It's remarkable how much clear intention influences both the experience of lead/follow and other's experience of how beautiful you are as a dancer. When we say clear intention, we mean two things:

1. 1. You have already decided which step you will take.
2. 2. Your body knows exactly how you will execute that step.

In a nearby town, there's a fairly common bumper sticker which says, "pray for me, I drive Apache Trail". And what it's talking about is the incidence of people in that town who really don't know what they are going to do (when driving) until they find themselves doing it. They'll start in one direction and then, in the middle of that, they'll get a different idea and turn suddenly and then change that turn so that it looks like their cars are just wandering around.

Appearing to wander around the dance floor is really suboptimal. And the same is true inside each step.

• If you're going to take a side step, know what motivates the extension of your leg out, how you will transfer your weight and how you will stop when the movement is complete.
• Pick one simple movement and think about each little element that goes into making it.
• When you step side, do you feel your calves, your low back, your butt? Do you feel those muscles engaging? Do you feel it anywhere in your legs? Are you clear about the direction?
• Does your mind say, "I'm going side" but, when you look at your foot, do you find you're 10 degrees off?
• If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else. --Yogi Berra
• How does the embrace influence the side step? Do you feel it in your back and your arms?