Extend the Leg

The best women help their partners by extending fully into the step. This is especially easy to see when both partners have the room to stride out. Los Bailarines: Lucia y Oscar (right), Norma y Tonino (left).

Extend the leg fully into the step, and step onto a straight leg. It takes a very long time for both men and women to learn to step smoothly and naturally onto a straight leg. Not only is stepping onto a bent leg sloppy and ugly, it's also inefficient. A woman who reaches into the step with a straight leg helps the man walk, while a bent leg restricts the length of the man’s step. The woman’s torso should be carried forward lightly by the man’s chest, with her leg floating above the floor, ready to touch the floor when the forward motion slows. Whether the man leads a long or a short step, fast or slow, the best women follow easily by maintaining good posture and extending the leg. Finally, stepping onto a bent leg is a poor way to communicate the compás to the leader. A good leader wants to mark his cadence and the woman’s cadence crisply. When a woman doesn’t straighten her leg, the leader is uncertain as to exactly when she has stepped. It gives the man a vague, unpleasant feeling from his partner.