Ballroom Blitz #023

Video

youtu.be/kp_4rGp9-tc

Transcript

Ian: Hey guys and girls of the interwebs I'm Ian,

Lindsey: and I'm Lindsey,

Ian & Lindsey: and this is the Ballroom Blitz.

Ian: Welcome back to another Ballroom Blitz we're doing another natural turn today. A few blitzes ago we did it in the Modern Waltz, link in the description, today we are going to be doing it in the Quickstep. And in the not too distant future, we are going to be doing it in the slow foxtrot and you will see all the similarities and all the differences today is Quickstep; let's have a look.

[Demonstration without music]

Ian: So, you can see with that demonstration that this version of the natural turn does have two halves; just like the one in the Modern Waltz. But, these two halves are different they're not a mirror image of each other and they have very different things to do and both parts are very different for each dancer so let's break it down and take it from the top.

So, the first half is probably the most similar to the version of the Modern Waltz, again Link in the description, we're going to take a essentially a chasse turn a drive step close. We're going to turn about 3/8s [three eighths] and leads you're going to end up backing a line of dance, which means in readiness for the next half you'll have your follow pointing down line of dance ready for a drive step.

So, leads to start this figure you will be ready on the right foot being Quickstep you will probably be in an open footed position and the first step will probably go outside partner but that is situational so that we won't harp on that. I will be facing diagonal wall so in this example my line of dance is that way and the first three steps danced as a drive-side-together slow-quick-quick. You're going to take a right foot heel drive

Slow. Turn over the next two steps quick. Close your feet quick. And you will notice that I'm facing against line of dance so my partner will be facing a round line of dance ready to drive in the next part of the figure.

Lindsey: The first few steps of the followers will begin on the left foot will be going backwards and as Ian said the drive from the leader might come through our feet in line or it might go outside partner past us. [It] doesn't matter really as long as we are matching that step going backwards.

So, the leader drives we go backwards on the left for a slow, and then have a quick-quick where we go side together, I change weight here I should be ready on my right foot ready to drive a nice straight shot down line of dance.

Ian: So leads following along from the previous demonstration we've arrived here where backing line of dance we are now going to dance three slows so I guess this is a little bit uncommon compared to some of your other basic Quickstep moves, we've had a slow-quick-quick we're now going to follow it with three additional slows. So we're going to really put on the brakes we're going to lower our knees we're going to bend our knees lower our frame allow that follow to drive through with the power step take a straight step back remember to push your toe back don't land the step too early and then cut out their power and block them.

We're going to absorb all that power, slow, we're now going to pass our feet under us and align ourselves on our new dancing angle. Now, line of dance is this way we're pretty much going to use this figure only in a corner, so now we have to imagine that line of dance is straight to the wall, and I'm going to align myself so I am facing diagonal wall. So as this step comes past I'm going to allow my body to turn.

If my line of dance is this way I'm now facing diagonal wall because the wall would be along that side and now I'm just going to simply step out taking a nice easy going walk on the final slow towards a line of dance, or towards the wall diagonal wall to my new line of dance ready at the conclusion of the figure to drive again on my right foot into whatever comes next.

So, if we put those three slows on the end of our preceding slow-quick-quick the entire figure for the lead looks like this.

[Demonstration of leaders steps with counts]

Lindsey: Follower, we have the drive into that second half so we've still got three steps to go all of them slow all of them nice and low we start with our drive on our right foot. So we're forward on the right at our partner we'll feel them take us to the side, and then take a step at us so we will be sent backwards on that right foot. So from the top we'll have:

[Demonstration of followers steps with counts]

Ian: It is important that into that fourth step of the figure that driving slow for the follow that leads you be patient and allow your follow to drive forward. It's also really important for the follows that you give a nice consistent drive step forward because at this point there are a lot of different options that the leader could choose and you may not know particularly in a social setting which turn or or figure he's going to select at that point. So don't try and assume you're going to give a nice powerful consistent drive and leaders you're going to let them and not be impatient and drag them into the rest of the figure.

[Demonstration with counts]

[Demonstration to music]

Ian: And that is it a quick blitz through the Natural Turn this time in Quickstep. Watch out for the Foxtrot version coming soon until then bash it out. Remember to only use it on a corner more of that next time and we will see you soon.