding with other couples on the dance floor. That is, shortening or lengthening their stride to adapt to the circumstances; pulling the arms in where necessary; moving anti-clockwise around the outer edge of the floor, or each partner alerting the other of a pending collision or just being ever-alert of those around them. A lot of bumping takes place because couples are taught set routines and stick to them, come hell or high water, regardless of whether it results in collisions.

Floor Craft is therefore the ability to manoeuvre around the dance floor in a skilled, controlled and good-mannered way (see etiquette in Floorcraft).

FLOORCRAFT in Competitions: Floorcraft is the skill and dance-craft that allows us to move unobtrusively around the floor to gain competitive advantage, thus giving us the best possible use of the space available. It is the dancer's ability to avoid colliding with other competitors. Floorcraft is a talent which can be learnt and developed through thoughtful, deliberate training.

Partners' Roles

The roles of male and female in dancing are very clearly defined. Ladies, unfortunately, when it comes to the dance-floor the man is and must be, the absolute boss. Not only is this a traditional aspect of dance which probably developed from social and cultural beliefs, but also serves a very practical purpose in translating and communicating perfect harmony between the two.

It is important to remember that in Ballroom the lady is often moving backwards and is therefore unable to see where she is travelling. In Latin, it is usual for the lady to perform much more complicated steps than the male. She has enough to think about, with all the extra spins, etc. than to have to be concerned with who may obstruct them. The lady will only indicate the avoidance of a collision if it is completely obscured from the male's span-of-vision.

Although the man's steps are often much less difficult than the lady's, this does not mean he has less work to do. The man's role is to be spatially aware of the floor, the other competitors around him and his partner's actions. He must understand where each figure in their routine will take them in relation to other couples, the adjudicators and on the floor. He must also be able to predict the actions and movements of the other competitors', but more importantly, he must be able to adapt and take corrective action.

The man primarily, plays a supporting role to the lady. He provides strength, momentum and applies intensity to navigate and assist her. His job is to best 'show' or 'flaunt' the lady and help her look great throughout. The man has the steering wheel and must therefore be ever-alert to any mishap that could occur on an active, competitive dance floor - competitive meaning, every couple being totally focussed, immersed in producing their best performance to impress the judges.

The female's part is to be as light and as compliant as possible! At most, she must follow her partner without hesitation and submissively try to do as told. Figuratively speaking, when the man clicks his fingers, she must jump up and stay there until he clicks again. The male remains the boss, while the lady beautifies and adorns the floor space.

Gaining Competitive Advantage

The ability to 'chop and change' a dance routine at will can be a real boon to competitors at comps. If the adjudicators were clustered in one corner, you would benefit by moving to that corner and then linger in that area in full view of their scrutiny for as long as possible. You could also use your floorcraft to break away from a clump of dancers to an open floor space. This gives the adjudicators a better chance to notice you. Making yourself visible to the judges and the audience most of the time, is the key to being competitively conspicuous.

Avoiding Collisions
Another advantage of good floorcraft is that the judges are, at all times, fully aware of it and how it is implemented. If you constantly collide with other couples you can be sure the adjudicators will notice your interference and mark you accordingly. What's more, collisions have caused nasty injuries, resulting in a couple's early retirement from the competition, otherwise known as a wipe-out.

 

Although you can stop and restart, prepare to change your direction quickly, or simply stay where you are. Rehearse a useful repertoire of basic figures that could be applied at any point in your routine. The simpler these figures are, the better. The idea is, if the next figure in your routine is cramped for space, you should be adequately equipped to adapt, by modifying your standard routine with your backup arsenal of steps.

 

Split your repertoire into two groups, 'staying put' figures and 'escape' figures. The stationary figures simply allow you to linger; stay pretty much where you are - on the spot. The escape figures get you going - accelerate; allowing you to move swiftly from the danger area. 'Staying put' figures are excellent when 'hemmed in' or trapped between a competitor and the edge of the floor or when impeded by other competitors.

Typical 'stay put' figures include:

Cha-Cha Natural

Top Rumba Natural Top (handy isn't it?)

Turn under arm followed by New Yorker

Jive 2 American Spins

Toe Heel Swivels

Samba Windmill Hip Pull (the way many beginners start)

The second group, 'escape' figures are useful when your normal line of dance is hampered but you see an opening or clear space nearby. You can use the escape figures to move into and then dominate the clear space.

Escape figures include:

Cha-Cha Hip Twist - (widen steps on the return basic and opening-out portion of the figure.)

Rumba Hip Twist

Rumba walks

Jive Chicken Walks

Samba Voltaires.

