This page illustrates a few specific figures: Promenade Sway, Oversway, Throwaway Oversway, Hinge, and Samefoot Lunge

Promenade Sway

A "sway" is an inclination of the body produced by the stretching of one side of the body or the other. A promenade sway is a left sway performed in promenade or semi-closed position. We step down line on the lead foot and stretch up and over the lead wrists. Right side stretch (left for the woman) both leads the opening into semi position and produces the sway.

Notice how "up" the bodies are in a promenade sway. Click on the thumbnails for a larger version.	The forward poise is especially strong here.	Usually, the choreographer allows us to linger in a promenade sway; it is a nice "picture figure."	From the back, we can recognize the strong frame. The arms are up, the bodies are stretched, the chins are high.
Oversway	The oversway is something of an opposite to the promenade sway. We step side on the lead, but we soften that knee instead of stretching up, and the man stretches the left side instead of the right, thus closing the woman's head. The figure is finished with a little left face body rotation.	You can perform the oversway by itself, but more often, you will be asked to do a promenade sway and then to change to an oversway, or simply change the sway.	The promenade sway is a left sway down line. Changing from right-side stretch to left-side stretch changes the left sway to right sway and the semi-closed position to closed position. Again, a little seasoning is added to the dish in the left- face body rotation and extension of the upper body.
Throwaway Oversway	The "throwaway" is the movement of the woman's left leg, first under her body, and then well back to the point where the sole of her left foot is displayed to the world (we don't often show off this part of our costume).	Of course, the throwaway oversway is an oversway. We step side on the lead and relax that knee, while stretching the man's left side and rotating LF.	The man leads a throwaway by delaying the lowering action. Rotate LF first, and she will move her trail foot back. Then, begin to lower before she has a chance to change weight to that trail foot, and she can only keep moving it back, as you lower further. If you lower as you rotate, she cannot move her left leg, and you get a plain oversway.
Here are two pairs of photos that show the throwaway in the first of the pair and then extension of the figure in the second.		Throwaway	Extension. Notice the lady's extreme left head.
Hinge	In closed position, the man steps back R and the woman forward L, beginning to turn 1/4 LF. Both step side. The man uses strong left-side stretch and LF body rotation to move the woman to an L-position at his left side. She crosses her left foot behind her right and both lower on the left leg. She almost sits on his left thigh and both extend the right leg, she in front of her and he to the side.	In leading the hinge, the man delays the lowering action still more than in the throwaway. He rotates, leading her to move her left foot to her right. He gives her time to change weight. Then, as he lowers, it is her right foot that is free, and it extends forward, as he lowers.
Samefoot Lunge	In closed position, the man steps side and slightly forward with the right foot, looking right. The woman steps back with her right well under her body, head left. The supporting legs are flexed in a lunge. The left legs ("samefoot") are straight and extended to the side.
A common "shaping" or "developing" of this picture figure from closed to semi-closed.	The man stretches his right side and opens her head. The cue might be, "samefoot lunge and slowly change sway."