In Memorium
Harry W. Lamberty

August 4, 1927 - November 6, 2008

By the Lamberty Children

Our father gave each of us something to remember. Let me give you an example:

‘i’ squared equals minus one.

The man was an engineer.

So, ‘i’ squared equals minus one. And a pint’s a pound the world around.

When I say he gave us something to remember, I mean specifically, to each of us, his children, something he wanted us to learn and remember for the rest of our lives.

He gave Bill: ‘i’ squared equals minus one.

He gave Kane: A pint’s a pound the world around.

He gave me: The upper lip of a giraffe is prehensile.

The upper lip of a giraffe is prehensile. It may not seem earth shattering; the kind of thing you remember for the rest of your life. But that’s not what was important.

What IS important is that everything our father did in his life was thoughtful, considerate and deliberate.

Thoughtful in that he thought about what he said, and what he did, before saying it or doing it.
Considerate in that he gave careful consideration to the impact his words and actions would have on the people around him.

Deliberate in that he ALWAYS made his decisions based on what he believed was right.

Those whose lives were touched by our father may not always remember the things he said, like we do. He didn’t often speak forcefully. But they will remember the things he did. The thoughtful, considered and deliberate choices he made that impacted the world in which he lived.

Shortly after the end of the Vietnam conflict, when he was the head of the parish council, they were discussing whether or not the parish should sponsor a Vietnamese refugee family. He offered the opinion that the question was not WHETHER they should sponsor a family, but rather… how many.

Our father constantly surprised us. No one would expect this practical and pragmatic man to have an artistic streak that would manifest throughout his life.

If you have ever been to our parent’s home, you have seen his collection of Southwestern art. But his artistic streak was not limited to collecting.

As a young married couple, with seven children still at home, he made the conscious and deliberate decision to create what we would now-a-days call “quality time” with his wife, and together they took up square dancing.

I am a professional ballroom dancer and world champion, but I would never have started dancing if it wasn’t for them dancing, AND sharing their passion for dancing with us.

He used to drive me all the way across town just so I could dance with the teen square dance group. He never spoke to me while we were in the car alone. I always thought it was because he was ashamed that I was dancing instead of doing something like playing ball. Little did I know that he didn’t talk because he had a hearing problem and the background noise of the car made it impossible for him to hear me while he was driving.

When I got the extraordinary privilege of working at White Sands on the same project as my father, I was stunned to see a framed copy of the poster from my first public ballroom dancing exhibition on the wall of his office.

And that was not the only memento of his family. Each of us was represented. As much as he loved his work, and he truly did, FAMILY was always more important. His office represented his love for his family through the art he put in it.

As that family grew to include spouses, his love grew too. Each of his children’s wives and husbands were welcomed into his life.

Whether it was sitting and discussing World War Two airplanes with Mary’s husband, Tom, or talking sports with Amy’s husband, Richard, or sharing a cup of coffee with Ted’s wife Susie, our father made each of them his own.

It was typical that when Kane’s wife, Barbara, who collects South Pacific art and artifacts, brought him a model outrigger canoe in pieces, he not only put it back together, but spend hours and hours repairing, cleaning and restoring it, including fabricating missing pieces with such precision and in such detail that only an expert could tell that they were not a part of the original work of art.

And he didn’t do this just once, but time and time again. In fact, he completed the last one less than two weeks before his death.

Perhaps the most surprising, the most unique expression of his creative and artistic sense are his now legendary bowling pins.

What started as a quirky way to hold a door open became a wonderful gift for the members of our family. And before long, it became an honor for others to receive one of Harry’s creations: A treasured, thoughtful gift, created as an individual expression of his profound respect, love and admiration of the recipient.

As remarkable as his art was, perhaps the greatest gift Harry has ever given is a lifetime of devotion to his wife, Jackie.

They met because they were set up. Harry’s mother had a car, which in the late 40s, made Harry special. The group of friends wanted to find someone to go with Harry on their group date. But who could they get for this shy, awkward young man? How about a vivacious lovely young woman with a quick wit and a beautiful smile?

So six of them piled into Harry’s mother’s car to go dancing. Although he would later become quite an accomplished dancer, Harry was, at that point, a clumsy Cal, and not exactly blessed with the gift of gab. No worries, since Jackie was good at both.

When Jackie got home after their first date, her mother was waiting up for her. “What was he like”, she asked? “He’s homely”, she replied.

And when Harry got home, his sister asked, “What was she like?” “She’s fat”, he said.

