I had to review the Promenade Hesitation step in the American style waltz recently on this site, and in some of the description it is mentioned that the woman can choose to do a Promenade Develope on steps 2-3 while in this hold. The man cannot lead that particular move, so it is entirely up to the woman to do this. I wanted to make sure I understood what the Promenade Develope really is. I am assuming it is a ballet step in which the leg swings out of the pattern for a two-step count, somewhat like a fan step? But I could be totally wrong. Can anyone clarify that particular move for me so I could explain it to the female partner.

Essentially, the Lady "draws " her foot/leg away from centre, skimming the floor, and then commences lifting the leg upwards,with a slight knee projection , keeping the foot pointed DOWNWARDS.

Terence, that's what I thought, but my description of it wasn't quite right. Just want to make sure of one thing. Is the "draw" taking place on the 2-3 count, and then the lifting of the leg with foot pointed downward would be step 1 of the next sequence in the promenade position? Or am I counting/envisioning that incorrectly?

A develope' is an action whereby something is "developed", and can refer to either an arm or a leg. The development being referred to is a sort of unfurling of the arm or leg, from a position inward or close to the body, to outward or away from the body. In ballroom dancing, the term is used almost exclusively for the legs.

The basic action of a develope' of the leg begins with the knee bending, foot lifting off the foor. The knee then straightens, extending the foot outward or forward (depending on whether the legs are turned out). Once the leg has fully straightened, the foot then lowers to the floor with the leg straight.

The opposite action is an envelope', or "envelopment", which is a develope' in reverse, whereby the foot extends forward or outward, then lifts off the floor with the leg straight. Then the knee bends, drawing the foot inward toward the supporting knee, and finally lowering to the floor.

The ballroom develope' is almost always commenced with either a forward or backward step, and extended nearly straight forward, since ballroom is danced mostly without turnout of the legs. The initial action of the free foot begins differently, depending on whether you begin with a forward or backward step.

When begun with a forward step, as with the Promenade Develope', the free foot is left pointing backward. From this position, the toe of the free foot will first draw forward until it reaches the supporting foot. It does so with the foot pointed articulately (in contrast to a normal ballroom walking action, where the heel of the free foot lowers to the floor, to arrive flat when it passes the supporting foot). From this position, the foot draws upward along the inside of the supporting leg, foot pointing toward the floor, knee continuing to bend. Then the foot extends forward to complete the develope'.

When begun with a backward step, as with the Outside Check with Develope', the free foot is left pointing forward. From this position, the toe of the free foot draws backward, and can pass to either the inside or outside edge of the supporting foot. From the inside edge, the develope' continues as it does with the forward-initiated develope' described above. When drawn to outside edge, the foot ends in a crossed position, and then draws upward along the outside of the supporting leg. This version is my personal preference, but only possible on the backward-initiated develope'.

The ultimate height of the foot on the develope' is a common question asked by students. Lady students are typically very concerned with getting the foot/leg "high enough" to be considered acceptable. My answer is always the same: It's not the size that matters, but how you use it. The most important quality to strive for is a buoyancy, and this can only be achieved when the knee maintains its height as it straightens. If the knee lifts too high initially, it will be forced to lower as it straightens, which gives it a saggy or heavy look, like air being let out of a balloon. It is helpful, therefore, to know in advance your own limit with respect to the height of the foot when at full extension.

To determine your foot's height limit, point it forward with the leg straight, then lift it off the floor as high as you can. Hold it in that position for a few seconds. Make sure your posture has not been compromised to achieve greater height. Then retract the foot to the supporting leg while maintaining the knee at that exact height. Notice and memorize the location of the free foot against the supporting leg; This is the position the foot should reach -- not an inch higher -- before extending forward into any develope'.

The classical version of Promenade Develope' is a unique figure in that it does not allow for the lady to increase the height through base shaping. The leg must therefore act entirely on its own while the body remains vertical. As a result, it actually looks more disjointed and disconnected the higher you take it... Much the same way arms look awkward when swung around without being initiated by an action in the body. This is why the Promenade Develope' remains primarily a social dance variation. It's more pleasing to watch when danced in a relaxed manner, without a great deal of height.

Thanks, Jonathan. I think there is probably a video example of this in one of the waltz variation videos. I will keep an eye open for it in the future.

In case you don't need the syllabus version specifically for a test or rigorously invigilated competition, there's a slight variation you can do that allows for a much fuller body shape:

Man steps LF in promenade on 1, then closes his RF and points the LF to side on 2 while leading the lady into what is essentially a same-foot lunge position. This gives him the proper shape and leverage to support her in more of a "layback" position, providing her with the opportunity for increased height on the develope'.

Since he's on the same foot as lady, he will need to fake again to return to opposite foot for the following movement in closed position. The simplest exit is for the man to step LF side, then close RF to canter timing (1,3), while leading the lady to take her normal forward-side-cross action.

The clever thing about this version is that it appears nearly identical to the syllabus version at a glance. In fact, unless you're dancing with a very skilled or sensitive partner, she may not even register a difference by feel, except to notice that you did something that allowed her to take a much fuller, higher develope'.

J

"The man cannot lead that particular move, so it is entirely up to the woman to do this."

That sounds rather dubious

In what sense?

Just surprising that you would feel it's not leadable

Actually, I made that statement, mostly from what I figured was common sense, but also in one of the steps descriptions on this site, it indicated this is not a move that the man triggers through his lead. Because it is a graceful move out of promenade that the lady does, but not in tandem, per se, with what the man is doing, I almost view it as a little extra "flair" that can be added -- if the lady wants to add it.
I suppose the man could say something, like "do a promenade develope" and it's possible that kind of "leading" takes place on shows like Dancing with the Stars and such. In any case, I will be interested to read Jonathan's take on this.