Page:Modern Dancing (1914) Castle.djvu/85

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We now come to the dernier cri in Waltz steps, the Lame Duck, and I find this a lot of fun to do. The dance, in spite of its unpoetic name, can be made to look very graceful.

In doing the Lame Duck the gentleman, as usual, starts forward on his left foot and does a half-sliding dip and half limp for two counts; then the right foot comes to his relief for just one count, and in this way he, as it were, shuffles forward, the right knee straightening more or less and the left knee remaining bent. The lady's part is naturally just the opposite. She starts back on her right foot for two counts, and then on her left foot for one count. You can keep the step up indefinitely, rounding comers and the like.

As this is very tiring on one leg, the step can be changed by having the gentleman hold his weight on the left foot for three counts, making a pivot movement or not, as he wishes, and continuing backward, making two counts on the right and one on the left. This has the effect of changing the weight of the body to the other foot and causing the gentleman to do the lady's step and the lady the gentleman's. I feel sure it is unnecessary to explain the lady's part of all this.