Page:Modern Dancing (1914) Castle.djvu/131

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MODERN DANCING

THE SKATING STEP ELABORATED

A very pretty addition to the Skating Step is when the couples turn around, change position, and continue dancing in the same direction. It sounds rather complicated, but it is not so at all. Let us imagine we are doing the Skating Step; the man is on the lady's left-hand side; now, to make the turn he leads the lady as though he were going into the Single, but instead of doing so they both two-step around and continue in the same direction. It is absolutely essential that the gentleman hold the lady very loosely, otherwise they will surely go into the Back Two Step, but if they are apart from each other when they turn it will have the effect of leaving the man on the lady's right instead of her left. To go back again to the original position, the man, when he is about to step with his left foot, must do so behind the lady, so as to take him to his correct side.

The steps I have explained so far are all that belong to the original version of the Maxixe. There are all kinds of fancy steps, but unless you are dancing for exhibition I do not advise you to try them in the ball-room; and, as it is the aim of this little book to teach the ball-room dances, I

shall make no attempt to explain how you should

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