Jean said, " Must disagree about leaning backwards (resisting each other, leaning away within reason) and swing/allemande speed. The physical shapes that spin best are cones (children's tops), small at the bottom, wider at the top. Couple turns and pivots (in other social dance forms like waltz), have the gent stepping almost between the woman's legs and have the woman resisting the guy by dancing further back into his right hand than usual...this sets up the 'wider at the top, narrow at the bottom" shape conducive to faster smoother spins. Again, I said "within reason"....no leaning away from the waist (the optimal form is a V not a Y). The inherent joy of a good "V" with strong resistance (weight-giving)?is what makes the buzz step swing so much more fun than the 'walk around' swing of modern squares." Well, if you stand a cone up without it spinning it will fall over; I don't usually fall over when I stop spinning, so I guess the two systems aren't really comparable :-) Yes, you may end up with a slight V, but that happens because centrifugal force is pulling you apart. The swing should be a gentle counter-balance. Keep your own balance, relax, and move your feet faster to make the swing faster. Leaning is unnecessary, uncomfortable for your partner, and counter-productive. I teach waltz as well and would never dream of suggesting that the lady should resist or push into his right hand. She is supposed to be following. Why on earth would she resist him? The V will occur naturally through centrifugal force as you speed up. Resisting/leaning just makes your partner have to waste energy to stop you falling over. Giving weight is also a greatly misunderstood term. It is nothing to do with leaning. It is about controlling your centre of gravity and putting it in the optimal position for whatever you are doing. There is also the physics to consider. Getting further apart increases your moment of inertia, and thus, for the same energy you have a lower angular velocity. The closer you are together the faster you can spin. That is why you interlock your feet in a waltz spin turn - you get close together and reduce your moment of inertia. I swing very fast with a good partner. Read more about my description of how to achieve it at: http://www.contrafusion.co.uk/Contra.html#swinging Happy dancing, John John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent