SYRTOS BASIC STEP
Posted
by Christos on Saturday, June 03, 2006
Looking again at my past comments on the Lesvos Syrtos, I realise that all my talk about SLOW-quick-quick gives the impression that these moves are three separate steps. Except when people are doing the simple running step, this is not usually what happens. The SLOW is the only proper step. The others are just readjustments of the free foot to get ready for the next SLOW.
Thus, if the SLOW is a step with the right foot, the left foot then comes to a new position (usually close to the right foot), touches down for a moment (the first quick) and then lifts again (the second quick) and then heads off for the next SLOW step. Most of the body weight remains on the right foot throughout.
When teaching, it is probably better to treat the quick-quick as a simple closing step - RIGHT-close, LEFT-close - and tell them to do a little bob on the closing step.
I am afraid this is all sounds most complicated, but I felt I must correct this impression - I cant bear seeing (and hearing) step-conscious learners clip-clopping around with unnecessary steps! It possibly derives from teachers who place too much emphasis on separate steps, and I have no wish to be one of them!