Over time, this homely man and this fat woman created a remarkable love that was just as strong on the day he died as it was on the day they got married, 57 years, 2 months, and 7 days before.

‘i’ squared equals minus one.
A pint’s a pound the world around.
The upper lip of a giraffe is prehensile.

Our father gave us, his children, WORDS to remember. He gave us ALL, a LIFE to remember.

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 lead 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:

Right 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.

Sway is normally the inclination of the body away from the moving foot and towards the inside of the turn - e.g. step 2 of Waltz Natural Turn.

And the definition I was taught is:

Sway is the natural inclination of the body from the ankle upwards away from the moving foot.

The differences are small enough that either definition will serve. It is the unsaid about Sway that makes it interesting, and complex.

Since Basic Sway actually occurs between two steps there are four specific instances to look at:

1. From Back Left to Side Right
2. From Forward Left to Side Right
3. From Back Right to Side Left
4. From Forward Right to Side Left

We looked at the first of those in the post THE FUNDAMENTALS OF SWAY, in the context of the back half of a Natural Turn in Waltz (from step 4 to 5 for the Leader, or from step 1 to 2 for the Follower.)

Now, let’s examine how Sway manifests from a forward step on the Left foot to a side step on the Right foot. The context is a Reverse Turn in Waltz, from step 1 to 2 for the Leader, or step 4 to 5 for the Follower.

• Stand facing against the Diagonal Center (DC) with your weight on your LEFT foot, knee slightly flexed, and both arms extended at shoulder height.
• Point your RIGHT foot back toward Diagonal Wall (DW), extending the leg fully.
• Using your LEFT HIP turn the entire length of your spine leftward so that your center (belly button) is facing the Center of Hall (COH) and allow your gaze to be toward Diagonal Center Against the LOD. Do NOT allow your LEFT foot to swivel on the floor or your RIGHT foot to move (yet).
• Now release the RIGHT foot and allow it to extend toward DC, with the toes pointing toward DC against the LOD, the LEFT knee still slightly bent, extending the RIGHT leg fully.
• Take care that the LEFT knee does not push outwards but remains over the toes of the LEFT foot. The rotation should be in the HIP joint, not the knee.
• Again, do NOT swivel on the LEFT foot. It should still be pointed toward DC.
• There should be 1/4 difference between the alignment of your LEFT foot and pointing alignment of your RIGHT foot.
• Unlike with the side step from the back step, you are now on the OUTSIDE of turn, as discussed in the posting THE MEANING OF BETWEEN IN TURN.
• Make sure your head weight is well over your LEFT foot and that your head takes on the natural line of your spine.
• Picture a straight vertical line up along these points:
  • The arch of your LEFT foot
  • Through your LEFT calf
  • Through your LEFT hip
  • Through the LEFT side of your rib cage
  • Over your heart
  • Through your chin, and
  • Past your RIGHT eye
• Also picture a straight line:
  • Starting at your RIGHT big toe
  • Up the inside of the RIGHT leg
  • Connecting with the line of your spine
  • Through your chin at the angle of your spine
  • Past your nose, and
  • Past the top of your head at the angle of the crown of your head
• Here is where a mirror really helps. Adjust the line through your arms and shoulders so that it is essentially parallel to the floor.
• Try lifting the left shoulder blade inward and upward so that your left pectoral becomes very prominent.
• At the same time allow the upper, very flexible part of your spine, to take on a slight curve so that as the sternum moves forward, the crown of your head moves slightly back.
• It is important that the movement is the sternum coming forward and the position of the head responding to that alternation of the spine, rather than the head moving backward. The position of the head should be a result of the position of the body, and not an independent or isolated placement.

The angle of the line through the RIGHT side is determined by the amount of bend in your LEFT knee. The deeper you are into your LEFT knee, the greater the angle of the line of your right side.

The line does not occur all at once, but develops as the RIGHT leg moves into position. The full extent of the line is felt in the last moment before weight starts to transfer onto the RIGHT foot. In addition, weight should continue to move through the LEFT foot from back to front while maintaining its current alignment to achieve the maximum distance for the step, as well as the maximum amount of Sway.

Just like with the back step into the side step, as soon as weight starts to transfer, you have BROKEN SWAY, and the lines of the body start to become curves inclined leftward rather than straight lines.

And just like with the back step, you need to take care that the LEFT side does not drop making lines of the body look weak and collapsed. Like Alex Moore said, no sway is better than too much.