Crossed step in front

A step put down on the outer edge side of the skating foot with the free leg crossed in front, below the knee.

Also called cross step, crossed step, XF or cross in front. Other names.

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The free foot goes down on the outer edge side of the skating foot with the free leg crossed tightly in front of the skating leg, the legs crossing below the knees. The ISU, British Ice Skating and U.S. Figure Skating define it in the same words, and the crossed step behind is the same step crossed behind.

Neither definition names an edge, and the dances use both: a forward outside one opens the Tango, and backward inside ones turn up in the Fourteenstep and the Fiesta Tango. What does not count, in the pattern dance handbook’s questions and answers, is a foot put down across the tracing at a distance. The feet need not touch, but should be as close as possible.

KiwiSkate’s Dance 4 badge asks for a cross step to a count of two without saying front or behind. Its dance, the Fiesta Tango, has both.

Build on

• Left forward outside crossed step behindLFO to RFO: a step behind, with the legs crossed below the knee, still travelling forwards, and the lobe reverses.
• Left forward outside chasséLFO to RFI: the free foot comes down beside the skating foot, nothing crossing, still travelling forwards on the same lobe.

Appears in