"Read your book again. The weight moves from the heel to the ball of the foot."

You still don't understand the difference between the position of the mass, and the position of the pressure.

The center of mass KEEPS MOVING and thus is soon projecting far beyond the standing foot, out into space.

The pressure obviously cannot move any more forward than the end of the foot (until such time as the other foot is ready to receive your weight) and it practice can only go as far forward as the foot strength permits.

"Once we are moving you can forget that because the body will naturaly pass over your heel to your ball and once again the foot takes over."

What is this "foot takes over" nonsense? There is no other foot that is ready to take over - the moving foot still has at least half it's travel yet to complete before it's in a position to even contemplate taking any body weight. It's your standing foot or nothing - take your pick. Personally, I keep my weight pressure on my standing foot as long as possible, but I let my body move well in advance of it, because I believe in dancing smoothly rather than with jerky stops and starts as would be required to stay over a standing foot.

"Which book or books says anything other than above."

Alex Moore: Ballroom Dancing.

Or just watch the bloody videos for a change... pause it, draw a vertical line down the guy's back at a point before the moving foot has stopped, and you'll see that it falls AHEAD OF HIS STANDING TOE. Pure proof that he is OFF BALANCE WITH HIS WEIGHT AHEAD OF HIS FOOT. Yet despite the physical fact that he is FALLING it looks pretty good, doesn't it?

Once again into the breach. The foot that is in front at the extent of its stride will lower to the floor immediatly. The body which is being driven by the rear foot commomly known as the standing foot both will arrive under the body which is verticle and now over the new standing foot. Maybe to make it clearer. One the foot arrives. two the body and the rear foot arrive. The whole thing can start again with the heel leaving the floor to drive the foot forward. There is nothing difficult about the step. It is how the body and foot arrive which make it dancing.

This is a reply to quickstep/novice e Q.
Your postings imply that, when moving forward, the weight moves to the tip of the standing (let's say, right)foot and then - behold, the moving left foot is planted to take the weight on its heel before the body weight has had a chance to move ahead of the standing right foot.
It just doesn't happen like this. The body centre of mass must move beyond the standing foot, and stay there for some time (not an instant) before the moving foot lands to play its part in dancing. In fact it must be at least half a beat. The moving foot doesn't take any significant weight as it skims across the floor.

Phil. Have you ever thought that that point in front of the foot is never reached. The body weight never reaches it because it is already gone. To reach it wouldn't the feet have to come to an absolute stop and that mythical spot would also stop. Other than that it is like trying to catch up to the beam of your car headlight. Plus in all those years that there has been a technique book why wasn't it mentioned. It would have been very simple to say we let our body get in front of our feet by leaning over them. They more than likely thought with the knees flexed how could we. With a straight knee you can incline forward from the foot all the way to the top of your head and fall.
So we do as the new book says and using a wall for support slowely . Get into that position and send our weight forward lowering the foot to the floor imediatly , just as the book says and proceed from there. You will then be aware of how you do this step and can check to see if it conforms.

"Phil. Have you ever thought that that point in front of the foot is never reached."

But it most certainly IS REACHED!

Take a look at any of the vidoes here. The body does not stop stationary over the ball of foot until the moving foot is in position, it keeps moving. You can plainly see that the body is soon over a point on the floor well ahead of the standing foot. Draw a line down the dancer's back, and you'll often see that this line (down the back, not even through the center) hits the floor in advance of the standing toe.

These are SIMPLE AND IRREFUTABLE FACTS.

"To reach it wouldn't the feet have to come to an absolute stop"

Suprisingly, it is rather common for the standing foot, or at least the front part of it, to be at an absolute stop during this phase of the action... (I wonder if that's why the call it the standing foot and not the moving foot???)

"Plus in all those years that there has been a technique book why wasn't it mentioned."

Because it's downright obvious - everybody already walks this way, yourself included. If you are not doing it when dancing, you have somethig seriously wrong with your movement!

"It would have been very simple to say we let our body get in front of our feet by leaning over them."

But we don't - we DO NOT LEAN. Instead, we project the entire body, keeping vertical alignment from the knees up.

"They more than likely thought with the knees flexed how could we."

By putting your knees ahead of your foot and everything else lined up, over your knees. How many times are you going to ignore the explanation?????

"With a straight knee you can incline forward from the foot all the way to the top of your head and fall."

And that, my friend, is why we * Bend * the * Knee * RATHER THAN INCLINE THE BODY.

You know the bit about bouncing a ping pong ball on a table aboard a train that is moving. It travells some thirty feet or so inbetween a bounce and yet drops on exactly the same spot on the table each time. Try if you can to get it to bounce ahead. Standing up straight knee bends and only allow your weight to move from the heel to the balls of the foot. Thats where the ball bounces and the foot moves and we repeat the step.

"You know the bit about bouncing a ping pong ball on a table aboard a train that is moving. It travells some thirty feet or so inbetween a bounce and yet drops on exactly the same spot on the table each time."

Only because the table is also moving.

If your standing foot is wearing a roller skate, then you can progress your body while keeping it in balance over your standing foot.

