I would appreciate some advice. I have never been a dancer before, but I have been taking American smooth lessons for about a year now. My professional teacher/partner wants me to dance less 'flat-footed,' roll my feet much more, and develop stronger heel leads for smoother dancing. I have a tendency to stick my foot forward when I lead with my heel, leaning my upper body backwards. So my body doesn't stay over my feet properly, and I lose my balance, resulting in choppy dancing. Sometimes I lift my foot off the floor entirely and place it down, which I know is wrong.

Since I put in a lot of practice time by myself (as it is cost prohibitive to practice as much as I'd like with my instructor) I would like to know if anyone could suggest an exercise I could practice on my own that would help. I'd like to develop my muscle memory to do the right technique.

Thanks.

I'm sure your instructor has given you the correct advice. To reinforce this, might I suggest you get Victor Veyrasset's Man's Technique, Leading & Styling video. On DanceVision's website, there's a video clip that addresses your very problem. All the best!