 

It is best to configure your own routine of "staying put" and "escape" figures. The above are basic guideline steps to help you in your floorcraft skills.

Rehearsing For The Unexpected

It is possible and very necessary to practise for the unexpected. When doing so, occasionally throw in a repertoire figure to clear you from an area of the floor or to stay put. The lady must not expect or anticipate the move, it needs to be communicated through lead and follow. Once you can comfortably change your routine 'on the fly' with basic figures, you should be able to avoid most collisions.

A useful practice is to change direction with routine figures and choreography. Learn how to 'bend' the line of dance to fit your needs as the occasion dictates. Small steps here, larger steps there, and change basic angles of existing figures.

 

A handy floorcraft exercise is to place chairs and other objects on the floor in your line of dance. The purpose is to avoid the items and make your way safely around the floor. For safety only, do this once you have mastered changing the direction of your routines.

Another technique is to use 'moving' objects to block your path. Nothing will challenge or help your floorcraft more than a dance floor packed with other couples - real, live missiles.

 

These floorcraft exercises will do more than just help you weave in and out of predicaments, they will also improve your "two-getherness" skills as a couple.

While doing so, where possible, try to maintain your stance, speed, poise, style, etc. and make a conscious effort to do this to the best of your ability - you must still look good, i.e. make the best of a bad bargain.

These rehearsed adaptations can really make a big difference to your floorcraft skills and help you become a more versatile, mindful, courteous competitor without much loss of style. The better you and your partner are able to synchronise when performing spontaneous, unrehearsed moves, the better and clearer your physical communication and understanding of each other's moves and reactions will become in real situations.

Floorcraft and Etiquette

After taking corrective action, but you still feel you are going to collide with another couple, the accepted practice is to simply stop, hold your position and then continue when the coast is clear. You will not lose marks for this as the adjudicators see it as a safety precaution and good floorcraft. An important point to remember is that even top professional dancers collide, despite their immense dance skills and competence in the competitive arena.

 

If you collide, regardless of who caused the crash, stop, apologise and then continue dancing. Do not take the issue off the dance floor either, simply put it down to experience and wipe the incident from your mind immediately - like spilt milk, it can not be recalled. Angry remarks, threatening behaviour and abuse are simply not acceptable, on or off the dance floor.

 

Most competitors become totally absorbed during the rounds, which sometimes makes them oblivious of their surroundings.  If you know you caused the collision, you'll do well to find the other couple afterwards and apologise again. This can turn a brooding dislike into a friendship.

Recovering From A Collision

It is easy to get flustered at the time of the accident, when knocked off rhythm or bumped out of step. An easy way to correct this is to simply stop and start again. You can start from the very beginning or from the last figure you performed, the choice is yours. It's a good idea to agree with your partner beforehand how you intend to recover from collisions.

Keep Your Composure

Although collisions can often be avoided, they are sometimes inevitable. When the inevitable occurs, it is important to remain calm and polite, and remember to apply the rules of etiquette.

 

No judge will react favourably to couples who throw a tantrum or show hostility or disappointment - keep your composure, smile and continue, and above all, put the incident behind you by thinking and working ahead.

FLOOR APPEARANCE includes good grooming; a dancer's stately stance and floor disposition plus pleasant facial and body expressions with clean lines and neat styles (see presentation ).

 

FLOOR HOG: (see etiquette in Floorcraft).

 

FLOOR PERSONALITY is the dancer's individual way of blending his/her own character and feelings with the mood and properties of the music, and sharing these inner emotions with the audience through dance and movement.

 

FLOURISH is a display of style and dash almost to the point of ostentation. 'with a flourish, they came on to the stage' or 'she used her arms with a flourish' or 'they acknowledged the applause with a flourish'.

 

FOLLOWS & PRECEDES

FOLLOWING in partnership dancing is the female's ability to respond to her partner's lead, whether he is dancing correctly or not. To be a good follower and to acknowledge the man's indications effortlessly, the girl must know her part well, without anticipating his lead.

Following & leading - questions most asked

FOLLOW-THROUGH is the passing of the moving foot between steps. The described technique of passing one foot neatly alongside the other foot is known as 'follow-through.' The term is generally used to describe the manner in which the free foot and leg correctly progresses to the next position on the floor, be it forward, backward, or to either side.

The use of follow-through enables the dancer to execute a motion gracefully, with control of balance and timing, while maintaining body momentum from one movement to the next. For expert dancers, follow-through is second nature, and this is one reason they move so gracefully.

 

FOLLOW THROUGH : The moving foot passes by the supporting or weighted foot before changing direction.

