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Answers to Faq of

Standard Ballroom Dance

Waltz
(Line figures)

by GoVnu

Contents at a Glance
Preface Introduction Line Figures Beginners Open General concerns

Table of Contents
Preface About this booklet How the booklet is organized Introduction Evolution Line Figures Beginners Closed Changes Left Foot Closed Change (From Reverse Turn to Natural Turn) Right Foot Closed Change (From Natural Turn to Reverse Turn) Natural Turn Reverse Turn Whisk Chasse from Promenade Position Open Oversway Throwaway Oversway General concerns

Preface
About this booklet
This booklet is a collection of some interesting and important, in my own opinions, information about the Standard Waltz. And hope it may be useful for other international ballroom dance enthusiasts. The main focuses are on the characters of Waltz and the ways to interpret each figure in detail. In order words, the other materials such as posture or frame, we will not address them separately, only mentioning with the specific figure.

How the booklet is organized

This booklet is divided into several parts. Each part consists of a series of answers to questions or informative points. You might have known or might not have known those answers. Each insightful answer is managed to keep it not more than ten lines for clarity reason. Each title of an answer is cataloged with three different colors, namely blue, purple and red. Both blue and purple colors represent right ways to dance, but the answers with purple color are beyond basic level; whereas red color represents wrong way to dance.

What information of line figures we will address

Just as About this booklet mentioned above, we will mainly address the crucial points in any aspects of each line figure; surely we will address, for examples, foot position or footwork described in technique books if those materials are necessary to mention here; it may be interpreted from a different perspective.

Introduction
Evolution
The Waltz danced in the early World Professional Championship
In 1922, the Waltz that the professional champions danced was called Round Waltz. The only figure was Reverse Turn. It was the Reverse Turn of today Viennese Waltz, not Reverse Turn of today Waltz. The hold was different from today style; it was similar to the hold used in today social dance that was very close. And also, the Round Reverse Turn commenced facing center rather than diagonal to wall.

The Waltz was enhanced

In 1924, an additional figure to the Reverse Turn, namely Double Reverse Spin, which was same as today Double Reverse Spin, was introduced by the professional champions. Although the hold was still different from today, their elbows were extended slightly outwards similar to today Tango compact hold. The choreography could be four Double Reverse Spins followed by two Round Reverse Turns.

The Waltz was developed mostly as today formats

In 1926, the eighteen steps were introduced; namely, Left Foot Closed Change, Natural Turn, Right Foot Closed Change and (today) Reverse Turn. The significant change was couples progressed in Zig-Zag pattern, as a kind of diagonal dances. The Frame was fully developed quite similar to today Frame. From that point, the Round Waltz was fading out and was replaced by the today Waltz. Most new figures were developed in these formats; those figures started facing or backing diagonally to wall or center, and also ended facing or backing diagonally to wall or center.

Line Figures Beginners

Left Foot Closed Change
Step 1 Man gives a left turn signal to lady
At the beginning of the 1st beat, the man compresses his standing leg, his right leg, and rotates slightly to the left which generates a left turn signal to lady.

Some novices are so creative that they can turn to right

If the 1st step moves with CBM, the only possible ways are in straight line or slightly to left. If they can turn to right they most likely dance without CBM.

The lady leans to her right

The lady may sway too much to her right. It results in crossing the mans center line and blocking the mans window. To correct it the lady can put her right arm between the mans and the ladys heads rather than normal hold. Practice it until she masters how to rotate without leaning to her right. It is worth to spend a couple of hours to practice because all the figures involved left turn can be danced without this issue if she can master it in this basic figure.

Step 2
The mans right foot moves forward instead of diagonally forward
Some man swings his right foot in straight line same foot position as the step 2 of Reverse Turn. The 2nd step is a forward and side step.

The man closes his right foot to his left foot and sides his right foot afterwards
The correct way is to swing his right foot in the diagonal line with slight curve. Particularly for the novices, they pull their right feet next to their left feet, and then side their right feet. It forms an inverted capital letter L shape.

Step 3

The man does not close his left foot to his right foot
It is a common mistake the man places his left foot in front of his right foot; he may swing his left leg too much so that naturally he could stop in front of his right foot rather next to his right foot.

