Glossary - Fan Position

When you are looking at steps such as the Open Hip Twist into Fan in either Rumba or Cha Cha, it is integral that you really hit Fan Position properly for the rest of the movements to work. As it can sometimes be a little difficult to picture exactly where your bodies are positioned, here is a breakdown of both foot and body placement.

The whole shape of the position, when looked at from above, is much like its name suggests: a fan!

Your bodies are slightly more open than your foot placement which means that the opening of your fan, using your upper body and arms is as important as what your feet are doing.

Glossary - Contra Body Movement Position (CBMP)

Contra or Contrary Body Movement Position is often used in steps that require you to be out of line with your partner. In the technique books, it is defined as: "A foot position where the foot is placed on or across the line of the supporting foot, either in front or behind, to maintain body line".

Essentially, this means that you are keeping your upper body facing one direction while your lower body faces a different one. This is generally accomplished by leaving the shoulders where they were in the previous step and allowing the legs to take a new direction.

However! You should not lose connection with your partner when in CBMP and should work even harder to keep your centres facing each other.

Glossary - Outside Partner

This indicates that the you are to change your footwork to move off the same track as your partner and step on the outside of their feet: eg. your right foot steps outside the right foot of your partner. (Generally an action taken by the leader more often than the follower.)

Glossary - Against Line of Dance

This is the term for facing or moving in a clockwise direction.

Glossary - Inside Partner / In Line

Stepping "inside your partner" or "in-line" indicates that you are walking on the same track as your partner - placing your foot where theirs has just been and stepping 'between' their legs.

Glossary - "Quick"

A way of counting music. Used to signify one beat of the music for one movement or step. ("1, 2, 3, 4" etc)

Glossary - "Slow"

A way of counting music. Used to signify two beats of the music used for one movement or step. ("1-2, 3-4, 5-6," etc)

Glossary - Diagonal to Line of Dance

The starting position for the Leader in many of the ballroom dances. Standing on the line of the imaginary circle that is LOD, face your nearest wall and then turn your left shoulder part way into the centre so that you are on a diagonal ready to move anti-clockwise.

Glossary - Standard Latin Hold

The lady’s right hand is in the man’s left, his right hand on her shoulder blade, her left hand is positioned lightly on the man’s arm around the tricep muscle. This stance should be relaxed but not limp - it should still be able to convey the impulses needed to lead and follow. Typically there is more space between the pair in Latin dances than there is for the Ballroom dances.

Glossary - Promenade Position

When both the Leader and the Follower are facing the same direction even though they are still in hold. The Leader's Right side and the Follower's Left are closer together than normal because the opposite shoulder has opened out to allow both to move in the same direction.

Glossary - Facing Line of Dance

A body position generally used by the Leader more than the Follower when he is facing straight down the imaginary line of the circle with his left shoulder closest to the centre.

Glossary - Line of Dance

(Sometimes written as LOD)

The anti-clockwise imaginary line of a large circle that all Ballroom Dances (and some Latin) move on within any given space.

Glossary - Standard Ballroom Hold

The lady’s right hand is in the man’s left, his right hand on her shoulder blade, her left hand is positioned just under the tricep muscle (just below the shoulder on the man’s arm) with the hand resting lightly in a V (separating thumb from fingers).

The stance (or “frame”) should be well held and the distance between the pair should be less than in the Latin dances and, when comfortable, should even progress to “body contact” – when the space between the ribs and hip bone on the right side of the lady are touching the same space on the man’s right side.

In Ballroom hold, the lady is slightly offset to the man’s right… always staying to the right of his tie – should he be wearing one!