 

FOOT CARE: When you say to your partner, "let's sit this one out, your feet are killing me" that's a dance joke. But when your feet scream, "you are killing me" then that's mobile murder. Just walking around the office or house each day gives your feet a sledge-hammer pounding, so you can image how many tons of jolts dancing gives your feet.

 

The human head is the heaviest part of a dancer's body, and some are heavier than others and our poor, delicate feet have to schlepp it around at incredible speeds, and while they are doing so, the rest of our mass is also free riding. No wonder a dancer's footsies go on strike or frequently rebel, or look disfigured early on in life. Like rugby players develop cabbage ears, dancers cultivate cabbage feet.

 

Using your feet to dance or walk a shoe in, is definitely not a good idea - that's called feet abuse. Your left and your right foot must snug softly and neatly in to the shoe from the moment you slip them on, and don't believe the salesman who says they stretch to size, and don't let the style cajole you in to buying those misfit, fashion feet killers - think comfort, think happy feet, blissful dancing.

Let's get technical. The foot is constructed of an astonishing number of parts, a fact which accounts for its resiliency. A quarter of all the body's bones are in the feet. Each foot contains twenty-six, cunningly linked through thirty-three joints and lashed together with ligaments. The biggest bone, one of the seven tarsals, is the heel. It sits solidly on the ground with six chunky dovetailed tarsals arching in front of it. These bones meet the five long metatarsals whose heads form the ball of the foot.

 

The heel bone and the metatarsal heads are the weight bearers. The five toes serve as a launching pad. When you walk, the body weight strikes the ground through the heel and travels swiftly along the outside of the foot to the ball, across the metatarsal heads to the first metatarsal, where it is transferred to the big toe, which sets you in motion.

 

In dancing, the onslaught is tons heavier; with the toes and the ball of the foot bearing all the brunt most of the time. When the pressure of the weight of the body is constantly pushed off the ball of the feet, at varying angles and speeds, and the shoes give no release, that's when the many delicate bones of a dancer's feet begin to churn, and damage is done. Aching or burning feet are the alarm bells that tell your brain that someone is, by unnatural strangulation, trying to murder the cute, sensitive little bones of your feet, and you are the sole perpetrator.

 

90% of us are born with perfect feet. Yet, according to a recent survey, 8% have developed troubles at one year, 41% at five years, and 80% at twenty. We limp into adulthood on corns, calluses, bunions, ingrown toenails, hammer toes, plantar warts and dozens more groan-getters all caused by the wrong shoes we wear. The incidence of foot defects among barefoot peoples is only 7%.

Because it takes ten years to grow the foot bones, and twenty years before the heel is fully finished, pre-school children need larger-size shoes every two months or oftener. Six- to ten-year-olds need larger shoes every two to three months; ten- to twelve-year-olds every three to four months; twelve- to fifteen-year-olds every four to five months; fifteen- to twenty-year-olds every six months. Yet how often do growing feet get the larger size that they demand?

 

The incidence of foot defects among dancers is 200%. Dancers place tremendous stress on their feet through hours and hours of training and performance, making them especially prone to injury. Therefore, for anyone taking part in dance classes or performance, proper foot care is imperative.

 

Metatarsalgia is a general term used to denote a painful foot condition in the metatarsal region of the foot (the area just before the toes, more commonly referred to as the ball-of-the-foot). This common foot disorder affects the bones and joints at the ball-of-the-foot. The first step in treating metatarsalgia is to determine what is causing the pain. If improper fitting dance shoes or other footwear is the cause, the footwear must be changed.

 

Your aim should be to unload pressure on the ball-of-foot to allow your condition to heal. When not dancing, you should wear shoes with a high, wide toe box that allows your foot to spread out. Plantar Fasciitis is an inflammation caused by excessive stretching of the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia is a broad band of fibrous tissue that runs along the bottom surface of the foot, attaching at the bottom of the heel bone and extending to the forefoot. Excessive stretching of the plantar fascia causes Plantar Fasciitis, which can also lead to heel pain, arch pain, and heel spurs.

 

The key for the proper treatment of Plantar Fasciitis is determining what is causing the excessive stretching of the plantar fascia. When the cause is over-pronation (flat feet), an orthotic with rearfoot posting and longitudinal arch support can effectively reduce the over-pronation and allow the condition to heal. If orthotics cannot be worn while dancing, they should be worn in everyday shoes.