Natural Turn
Overall Figure When traveling inside the turn, he or she should not turn the body with the same speed as his or her partner
Since the circumference of inside of turn is shorter than the outside of turn, their hip connection will shift from right side front with right front to right side edge to right side edge if they turn their bodies with same speed. This principle is also applicable to any reverse turns. Only their moving legs are traveling with nearly same speed.

Take Natural Turn as a model to handle turn, swing, sway, compression, and other Waltz characters.
The Natural Turn, particularly the 1st bar, contains major characters of Waltz, it is worth spending time to learn it in depth; such as how to initiate and end a figure properly. Although the Natural Turn is a right turn, most of its techniques are applicable to reserve turns too. By the way, there are only two types of turns, either a right turn (natural turn) or a left turn (reverse turn).

First bar Step 1 The difference in initialization of a forward movement between walking and swing dances
In walking, we incline our body forward to shift our center of gravity forward. However, in swing dances, we firstly compress our knees to absorb the energy and rotate our torsos; secondly we straighten our knees accompanied by the release of our upper bodies rotation to propel our body forward.

On compression, the body weight is on your ankle.

When our knees are compressed, we should feel that our bodies weights are on our ankles. If we feel our bodies weights are on our balls, it implies we are out of balance and start leaning forward.

The man body rotates slightly to the left as his left knee is compressed
As his standing leg, his left leg, is being compressed, the man rotates his body slight to the left. This slightly left rotation enforces his right legs swing and increase the distance his right foot travels. However, make sure not to exaggerate the rotation.

The man lifts up his right knee first then moves his body
After the man compresses his left knee, he lifts up his right knee and keeps his right foot in place, then the flexed left knee releases energy to propel the body forward which makes the body unbalanced. In order to maintain body balance, the right foot naturally catches up the forward body where the right foot has a mini flick action. Remarks: This is the general action for the initial step for other figures.

The man starts to swing with his right leg

Many people only know that there is only one swing in the first bar of the Natural Turn, namely the 2nd step. Literately, the 1st step of the Natural Turn is also a swing action, but with a half the distance as the 2nd step.

As the man rotates his upper body to right, his moving leg moves in straight line rather than curving to right.
As the mans right foot moves forwards in straight line, his body is turning to his right. This rotation action combined with the swing action is technically called Contrary Body Movement. His left side of body is forward against his right leg.

Imagine the last step of previous figure as a preparatory step

If we dance the Natural Turn as the first figure of the whole dance, certainly there is a preparatory step. If there is a figure preceding the Natural Turn, treat the last step of the previous figure as a preparatory step. For example, the preceding figure of the Natural Turn is a Left Foot Closed Change; then the 3rd step of the Left Foot Closed Change will be the preparatory step. In order words, at the end of the 3rd step of the LF Closed Change, we start lowering and rotating our body. This continuous movement is a character of swing dances, not like the Tango which is a go-and-stop movement.

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Remark: This concept is suitable for all other figures in choreography.

Step 2 The mans body turns more than his left leg
Since the man travels outside of the turn, his body should turn more than his left leg turns. His body turns nearly to wall, but his left leg keeps on facing diagonally to wall.

The ladys body turns less than her right leg

Since the lady travels inside of the turn, her body should turn less than her right leg turns. Her body turns up to diagonally to center, but her right leg is pointing nearly to LOD. Her feet positions are same as Charlie Chaplins on the screen. Remarks: The simple definition of Pointing: when the direction of the body facing and the leg facing are different, we use Pointing to indicate the leg direction.

The man starts to swing with his left leg

The man starts to swing forward with his left leg as his right knee straightens.

The speed of swing is double the speed of the swing on the 1st step
The mans left foot first passes his right foot then continues to swing forward. It is composed of a downward and forward swing as well as an upward and forward swing; whereas on the 1st step, there is only an upward and forward swing. Therefore, the total distance of the swing on the 2nd step is approximately double the length of the swing on the 1st step. If we count the 2nd beat as 2&, at the 2 of the 2&, the mans left foot will just pass his right foot, and at the & of the 2&, his left foot will re-connect the floor.

The main momentum of the swing is generated by the standing leg

When the mans flexed right knee straightens and his right heel rises, it generates a strong momentum for the forward swing of his left leg.

The man starts to sway to his right

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Because of the actions of body rotation and upward swing, it generates a sway to his right.

