Understanding The Technique

A reader recently wrote and asked me if I would write about PIVOTS. Happy to oblige.

First, lets start with the formal definitions.

Alex Moore defines Pivot as:

A turn on the ball of one foot , the other foot being kept in front or behind in C.B.M.P.

The DVIDA manual defines Pivot as:

1. A turn on the ball of the standing foot without changing weight. The free leg is held forward or backward in Contra Body Movement Position (CBMP).
2. More generally used to describe a turn on the ball of one foot.

In addition, DVIDA defines a Pivot Action as:

The movement that occurs on a right foot forward pivot. Pivoting action is different than a pivot in that the left foot is not held in Contra Body Movement Position (CBMP).

It is possible to pivot turning either Right Face (Natural) or Left Face (Reverse), however, the technique of a natural pivot is significantly different from that of a reverse pivot. I will only be addressing the Right Face or Natural Pivot in this posting.

With the exception of footwork, the Leader and the Follower having identical technique when executing a pivot, however, from the point of view of following, once the Leader has initiated pivoting the Follower should continue to execute the pivot until clearly led to stop. If the Leader can rely on the Follower to continue to provide rotational energy he can focus on timing, amount of turn, and of course, floor craft.

It is best to learn the technique of Pivoting in isolation. Once you have drilled the fundamental actions into the body, taking a partner and attempting the movement as a couple is more likely to produce a meaningful result.

As an individual practice the following until you are secure in your ability to reliable produce the actions described:

• Stand on the Left foot facing Diagonal Center (DC) with the Right leg held in front of you, knee high and the toes of the Right foot just touching the floor.
• Swinging the Right leg to the side step Forward Right so that your Right foot points directly down the Line of Dance (LOD). The step would be ‘wide’ so that there is plenty of room between the tops of your thighs.
• There is 1/8 of a turn to the right between where you were standing on the Left foot, and the placement of the Right foot. Body will have turned less at this point.
• Make sure you transfer 100% of your weight to the Right foot, and at the moment of transfer, you should feel a slight Ride Side Lead.
• Now, holding the Left leg behind you, ‘close’ your right hip, i.e. turn your center rightwards so that your belly button is pointing approximately Diagonal Wall (DW).
• Take care that you do not pull backward with your right arm as you turn the body.
• Spin 3/8 to the right on the ball of the Right foot to end backing DC. Remember that when you spin, the body is held stable in its current position. This will cause the Left leg to be carried along with the rotation and retain it same position relative to the body and the Right foot when you spin.
• Releasing the Left leg from its held position, step Back and Slightly Side Left ACROSS THE LINE OF DANCE.
• There is 1/8 of a turn to the right between where you ended the spin on the Right foot and where you place the Left foot. The body will have turned less at this point.
• As you transfer weight onto the Left foot the toes of the Left foot should face directly Against the Line of Dance.
  • Imagine a clock face with 12 o’clock being facing LOD.
  • The Right foot step is taken exactly at 12 o’clock.
  • The Left foot step is taken backward at 1 o’clock.
• The position of the Right leg relative to the Left leg at this moment is to the side and in front of the Left leg with plenty of room between your feet for your partner’s Right foot.
• Now, holding the Right leg in front of you, ‘open’ your left hip, i.e. turn your center rightward to face approximately toward DC against the LOD.
• Again, take care that you do not pull the right arm backward as you turn the body.
• Spin 3/8 right on the ball of the Left foot to end facing DC with the Right leg held in the same position as when you started.
• Repeat from the beginning.

Let’s review:

• Step forward and wide Right, down the LOD, turning 1/8 to the right between this step and the previous step
• Turn the body rightward over a still foot creating a strong CBM
• Spin right face on the ball of the Right foot 3/8 turn
• Step back and slightly side Left, across the LOD, turning 1/8 to the right between this step and the previous step
• Turn the body rightward over a still foot creating a strong CBM
• Spin right face on the ball of the Left foot 3/8 turn
• Repeat.

Earlier I mentioned that there was a difference between the Leader’s footwork and the Follower’s footwork. The footwork for the step on the Right foot is identical. The footwork for the Left foot is where you find the difference.

Right Foot footwork: (always) Heel Toe

Leader:

Left Foot footwork: Toe Heel Toe

Follower:

Left Foot footwork: Toe (the left heel should not touch the floor)

The timing of the Toe Heel Toe action for the Leader is important. The heel should not touch the floor until AFTER the spin. The action of the heel touching the floor, often described as ‘kissing’ the floor, aids in controlling the rotation and speed of the pivots.

Proper posture and counterbalance to partner during the pivots is essential if you want to develop smooth, powerful rotation. You must keep the head weight well over the left hip and foot at all times during pivots.

Some Leaders ‘spot’ while pivoting. While this might be useful in terms of avoiding other couples, great care must be taken to ensure that as you turn your head to the right, you maintain a proper posture and counterbalance relative to the Follower.

Followers should never ‘spot’ while pivoting.

When you go to execute Pivots with a partner, there are some useful concepts to keep in mind.

First, each time you step with your Right foot, it is important to make sure the step is wide and rightward, but at the same time clearly BETWEEN your partner’s feet. This ‘wide’ forward step helps your partner to take their step back and slightly side ACROSS THE LINE OF DANCE.

If the placement of the Right foot is forward, but toward your own center, or worse yet, leftward of your center, you are cutting into the rightward rotation of the pivot and making the action significantly more difficult. You want to have plenty of room for your own hips to ‘fold’ on each step, and they simply can not do that if your steps are too narrow.

Secondly, the two steps of the pivot are not equal in how ‘powerful’ they might feel. While it is certainly possible to generate strong, powerful movement on either step, the fact that the Leader has a footwork of Toe Heel Toe on the Left foot makes it slightly easier for him to add a bit more power into the forward Right step. While it is not generally desirable to seek to take a very long forward step with the Right foot, taking a powerful forward step with the Right foot can add a lot of character to your pivots.

Having the Leader emphasize the Right foot step can give a ‘pulsing’ quality to your pivots. In addition it can help to create a visual sense of movement followed by rotation, rather than just continuous rotation. Of course, ideally, the best thing would be to have the ability to choose which interpretation of Pivots you want in the moment. But I strongly recommend that you practice the various interpretations and timings separately so that you can develop full control over each one.

Being able to Pivot is a wonderful skill to have in your repertoire. It is definitely worth the effort to develop this skill. Keep coming back to the fundamental movements as an individual, and keep working to match those movements with your partner. This is definitely a case where incremental development is not only possible, but perhaps the best course of action in acquiring the desired skill.