 

Achilles Tendonitis causes inflammation and degeneration of the achilles tendon. The disorder can cause shooting, burning, or even an extremely piercing pain. Achilles tendonitis should not be left untreated, as there is a danger that the tendon can become weak and ruptured. If this or any foot problem persists, Dr. Belyea recommends that you consult your foot doctor. For more information on these or other foot conditions, visit foot care

 

FOOT FUNDI is a term use in social dancing to describe an experienced dance teacher or someone who is extremely knowledgeable in the techniques and styles of social Ballroom , Latin-American and modern beat dancing - an expert in the field of dance and teaching.

 

FOOT PLACEMENT: In Tango, the foot is picked up slightly and placed into position, where as in the swing dances (Foxtrot, Waltz and Quickstep) the leg swings and the foot generally skims the floor, and mostly keeping contact with the floor. Foot Placement also refers to steps applied in Latin American dancing where the toe or foot is deliberately pushed in to the floor to create an earthy or solid effect.

 

FOOT POSITIONS:

The positions of the feet in relation to each other. Examples: LF Forward, RF Side, LF Diagonally Back.

The five positions of the feet as defined in ballet, namely; First Position (together), Second Position (apart, side-by-side), Third Position (heel to instep), Fourth Position (apart, one foot forward) and Fifth Position (toe to heel).

FOOT PRESSURE: Pressure applied to the floor through the free foot, often a result of having partial body weight on it. Placing pressure on the closing foot in Waltz adds control and balance to the movement.

 

FOOT RISE: Elevation of the body through the use of the ankles, by pushing up onto the balls of the feet (see body Rise, rise and Fall).

 

FOOTWORK: The part of the foot that is in contact with the floor during a particular step or movement.

FOOTWORK refers to that part of the foot which is in contact with the floor - 'toe', 'heel', 'ball of foot', 'inside edge of foot', 'inside edge of toe', 'inside edge of ball', 'outside edge', 'whole foot', 'flat foot'.

FOOTWORK is the gracious and effective way a dancer uses his/her feet to execute the figures of a dance, i.e. placing, closing, passing, swivelling, rising, rolling, dragging, lifting, flicking, pointing, stamping, kicking, etc. A dancer's general expression, style and lines stem directly from his/her footwork, known as "expressive feet", "rolling action", "pointing", etc. See footwork .

FORMATION DANCING is TEAM dancing comprising three or more couples where all perform the same movements or lines simultaneously. Formation dancing also entails the swapping of partners and the forming of various line-dressings, arm movements, leg and foot lines, etc. interchangeably.

 

FORMATION (competitive) features eight couples dancing in either the Standard or the Latin-American discipline. The team dance together in as synchronised a manner as possible, and to music lasting up to 4-and-a-half minutes. Teams are judged on their use of innovative patterns, smooth transitions, and floor coverage.

FORWARD KICK LEAP (Freestyle): A spring into the air extending front leg forward with launching leg flexed back. Both arms are extended forward which is different from the Splits Leap, Stag Leap and Scissors Leap in which the arms are normally either parallel to the legs or in opposition.

 

FORWARD WALK (Ballroom, man): Stand in an upright position. The knees should be slightly relaxed, but not definitely bent. Let the body incline forwards from the feet upwards, until the weight of the body is felt mainly on the balls of the feet, but not letting the heels leave the floor. In doing this, take care not to alter the upright position of the body from the hips upwards. You are now in the correct position to start the Walk.

Movement of the Legs and Feet :

Note. The man may begin with either Right foot or Left foot but must indicate his intention to his partner. Take the weight on to the Left foot only and proceed as follows. Swing the Right leg forward from the hips, first with the ball of the Right foot touching the floor, and then the heel skimming the floor with the toe slightly raised.

 

As the Right foot passes the toe of the Left foot, the Left heel will be released from the floor, so that at the full extent of the stride the ball of the Left foot and the heel of the Right foot will be touching the floor. Lower the Right toe immediately so that the foot is flat on the floor.

 

With the body still moving forward, bring the Left foot forward with just a little pressure on the ball of the foot, and swing it past the Right foot to repeat the whole movement described above.

 

FORWARD WALK - Lady: Although the actions of the feet and legs are similar to those described for the Forward Walk of the man, the lady must not alter the poise of her body. She can materially assist the man's backward movements by pressing forward on forward steps, but any attempt to do this with a forward poise of the body would completely upset the man's balance. The man must retain control whether moving forward or backward.

 

FOURTH POSITION: Walking step, forward or back, and rock steps.

FOXTROT: A smooth dance introduced to the public in 1913 by Harry Fox, noted for being the first dance to incorporate into the rhythm a combination of Slows and Quicks. Foxtrot is characterised by smooth, walking-style movements, but can be adapted to fit a variety of musical tempi and styles.

