FWT is used in two basic situations:
1. Make a turn while moving fwd, and continue to move fwd
2. Change direction from moving fwd to moving bwd

The lady's step in the Fan is the later one.

From Laird's, Under "First Principles", Section "Forward Walk Turning":

"When using a Forward Walk Turning to change direction from moving forward to moving backward...... The foot position at the end of this step is "Back and slightly to side". If the figure being danced requires more turn to be made this is achieved during the following backward step. An example of the use of the Forward walk Turning to change direction from moving forward to moving backward occurs in Rumba during the last two steps, for lady, in all figures that finish in Fan Position or Open Position".

(As opposed to *all* men's steps that finish in fan position, which are fwd-to-fwd)

Hope this helps

Thanks for the reply!

I did read that part very carefully, and it also says:

"The change in direction is achieved by dancing a NORMAL FORWARD WALK action but with a gradual turn in the required direction made throughout the step."

And:

"..to continue forward or backward on the FOLLOWING step".

According to this description, the lady's step No. 2 of the Fan has to be actually still taken NORMAL FORWARD. The FOLLOWING step No. 3 is a backward step.

How is step No. 2 a "normal Forward Walk", when it actually has to be taken to the side and then turned 1/8 to the L in order to achieve the required Foot Position? (Taking it forward and turning it only 1/8 would not result in "RF back and slightly to side".)

If eg. the lady comes from a Hip Twist, she turns 3/8 - so she really does take a Forward Walk and turns it to end up in a position to continue with a backward walk - that makes totally sense to me, I see the Forward Walk in this.

Not so much with the lady's step 2 of the Fan though.. I cannot detect the "normal Forward Walk" anywhere here.. "Side Walk Turning" would sound much more descriptive in this case, wouldn't it?

Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me!
Simon

O. Z. The reason why you don't ever end up with your legs crossed is because Laird defines:

"When using a Forward Walk Turning to change direction from moving forward to moving backward the maximum turn that can be made during the Forward Walk Turning is 3/8. The Foot Position at the end of this step is 'Back and slightly to side'. If the figure being danced requires more turn to be made this is achieved during the following backward step".

That is why there is no indication in the book of walking across the body on this step. This also applies to the figure you have described, which sounds like an Open Hip Twist ending in Fan position. That is a different figure, however, and I don't have any problems with following Walter Laird's description of this one.

I appreciate your comments very much, yet my question was really a different one: what I am trying to find out is Walter Laird's logic when describing step No. 2 of The Fan as a FORWARD Walk Turning "1/8 to L" ending "RF back and slighly to side". Therefore, I cannot simply forget the 1/8 turn, as this is the actual point of interest of my discussion of this section of the book.

Greetings - Simon :)

Don't overlook that Laird's charts define turn in the body, not the feet.

@Telemark: yes, I have taken that into account, but, unfortunately, it still does not explain the Foot Position.

I guess I've misunderstood your main point .I thought the you had a problem with the position of the foot (which is at the end of the step, indeed "backward and to the side". This gives the lady the opportunity to perform a bwd walk on the next move).
Now, if I understand you correctly, the term "Normal" FWT is the issue.
Well, I've got to admit that you've got a point there, although I failed to see the definition of "normal" (in terms of "distance" and "direction").
So, I guess that what you've pointed out make sense *only* if you treat "normal" FWT as taking a "full stride" directly fwd (which I'm not sure is the correct interpretation of the term).
I'll be more than happy of any further information on the subject.
Best regards,

@Guest: exactly - I would be inclined to call the action here a "Side Step Turning" instead... please correct me if I'm wrong

Is nobody prepared to consider the possibility of a mis-print? Substitute a B for the F and step 2 becomes a Bwd walk turning, which is effectively what the other technique books describe.

Remember we are discussing the basic Fan, not the hip twist which does use a fwd walk turning but with more turn so that the ending foot position becomes back and to the side.

The basic fan is so rarely danced nowadays except in the very early beginner stage that we tend to forget that it exists in its own right.

O.Z. wrote: "...Take one Checked Backward..."

SocialDancer wrote: "...Substitute a B for the F and step 2 becomes a Bwd walk turning..."

Never heard of these terms. Can someone please clarify what is a "checked backward walk" and what is "backward walk turning" ?

It seems that while BioSimon is trying to figure out the *logic* of using the term Normal FWT in regard to the lady's part of the Fan, others seems to be throwing misleading (or even non-existing) terms....

Guest, you will notice that O.Z. always tries to take a discussion away from the original question, complaining about the word basic (or plain, simple, standard, ordinary, unadulterated) and then confusing Fan with 'fan position' and going on about alemana, hockey stick etc, and referring to the lady's swivel on 4,1 of the previous bar which does not apply to a "basic" Fan. If you read through the forum you will note his distinctive style appears under several nom-de-plumes.

Re the Backward Walk Turning, please see man's step 3 (lady's step 6) of the basic movement.

Laird is AFAIK unique in the use of "action used" and although it can be useful IMHO it can also lead to confusion as in this case.

In my 1988 edition Laird starts the figure in close hold.
Step 1 has the lady LF fwd in (line with partner) so on step 2 the man's LF will obstruct any forward movement so she cannot take a FWT but must step to the side at least or, subject to body turn, step back as described in the ISTD book. On this site Jonathan says "Right foot back and slightly to side." which tallies with Laird's foot position.

But! Laird also allows for a precede of 'Fwd walks in Shadow Pos'. From this position the lady will use a FWT as well as making additional turn.