7 Anchors

1. STANDARD anchor

This is what I understand most WCS Instructors teach. It’s how I learned and how we’ve been teaching for over a decade. Even though we acknowledge the legitimacy and even desirability of the other types of anchored connection, this is the big one. In my opinion, this should be the default and the one every WCS dancer should know how to do very well before even attempting the others.

The anchor is engaged (“the post is set”) between count four and five. (Technically the “&a” after the four). The anchor stays consistent through the end of the pattern and into the initiation of the lead of the next pattern. The post doesn’t move once the anchor is initiated.

It’s my preferred connection because my partner and I are connected consistently through the entire anchor, able to communicate clearly through that snug connection.

2. DELAYED anchor

Seems like more and more WCS dancers are defaulting to this type of connection. A few toplevel instructors even teach this as the standard way to connect. The anchor is engaged later than usual -- it could be anytime between 5 and the & after 6, but it’s usually on 6. This causes the follow to drift, usually straight back or in the same direction they were heading on 4. If it’s purposeful, the lead can either drift with the follow or stretch their connection for a longer line

One pro I discussed this with said that they think the popularity of the Delayed Anchor is due to WCS event directors asking the pros to dance bigger and take up more floor space , making it more exciting and appealing to the average spectator. Though, additionally, my guess is that it’s become more popular because WCS music in the past few years has included a lot more slow R&B, ballads, acoustic remakes, and other melody-driven and lyrical songs. The long lines and extended movement that Delayed Anchors create go well with this sort of music.

3. FLOATING post

Sometimes I hear the term floating used in reference to any sort of anchor that moves. But, I chose to use the term floating only for the specific type of anchor connection described here. The anchor is engaged between count 4 and 5 just like in the Standard Anchor. However, the lead then either moves the connection (and possibly his body) while remaining in an anchored connection through the 5 &a 6. The anchored connection does not change in pressure while it moves.

I think of a horse and carriage, or walking a dog that is pulling on the leash. When I am not moving, the dog is taking out the slack in the leash because it’s trying to move away from me. When I start to walk forward, the tension in the leash is maintained because the dog is constantly trying to move away, yet I have to brace slightly back so I am still in control, not being knocked off balance by the dog, and not straining my arm muscles. So, walking an excited dog like this is like being constantly anchored to each other, but still moving. Pardon the analogy follows--I’m not trying to compare you to a canine, but I hope the analogy helps!

This is a common connection when the couple drifts to one side (typically leader’s right) during the anchor. The movement during a floating anchor is usually forward or side for the lead, or any angle combining the two. The follow’s movement is correspondingly the natural opposite. Often a Floating Anchor and Delayed Anchor may look the same to a casual observer. They can have the same overall effect in pattern movement. However, in a Delayed Anchor the anchor isn’t even engaged until later--the post isn’t even set until later in the pattern--so, in every sense, the anchor is delayed, not floating.

Maintaining an anchor connection while the post is moving is difficult. If the follow is not constantly seeking the anchor position, she may not react to the post moving as intended and actually release the anchor. Many leads struggle with maintaining an anchor keeping their center back while moving their connection and/or body forward/side. I personally use a floating anchor more often than a delayed anchor because it keeps me connected to my partner longer, and I prefer that feeling. It also means our communication line is clearer and we can react and match each other’s movement through the anchor better.