 

This is a dance performed by couples in ballroom hold to music with a 4/4 rhythm and to a tempo of 120 beats per minute or 30 bars/ measures per minute.

 

A faster dance of this nature was variously called the One Step or Two Step in the Victorian era in Western Society. This had one step per beat or two steps per bar; hence the dual nomenclature. It was embellished into a night-club performance dance by Vernon and Irene Castle, and popularised by Harry Fox in the stage show 'Ziegfeld Follies' in New York in 1913. It rapidly became popular in New York and a year later in London. It was fashionably regarded as a rebellion against 19th Century dancing, as it used parallel feet (rather than the turned out feet of the Victorian dances).

 

Fox's involvement has been taken as the origin of the name 'Foxtrot', although the term had been used previously by the military for an equestrian gait which could well have been used to describe the dance.

The original dance had a tempo of about 160 beats per minute (40 BPM), and was described as being extremely jerky. It is still taught at Arthur Murray, Fred Astaire and other social schools as a social Foxtrot which they've adapted for crowded, night-club dancing by eliminating the jerkiness, closing the feet at the end of each step and using a 'slow, slow, quick, quick rhythm as the basic timing for most of the variations. This original 'Foxtrot' is called 'Rhythm' or 'The Blues' elsewhere.

 

Around 1922, the trotting steps were discarded for a less energetic movement called the Saunter (Slow Foxtrot) a dance characterised by slow, smooth gliding movements.

 

Since that time, the dance has been developed into two derived forms internationally: the Quickstep and the Slow Foxtrot. The Slow Foxtrot is performed to slower music (120 beats/minute or 30 BPM), and retains the walks and pivots of its predecessor. Its style is still smooth, effortless, flowing, which makes it a great contrast to the dramatic Tango on the ballroom floor (see two-step ).

FRAME: The position of the arms and top line while in dance position. Dance posture for the purpose of maintaining balance and appearance (see firm Frame).

 

FREE FOOT/FREE LEG: The foot or leg that does not carry most of the body's weight, thus being free enough to move.

 

FREESTYLE DANCE: The Association of Dance Freestyle Professionals (ADFP) was formed in 1978 as a result of the popularity of 'Freestyle' or 'Disco' dancing brought about by the film 'Saturday Night Fever'. Traditional dance teachers were inundated by requests from pupils who wanted to learn these new disco moves and soon included special Disco classes. These classes brought in more and more young people and, in line with other dance forms, teachers and pupils were soon eager to arrange competitions to develop and try out this new expression.

 

To regulate these, the ADFP was formed in 1978. Early competitions were classed into under 12, under 16 and adult and regularly had 120 or more entries to each section. Soon singles, couples and team competitions were being held around the country regularly.

It wasn't until a few years later that Rock 'n Roll competitions started to be included and, to indicate the continuing development of the art form, fairly recently 'Slow Dance' competitions have started to emerge. Competitions are so popular that you can usually find 4 or 5 competitions each week throughout the year. Larger 3 or 4-day competitions are normally held twice a year by various promoters and provide an excellent intensive but fun break for the whole family.

 

FREESTYLE dancing (1) is performed solo or without a partner and is sometimes done as a duet or in a group of several dancers.

 

FREESTYLE dancing (2) as known in social dance schools is partnership dancing.

 

FREESTYLE (3) an Impro Division of competition whereby the man leads the lady through an improvised set of figures, without relying on predetermined choreography or dance routines.

 

FREESTYLE DANCE: Freestyle Dance is an artistic dance style that takes its roots from co-ordinating accentuated body movements together with a number of basic movements and steps, incorporating arm, head and hand positions. This being controlled and developed by teachers taking into account modern trends and modern music, allowing the individual dancer freedom to express themselves from within these criteria to produce Freestyle dancing.

 

FREE TURN: To turn independently without any body contact - a solo turn.

 

FREEZE is to stop a movement suddenly and hold that pose for a number of beats or bars of the music.

 

FULL SPLITS: One leg extended fully forward, and the other extended fully backwards with both legs parallel to the floor and the body facing the front leg.

 

HALF SPLITS: One leg extended forward and the other leg extended backwards with the knee slightly flexed and the body facing the front leg.

 

FUNDAMENTALS of dancing are the correct foot placements, arm styles, hip motions, the use of the head and the head position, directions and directional changes, correct posture and hold, movement, balance and control, balanced unity in partnership position, leading and following or any technical detail that enables the dancer to characterise a dance correctly - the basics or rudiments of a dance.