Aside from "partner" and "neighbor," "balance" may be the most frequently used word in calling, and experienced dancers and callers alike tend to forget that beginners do not automatically know what it is. I teach it at the very top of the lesson, particularly because it's used to launch other moves -- balance and swing, balance the ring and.... I describe it as a step-forward+tap and step-backward+tap, and emphasize that the convention is to shift your weight forward onto the right foot first (many beginners will start with the left foot), and then shift it onto the left foot, because the next move is frequently to the right, but that either is acceptable.
April Blum