But if it's wearing a DANCE SHOE, then you will have to either project your weight beyond your standing foot into imbalance - AS ALL REAL DANCERS DO - or stop the progress of your body on each step, and look like some newbie in his first class who is afraid of stepping on his partner.

"Standing up straight knee bends and only allow your weight to move from the heel to the balls of the foot."

Sorry, I prefer to travel when I dance the progressive dances. If you want to bounce up and down in one place, be my guest. Just please don't do it in my line of dance!

The body moves over a floor that is still.
Then the body catches up to the front foot and the moving foot moves ahead Explanation. As the RF passes the toe of the LF. The heel of the LF will raise from the floor. Page 9. If you can get your body in front of your moving foot then I would have to ask how long does it stay ahead according to you.
Will you read that again. As the RF passes the Toe of the LF. The heel of the LF will raise from the floor.. The ball of the RF will be skimmimg the floor.
Moving the weight of the body from the heel to the ball is not bobbing up and down on the spot. It is as it is written on pages 9 10 13
Lets pin you down into making a statement. Do you beleive that dancing is like walking.
I say the only thing that is similar is that we have two legs.
Imbalance. Do you have the same meaning for that word that I have. A noun. A lack of proportion or balance. If my feet are in contact with the floor then I am balanced. I can take one foot of the floor if I am standing still. But not whilst I am moving if I am to stay balanced.
Could you imagine if you were at the Ballet and those young ladies stepped across the stage with their weight forward of their feet.Not a pretty site don't you think

"The body moves over a floor that is still."

Yes, it moves from behind it, to over it, to beyond it. Anytime you are in a non-risen position and not performing some kind of checking action, the body will just keep on moving - it DOES * NOT * PAUSE.

"As the RF passes the toe of the LF. The heel of the LF will raise from the floor."

That all depends on the footwork and dynamics of the step. You keep citing one particular case, but it's only one of at least three broad categories, ALL OF THEM DIFFERENT.

"If you can get your body in front of your moving foot then I would have to ask how long does it stay ahead according to you."

NOT VERY LONG.

"Will you read that again. As the RF passes the Toe of the LF. The heel of the LF will raise from the floor.. The ball of the RF will be skimmimg the floor."

In the cases where the body is going to get ahead of both feet, it will do it before the moving foot has passed beyond the standing foot.

"Moving the weight of the body from the heel to the ball is not bobbing up and down on the spot."

Glad you realize it - which by extension means it has NOTHING to do with your bouncing ball story either. And remember that the weight DOES NOT STOP OVER the ball of the foot, for the simple reason that the MOVEMENT OF THE BODY DOES NOT STOP!

"It is as it is written on pages 9 10 13"

No, it's not. You keep making up this rediculous idea that the body should stop and hold stationary over the moving foot. But that is not to be found in any reputable text, because it would be a VERY SILLY WAY TO MOVE.

"Lets pin you down into making a statement. Do you beleive that dancing is like walking."

Yes. There are some differences of very limited actual consequence, such as not picking up the foot, but the basic BODY ACTION and STANDING FOOT USAGE are quite similar.

"I say the only thing that is similar is that we have two legs."

You've offered ample proof of your inability to undestand the BODY ACTION OF DANCING.

"Imbalance. Do you have the same meaning for that word that I have. A noun. A lack of proportion or balance. If my feet are in contact with the floor then I am balanced."

No, you are only balanced if your center of mass is over or between supporting feet. Most of the time when walking or dancing, it will not be. Instead, it will be projecting forward or backwards of a SINGLE STANDING FOOT. It's only balanced when it's briefly over the standing foot, or briefly between two standing feet (in types of movmeent where split weight might actuall occur)

"I can take one foot of the floor if I am standing still. But not whilst I am moving if I am to stay balanced."

Regardless if your moving foot is on the floor or not, it MUST NOT BE SUPPORTING YOUR BODY - otherwise it would be a standing foot and not a moving foot. That's why you can't stay in balance when walking or dancing. You can and should maintain a stable poise, but you CANNOT MAINTAIN BALANCE unless you are willing to PAUSE THE PROGRESS OF YOUR BODY IN PLACE until you moving foot is in position to receive it's weight. Sadly, it sounds like you must be dancing this way, which is really as shame as it looks so pathetic, and is completely unnatural. I'm sure you don't make that mistake when you walk!

"Could you imagine if you were at the Ballet and those young ladies stepped across the stage with their weight forward of their feet."

I'm sure they do use both projecting/imbalance movement, along with the kinds of pause-in-balance movements that we have very little use for in ballroom. After all, projecting movement is the normal way that humans move!

I give you page numbers and direct quotes from the teccnique books. All I get in return is supposition.
If you walked the way you dance you would get arrested. And if you danced the way you walk. How interesting.
With your foot moving ahead of your body you cannot get your body ahead of your foot.
Would anybody care to go to the Learning Centre. Click on a Forward Walk and study. It doesn't cost anything. If you can see the body in front of the moving foot at anytime . Tell me which frame.
If Anonymous can tell me the three different types of Forward Walks he speaks of. Then tell me. Dont try to tell me that if this is a Toe following the Heel Lead there is going to be any difference in the passing foot action. Come on lets have books and page numbers.