Dance term
Contra body movement
Turning the opposite side of the body toward the moving leg to begin a turn smoothly, the natural rotation behind most turning figures.
Contra body movement, usually shortened to CBM, is the gentle rotation you make when you turn the opposite shoulder and hip toward the leg that is stepping. It is the same twist you make naturally when you walk, just used on purpose to start a turn.
CBM is what lets the ballroom dances rotate as one flowing shape, instead of the feet turning while the upper body lags behind. It quietly underlies almost every turning figure.
Also called: CBM.
Related terms
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