Can someone help me with the timing of "three alemana"? I am either too early or too slow turning back to do the last alemana because I don't understand the timing well. I really appreciate if someone can anwswer this question.

That's interesting. This probably won't help much, but generally when I try to lead the Three Alemanas my problem is with the second one. I have trouble timing the lead right in order to stop the lady's first turn and get her into the second one correctly. The first and third alemana turns should be normal ones, the second is in the other direction, in the direction the lady turns for the Hockey Stick. I guess if you're having problems with the third alemana, it's due at least in part to the preceding, second one, so I guess I can see that. According to the few notes I have on hand, in that second alemana the lady does three forward walks and ends facing the man, but she has a spiral action on the first step of it, beat 2. I don't really know the follower's part, but given those notes, my guess might be that you're missing the spiral action on the first step of the second alemana which could cause you to have trouble getting all the way around to start the third alemana from the usual position. *shrug* I hope this is of some help.

James, You wrote everything I was going to write. Exactly, I think the spiral turn on step 1 of 2nd alemana and a complete turn to left ending facing in the same direction as partner is the key, Timing does not change but rapid actions require that all 4 beats serve useful purpose such as in the 1st alemana also use 1 of 41 to turn further 1/2 to right before proceeding with the second alemana. Best wishes

I agree with the comments by Dronak and Max, especially that the preparation from the first alemana and the action of the second are vital to make the third possible.

I am not sure which technique book you are using. I don't have the latest ISTD. Laird (1988 ed.) does not not mention 'spiral' in the Three Alemanas. He just says (step 7, beat 2),

• RF fwd turned to finish RF back;
• B flat;
• Fwd Walk turned strongly to L;
• One complete turn to L.

It does seem more natural to spiral when you first attempt this figure – or in my case, for the next two hundred times, because I did not read Laird carefully enough. The key is firstly in the wording,'Fwd Walk turning' and Laird's definition of that expression, and secondly in the phrase 'turned strongly'. Laird defines a Forward Walk turning as, 'The change in direction is achieved by dancing a normal Forward Walk action but with a gradual turn in the required direction made throughout the step.' [my emphasis] This contrasts with the normal spiral action which is a Delayed Walk (which has the footwork of outside edge of Toe, then Toe).

But you still might feel like dancing a Curl action (I know I did), which is a Forward Walk turning into a loose Spiral Cross, completing just 1/2 a turn to the L. The phrase 'turned strongly', combined with the gradual turn (not accelerated), gives the step the different action, as follows.

Imagine you have finished step 6 (last step of the first Alemana), and continued to turn to face away from the man (with your back to him, facing the same direction), with your weight on your LF. Your RF is forward of your LF. Your next step, step 7, has to complete a whole turn to the L, to end again with your back to the man.

• If you dance a spiral action, you will place your RF fwd and across your body with part weight and no turn, basically moving it about 20 cm to the L. Your RF will be further from the man than your LF is. You will then 'whip around' for the full turn, ending with your feet approximately alongside each other, but crossed, with the thighs tightly together.
• If you dance a curl action, you will start to turn, but not much, so that when your RF is in position, your foot and body will have turned about 1/8 to the L. Your RF will again be about 20 cm to the left of its original position, and further from the man than your LF is, but facing about 45? to the L. As your RF takes weight you will keep turning. You will need to speed up to make the complete turn in time, and you will finish in a spiral cross (tighter than the normal Curl because of the extra turn).
• If you dance as in Laird's technique, you will turn more strongly from the start, so that when your RF is in position you will have already turned about 3/8 to 1/2 to the L, so that you are almost facing the man. Your RF will be closer to the man than your LF. When you keep turning to complete the turn, your RF will be back, and your thighs not together.

Now, I am not saying that Laird's way should be the only way, but it is great, particularly with the bent leg delayed walk action for step 9. I recommend learning all three ways eventually, and even with Laird's technique, you should learn to vary the speed of the 'gradual turn', just as you should vary the dynamics of any figure.

Cheers.

PS: I just realised that I did not talk about the timing much, which you probably wanted to know about, but I think I have said more than enough for now!

[ 11-08-2001: Message edited by: David Brewer ]

Thank you all very much for the help.
I think I understand it better now. I believe my problem is that I am not completely facing away from my partner at the end of the 2nd alemana...
I will keep working on it.

Marie: You do face your partner at the end of the second alemana. The third alemana is just like first one. It is the after the first alemana that you face away from the partner (facing the same way), is that what you meant?

quote:

'The change in direction is achieved by dancing a normal Forward Walk action but with a gradual turn in the required direction made throughout the step.' [my emphasis]...
... dance as in Laird's technique, you will turn more strongly from the start, so that when your RF is in position you will have already turned about 3/8 to 1/2 to the L, so that you are almost facing the man. Your RF will be closer to the man than your LF. When you keep turning to complete the turn, your RF will be back, and your thighs not together..

Excuse my question, but does that mean that the lady's RF travels in a circular movement leftwards before it reaches its final position where the lady then completes the one whole turn? that would mean something like a swivelling off her LF to the left (and moving the straight RF counter-clockwise around), then landing on her RF when she is already facing her partner and then swivelling off her RF to back him again for the next step, again with the other leg straightened in front of her (hence no Spiral Cross) - is that correct?

Thanks in advance!
Simon