Step 3 The man continues to sway

The degrees of sway to right increase gradually from step 2, it reaches its maximum at the end of step 3.

The mans left foot still turns to right

The man continues to turn on the ball of his foot in order to catch up his bodys turn

Second bar Most of the techniques for the man in the 1st bar are applicable to the ladys in the 2nd bar and vice versa
Because in the 1st bar, the man travels outside of the circle and the lady travels inside of the circle; in the 2nd bar, the man inside and the lady outside. Therefore their actions switch.

Step 1 At the beginning of the beat the man and the lady should neutralize their previous sways
As lowering his heel and compressing his standing knee, the man dissolves the sway to right. The lady does it for the sway to left too.

Step 2 Mans body turns less than his right leg

Because in 2nd bar, the man travels inside of the turn same as lady traveling inside of the turn in 1st bar, his body turns less than his right leg.

Ladys body turns more than her left leg

Because in 2nd bar, the lady travels outside of the turn same as man traveling outside of the turn in 1st bar, her body turns more than her left leg.

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The mans footwork is inside edge of toe

If the man connects the floor with toe, his turn may be too compact.

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Right Foot Closed Change

Step 1
The man leans to his right
Same as lady leaning to her right in Left Foot Closed Change, The man may sway too much to right. It results in crossing the ladys center line and blocking the ladys window. Placing the mans right arm between the mans and the ladys heads could correct the issue.

Lady keep in balance position as stretching to left

When slightly inclining to her left, naturally lady will stretch her body to left. She should keep herself in balance position without placing her weight on the mans right hand.

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Reverse Turn
Overall Figure The turning techniques of inside and outside of the circle for the Natural Turn are applicable to the Reverse Turn.
Since both figures turn 3/8 + 3/8 of a turn, the turning techniques are same for both figures. Actually most of the techniques for the Natural Turn are same as the Reverse Turn; for instances, the continuation of turn or the initialization and ending of the figure.

First bar Step 2 Mans body turns more than his right leg
Since the man travels outside of the turn, his body should turn more than his right leg. His body turns nearly to center, but his left foot keeps on facing diagonally to center.

Ladys body turns less than her left leg

Since the lady travels inside of the turn, her body should turn less than her left leg. Her body turns up to diagonally to wall, but her left leg is pointing nearly to LOD.

Lady leaning to her right may be the mans fault

If the mans right hand push the ladys left shoulder too much, she will lean her body to right. Since the mans push is the ACTION, the lady leaning to her right just the REACTION to the mans Action.

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Whisk
Step 2 The man leads the lady to promenade position with his hip connection
Some man rotates the lady to promenade position with his left hand. It is incorrect. The main signal is from his hip assisting with his right hand not from his left hand.

Release the mans right hand slightly as lady sides her left foot
The mans right hand should follow the turning of the ladys body. Dont block her body rotation or shift the contact from her shoulder blade to her spine.

Step 3 At the end of the step, man body should slightly incline leftward
If the man sways to right rather than to left, it could mislead the lady to continue to step to her left side; for example, the following figure may be Zig Zag to Right.

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Chasse from promenade position Overall figure

We should rise gradually throughout the figure
Starting from the end of step 1, we rise gradually until the beginning of step 4. It forms a smooth rising curve without bouncing. This generates a body flight feeling.

The ladys body turns to the left gradually over four steps
The man should lead the ladys body to turn to the left gradually over four steps because her turn is the reaction of the man action. The man should not merely lead the lady turn on step 4.

The man leads the lady to make a left turn to closed position
The man should lead the lady to make a left turn, not turning himself. The man faces diagonally to wall both in Promenade Position at the beginning of the figure or in Closed Position at the end of the figure. He does not turn in the whole figure.

Step 1 Keep right side to right side hip connection

When they step forward with CBMP, the mans body is still a little bit behind the ladys. It is incorrect to let the ladys body shift to the left side of man body similar to the action in the Wing figure.

Step 4 The lady should have an idea that the next step may not be sideways
Since many figures also have the same three initial steps, for instances, Chasse from PP to PP or Chasse from PP with Roll to Left Ending, the lady should wait until the man send her a clear signal that he wants her to move sideways. Remark: Many variations are developed by changing the ending of an original figure.

