Ballroom Blitz #037

Video

youtu.be/lZxestQLPjo

Transcript

Ian: Hey random dancer on the internet. My name's Ian,

Lindsey: and my name's Lindsey,

Ian & Lindsey: and this is a Ballroom Blitz.

Lindsey: Welcome back dancers. We are in the modern land today with a Reverse Turn. Now, we've already done the Reverse Turn in the Tango and the Foxtrot, links below; today it's the turn of the Waltz.

[Demonstration without music]

Lindsey: Now, in ballroom dancing we've got two main options when we turn, we can either turn to the left or turn to the right. When we turn to the right it's called a Natural Turn, and we have I believe done the Natural Turn in the Waltz already, again link below. But, a Reverse Turn always turns to the left. It has two halves where the leader comes forward on the first half, and then performs the backward half of it after that, and it's the opposite for the follower. So it's one of those moves that is nicely balanced, allows some good drive forward work for both the leader and the follower, and it's an absolute staple for all of the fancier moves that we can do later on.

So if we do a full Reverse Turn here, it's going to take up two bars of music. Six steps in all and following our classic step-side-close step-side-close for our Waltz pattern.

The steps for the leader and the follower are actually the same as each other it's just that the leaders are doing the forward portion first. Now, in the Modern world if we want to turn to the left we want our drive step to happen on that left foot. So, whoever's going forward, in this case the leaders, they want to do that on their left foot. So first things first that drive forward on the left we then turn on that toe take a sideways step on the right and close our feet. And that's the first half of it we should have turned about three eighths of a turn. If the leaders want this to travel down line of dance they will start looking diagonally out into the floor so diagonal centre. By the time they do those first three steps they should have their back nice and square to line of dance. So, those steps again we have forward side close.

Once I'm here I'm ready for my backward portion. I should have changed weight once when I closed my feet so I should be ready on my right foot. That means my follower is driving forward on the left I will let them do that go backwards on my right foot take a sideways step and close my feet. And once again I've turned 3/8s of a turn I should end up about diagonal wall.

So all together I've got forward left side close back right side close and each portion of that has turned me to the left it's turned me anti-clockwise.

Followers, like I said before our steps are essentially the same it's just that we're doing that backward portion first. So, we are ready at the start of a Reverse Turn to go backwards on the right foot, back-side-close, and at this point I am facing square with line of dance. [A] good indication that I've got the forward work now. I've changed weight ready on my left I drive forward side and close and I'll be looking diagonal into the centre against line of dance; but probably ready to go backwards again after that.

So we have six steps in all in a closed position with our partner we have:

[Demonstration with counts]

[Demonstration with music}

Lindsey: And that is the Reverse Turn in the Waltz. A really beautiful move and it's the base for any other fancy move to the left that we may encounter down the track. So, all the usual things apply for the Waltz, stay nicely together keep it nice and light and beautiful and floaty. Have some fun with it put it to good use on that dance floor.