LARIAT & ROPE SPIN

First, let me express a small reservation about the photo. Rarely do we lead a Lariat with our leg. This is a Latin figure from Rumba and Cha, and it takes two measures. At the beginning of the first measure, you will be in a left-open-facing position with the woman on the man's right side. He will do small Cucarachas in place and keep lead hands high while the woman steps forward right, fwd L, fwd R (quick, quick, slow in Rumba), and fwd L, fwd R, fwd L (again, qqs), around to face partner again. Again, don't kick her on her way. Usually, the man will place his right hand on her back and gently support her as she begins her circle walk. Rope Spin The Rope Spin is a somewhat strange modification of the Lariat in that the two measures of the Rope Spin are really just a Lariat, but the cue "Rope Spin" also tells you to modify the last step of the previous figure by leading the woman to spiral right face. You can think of the Rope Spin as a Lariat that begins with a woman's spiral, as if the cowboy had given his "lariat" an extra twirl, but do realize that the spiral occurs at the end of the previous measure. So, the previous figure might have been an Alemana. On the last beat of that figure, the sixth step of the Alemana, the man should raise lead hands. She will take that last step with her left foot and spiral right face. If the man will take care to put his lead hand directly over her head with a little right sway, he will not pull her off the spot of that last step, and she will be able to spiral in place with better balance. At the beginning of the next measure, you will be in that left-open-facing position with the woman on the man's right side. Her legs will be tightly twisted from the action of the Spiral, but she simply uncrosses the right leg and steps forward for her circle walk in six, and he will do his small Cucarachas in place. The Rope Spin is a Spiral to a Lariat.
Photo © P. Suba; from Dancesport UK photo gallery.