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Open
Oversway Preceding steps
Most common preceding steps
1. Preceding by a mans right foot backward step; for example, after the step 1-3 of a Reverse Turn. 2. Preceding by a mans right foot forward step; for example, after the step 1-2 of a Running Chasse 3. Preceding by a mans right foot in-place step; for example, after step 1 of a Contra Check

Preceding by a mans right backward step No rise at the end of the step
Some people rise too early at the end of the step similar to the 4th step of the Reverse Turn of the Slow Foxtrot, it should commence to rise at the end of the step similar to the 4th step of the Reverse Turn in the Waltz. If we rise at the end of the step, the length of the following step, the Oversway action, will be shorter, which is opposite to our intention of an extremely flexible Oversway line with balance.

The mans step similar to the Back Check

The mans supporting leg, his left leg, flexes to the maximum degree 44%, which allows his right foots toe slims backward to the maximum length with balance. In order words, the man and the lady lower down deeply on their supporting legs. As his moving legs heel, his right heel, connects on the floor, he can generate a stronger swing and sway to the following step, Oversway.

The ladys step similar to the Check

Because the ladys step is the reaction of the mans step, she performs the step as the Check action.

Step 1
One of the procedures to create shape
Step 1,

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When the mans left leg becomes standing leg, the mans knee straightens; he stretches to his left side diagonally upwards and leads the lady to stretch to her right side diagonally upwards. Step 2, Bend their legs without changing their shapes. They may rotate to the man left very slightly. Be aware that both the man and the lady slim their moving legs sideways during their legs bending in order to keep their balances. Step 3, Sway to mans right from his sway-to-left position. Step 4, The man stretches to his right side diagonally upwards and leads the lady to stretch to her left side diagonally downwards. The lady not only stretches to her left but also bends her back backwards more than the man does.

No rotation signal to lady

To distinguish between an Oversway and a Throwaway Oversway is the rotation to left signal sending to the lady. If the lady receives the rotation to her right, she will move her left leg backwards as the Throwaway Oversway ending rather than keeping it in place.

The man should stretch from his left foot to his head
The man should stretch his whole left side, not just the left upper body, because his left front hip needs to be strong enough to support the ladys right front hip pressure from her oversway stretching.

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Throwaway Oversway Overall figure

How it was born
The Throwaway Oversway figure was introduced by Mr. Bill Irvine MBE, and named by Ms Josephine Bradley. The reason why Mr. Irvine created the figure was he felt uncomfortable to dance the Hinge with his partner, Ms Bobbie Irvine MBE. The uncomfortable feeling resulted from Ms Irvines legs were longer than Mr. Irvines. Therefore, he developed the Throwaway Oversway from the Hinge. When Ms Bradley saw they dance this figure, she said, it is an Oversway which she throws her leg away, so I am going to call it the Throwaway Oversway. Since it was developed from the Hinge, it inherits many characters of the Hinge as well as the Oversway.

Step 1
A way to interpret Throwaway Oversway
After the Throwaway Oversway have been introduced, there are hundreds ways to interpret it. Besides the way with the extension from the Hinge, which the mans left leg does not first straighten then lowers, one of the popular ways is to straighten the mans left leg first and lend the lady straighten her right leg and close her moving foot near to her supporting foot, then he lowers her supporting leg again.

Keeping the lady swaying to her right as bending the legs

As the couples legs bending, the degree of sway to her right of the lady is decreasing and she is still sway to her right until the end of their legs flex. It is because she will continue to face to her right. So, the Throwaway action on her upper body will have a larger rotation more than a half of a left turn. Her upper body catches her right foot to left.

The man stretches not only his left side but also his right side
Surely the man projects his left side during swinging his left leg, his right also needs to stretch to leverage the lady to stretch to her left side as she oversways.

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General Concerns
Apart from acquiring fancy figures, the fundamental techniques should not be overlooked
Some people think that fancy figures can show their strength on the Standard Waltz; surely those fancy figures, such as Develope or Eros Line, are quite attractive. However, the major elements of all Waltz figures, including fancy figures, are Rise and Fall, Rotation, Swing, and Sway. If our abilities on those techniques are not good enough, judicators or spectators will based on the quality of dance to point out our weakness in the Waltz. Few people will appreciate our Waltz dancing only on the quantity without quality.