Hi, everyone--

Can any of you explain to me what the difference between cross rolls and swing rolls is? Last Sunday in edge class, we had to do swing rolls which I'd never seen or tried before. I tried to imitate what everyone else was doing (good thing I can't see myself)!


One of the people taking the edge class was an instructor whose student was also taking the class. When this skating instructor saw her student trying the swing rolls, she was saying quietly to herself as she watched him, "Swing rolls, not cross rolls." (She also hollered out later to her student to bend his knees--they were dangerously straight.)

A cross roll is where you are on an outside edge, and then cross your free foot in front of your skating foot (or behind if you're going backwards) kind of pigeon-toed (or turned out if you're going backwards) and then step onto it on an outside edge.
A swing roll is where you are going on either an inside or outside edge and you swing your free leg from extended in the back to extended in the front. (or vice-versa if you're going backwards)

You can actually do a cross roll and swing roll together if you cross and then swing through. (like in the Blues, Argentine Tango, and lots of other dances I'm sure)

Hope that helps!

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"Keep a positive attitude!" ~ Marie-France

Can I just add to Isabelle's reply that it's not just your free leg that you swing (or you look as though you are kicking a football!), but your free hip and, in certain circumstances, your whole side.

Cross-rolls are trickier than they look - the leg has to be crossed at the thigh, and you must make sure to put your foot down on an outside edge. Moreover, you mustn't toe-push with the other foot (going forwards) and that, too, is harder than you might think! Actually, forwards cross-rolls are my favourite thing, and I can only just barely do backward ones!

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

You'll find swing rolls in the Dutch Waltz, and cross rolls along one side of the pattern in the Paso.

Swing rolls are also known as "swing thrus" because the free leg swings thru. As the leg swings thru and the outside curve is completed there is a rising motion, then bend again to push, feet together in normal position, push by bending knee on skating leg, and normal push back with free leg.

Cross rolls: the free leg crosses over the skating leg before the new push, and then becomes the new skating leg. The push is with new skating knee bent onto outside edge, and new free leg stretching back in a crossed position (similar to the inside leg push on forward crossovers). As the outside curve is completed there is an increased knee bend on the free leg to achieve a better curve - you do not rise as in swing roll.

I would just like to add that in a swing roll, you don't ALWAYS rise up at the end. (although it usually does) You obviously have to rise up in the middle so that you can get your leg through without bending it, but some swing rolls go down-down. The inside swing in the Silver Samba is one that I think people usually down-down on, and I've seen people do the swing on the side pattern of the Ravensburger as down-down as well. But in a dance like the American, it's definately down-up!
I guess what I'm trying to say is, they usually go down-up, but they do ocasionally go down-down.

__________________
"Keep a positive attitude!" ~ Marie-France

And a cross-roll swing (probably the first cross-roll one meets) in the Canasta Tango.

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

Here in the US the cross swing roll on the end pattern of the Canasta Tango is optional, and so I've learned this dance with just a plain old swing roll....

Yet another difference, which makes international competition so difficult.... here you would be badly marked down if you omitted it.

Come to that, the middle closed chasse in the Rhythm Blues is supposed to be optional, but I won't tell you what happened to me the time I missed it out......

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!