Kick-It Class (Cross Body Leads) Week 1
Notes of what Fernando said (Tues)
Supplemented by Lisa's Comments (Wed)

First New Step 1 - Open Position Cross Body Lead - both hands.

First, do a Basic:
# Say

1 Tap

2 LEFT

3 back

4 t' Center

- - - - - - -

5 Tap

6 RIGHT

7 back

8 t' Center


Second, on the next Basic, after Tap LEFT, think "TURN t' Center". As your left foot comes back to center, turn 90 degrees left, and prepare to go back RIGHT. Hand motion A below to lead your follow.

Third, when you go back RIGHT, prepare to finish the 90 degree left turn. When you come back to Center think "TURN t' Center" . As usual when you go back right your weight shifts to your right foot. Since we are thinking "TURN t' Center" lets take this opportunity to turn your left foot 90 degrees to the L. Then when the R foot comes "t' Center" it actually comes forward then around to the left, completing the last 90 dgerees of the 180 degree left turn. Hand motion B to lead your follow.

Hand Motion A: As you are stepping back and turning left you are opening up a gap between you and the follow. You extend your left hand out, waist high, so she knows you are starting the cross body lead.

Hand Motion B. As you go Back Right, your right hand is waist high in the middle, getting ready for a firm lead which is next: Then as you think "TURN t' Center" your right hand, holding hers, comes over your left extended arm. First your right wrist goes over your left arm, then your right forearm, and even all the way to your right elbow! Your right hand then comes back in front of you into a natural open position as you complete your turn. Essentially, your right hand describes the letter C in the horizontal plane above your left arm. The follows do NOT report this is an unnatural move, but in fact the great curving arc of the letter C tells them you are secure and confident in your leadership skills, as you guide the follow into a 180 degree turn.

Note the Follow has a lot of distance to cover. To make her job easier, cut it in half: In "Third" above, after you have gone back RIGHT, and as you come back to center with your right foot and as you say to yourself " t' Center" shift your weight to your left foot, you are going to do something different. Instead of merely shifting weight to your left foot, step to your RIGHT with your left foot, crossing slightly in front of your right. Essentially you move to your right about 6 inches or so. Then your right foot swings around to the left, in front, completing your left turn. This little movement to the right means your follow has an easier job of it.

Second New Step - Closed Position Cross Body Lead

Three differences:

First, you are in closed position. Make soure your right hand is up high enough, shoulder height. Do not drop hand toward waist, toward middle of back, or even down 6 inches. Horizontally it is between her shoulder and middle of her back for maximum leverage to steer her around.

Second, lead her with your arms is actually easier. The left arm does go out in the first half of the cross body lead turn. But the super obvious right hand exaggerated C movenent is not necessary. Your right hand is behind her shoulder. Push firmly, with more pressure than you think you need and more pressure than is logical, with your hand on her shoulder. Practice to see how much pressure is too much, but she will probably want more pressure than you feel comfortable with. She needs a confident leadership role from you in the second part of this. To do the side step thing, you need to simply _________________ fill ____ in ___ the ___ blanks ___ here.

Third, footwork is the same, but all your steps are smaller.

Third New Step - Open Position Cross Body Lead - Left Hand Only.

Open position. The lead drops his right hand and continues the basic with the Left hand.

Yes, the footwork is exactly the same.

Yes, leading with the left hand is exactly the same.

Yes, with your right hand dropped, there is no way in creation that you can do the exaggerated C motion with your right hand over her left arm. It just won't work. Instead, you _______________ with your right hand.

Tips from Lisa's class (Wed):

• Plenty of tension in hands.
• Keep hands in middle. I let them come toward my body -- don't do that!
• I also lean forward. Don't do that either - stand tall.
• On "Second" in "First New Step" above, in the first four beats where it says ", think "TURN t' Center". As your left foot comes back to center, turn 90 degrees left", I need to "open up" earlier. In other words, turn earlier. The Follow will be looking at your chest, and angling away from her signals to the Follow that its a cross body lead. But wait, there's more! In this very same first four beats, I need to ______.
• On "Third" in "First New Step" above, where it says ", when you go back RIGHT, prepare to finish the 90 degree left turn. When you come back to Center think "TURN t' Center" . As usual when you go back right your weight shifts to your right foot" note that Lisa teaches it differently. She wants you to NOT go back right, but instead with the right foot step to the side (to the right). Then to complete the turn the left foot turns left and the right smoothly comes beside it.
• ALSO during "Third" above, instead of making a capital C, your right hand makes a complete number 6 in the hoizontal plane, starting at the top of the 6 and moving around left. Thats basically the same as a capital C, except the motion continues a bit longer. Don't like the number 6? OK, then if it helps, imagine waxing the hood of a car with a circular left motion, or opening the door of a CTA bus.
• DRILL: Lead puts his hands on Follow's shoulders - elbows out with a good strong frame. Follow puts her arms on top of his arms, then her hands on his shoulders, reinforcing the strong frame.
• Just as in ___ above where you led with your left hand only, you can lead with your right hand only. Make sure to "open up" early and clearly, and be careful to make that full number 6.
• Finally, give her plenty of time to get around. In other words, you should not run into her shoulder. During "5-6-7-8" she should be enough past you when you begin to step around and turn left, that you don't collide. If the Follow is slow getting across, the Lead should accomodate: eitherr step behind her a half a beat later or do a better job of stepping to the right during the beginning of the "5-6-7-8".
• Step 4 - Open Position Cross Body Lead Right Hand Only - First, Lisa teaches this before both hands.I guess Both Hands will be in week 2. Second, we need to emphasize that the lead does the cross body lead in two pieces. The first piece is steps 1-2-3-4 where you do NOT lead her across - you just turn your body and get out of her way. Then as a separate and distinct part, as you step right with your right foot on the 5 in 5-6-7-8, that is when you start pullling he racross and "waxing the hood of the car" or moving your hand in a number 6 in the horizontal plane. How does she know to turn? Well, first your body has angled out of the way and your RH is holding her hand like its gonna be a cross body lead. Second, you hold your body upright and tighten your stomach and imagine that an invisible StarTrek force field is extending out of your tightened abs, and turning her. Strangely, this invisible force field works. Just tighten those abs.