Ballroom Blitz #040

Video

youtu.be/6OVcnCCmmyw

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.

Ian: Welcome blitzers to today's Ballroom Blitz. We have a little bit of a special treat for you today, something a little bit different, and something inspired by one of our viewers commenting on one of our videos. The comment was on our Rotary Chasse video, for the New Vogue and Sequence dances, thanking us for the video and just basically commenting that they often get this confused with when to waltz. This got me thinking, we should really examine the similarities and the differences between a Natural Waltz and a Rotary Chasse, and give you an indication of when you're going to use which one; because obviously if you do the wrong one it's going to feel quite strange. So, that's what today's Blitz is all about. When do you do a Natural Waltz and when do you do a Rotary Chasse. Let's get into it.

Ian: Well firstly the big indication and this works most of the time not all the time but the big indication is if you know which dance you're dancing often the Waltzes simply have Waltz in the name. Swing Waltz, Palmer Waltz, Twilight Waltz President's Daughter's Waltz, they all have Waltz as part of the name. We often don't just get the term Twilight or Lucille or Swing it doesn't tend to happen that way. So, if that is the case then you kind of know that you're going to do a waltz it should be in 3/4 time and really then the question at the end is is it a Natural Waltz, turning clockwise, or is it a Reverse Waltz, turning anti-clockwise; but, that at least solves the Waltz or Rotary Chasse argument. Of course if it doesn't have that like Pride of Erin, which I think it's danced a bunch of different ways but there is a Waltz version, or something like Charmaine. Charmaine does not have Charmaine in (foxtrot rhythm do a rotary chasse at the end) so we kind of have to know which one we're going to do. So if that's in question then we kind of want to work out is it in 3/4 or is it in 4/4. So let's have a look at this 3/4 versus 4/4 idea and how it actually impacts the moves, and that will help guide us as to the difference in the setup and the difference in the execution when you're actually dancing your sequence dances.

So we've arrived at a position where at the end of a sequence we're going to do a Waltz the waltz rhythm is in 3/4 times so it's dancing 123 223 sometimes it'll feel like 123 456 but basically you have a base 3 rhythm. With this style of dance you need to be taking your drive step first and in classic Waltz fashion you're going to: Drive. Side. Close. So the basic steps will be Drive. Side. Close. Drive. Side. Close. Drive. Side. Close. Drive. Side. Close. and with the music that will feel like One. Two. Three. Two. Two. Three. One. Two. Three. Two. Two. Three.

If we have arrived at the end of a dance where a Rotary Chasse is required, then Chasse timing is a little bit different and the Chasse construction is a little bit different. A classic Chasse should be danced Step. Close. Step. and it should be danced Quick. Quick. Slow. So, if we compare the two, we're going to take instead of our drive first it will come at the end. We're going to dance Step. Close. Step. Step. Close. Step. and this as far as the timing would go is One. Two. Three-Four. One. Two. Three-Four. often denoted as Quick. Quick. Slow. Quick. Quick. Slow. Let's have a look at these side by side and see how the two compare.

So a Natural Waltz would be One. Two. Three. One. Two. Three. One. Two. Three. One. Two. Three.

A Rotary Chasse would be Quick. Quick. Slow. Quick. Quick. Slow. Quick. Quick. Slow. Quick. Quick. Slow.

[Demonstration]

Ian: So seeing the two styles side by side we noticed the Waltz Rhythm 123 is dead even; you get one note one beat per step. While the Rotary Chasse it is broken into slows and quicks and we have our closed step in the middle. Let's talk a little bit more about that.

So here is where you can actually accidentally be doing Waltzes instead of Chasses and Chasses instead of Waltzes. And it really is not the rhythm because technically speaking you can do the same steps in either rhythm. That's just something that's unique to the dance that you're dancing at the time, or the music that you've got playing. But steps wise you still have three steps, you're just spreading them over three beats or four beats depending on the dance. But, it's where the close of the feet and where the power step comes in; that's the bit that will trip people up. If you are required to dance a Rotary Chasse you must do the side close and then allow someone to drive. This basically means that if you're setting up for a Rotary Chasse, your overall position must be parallel with the wall. Your line of dance will be to the leader's left side, the follows right, and you will sidestep and commence to turn in that direction as you go, so that the walking step, the power step, is then headed a down line of dance. But that doesn't happen until step three.

Conversely, if you are Waltzing, the power step comes first; it's a drive side together and the classic Waltz type rhythm. This basically means that whoever is driving first must already be pointing somewhat down line of dance so that when that drive step happens it doesn't literally send you into the floor. We want to power that step up and then turn as a result of the power. So when you set up these two if you are preparing a Rotary Chasse we want to be in a closed position, head and shoulders parallel with the wall, and if we are setting up for a Natural Waltz we're going to turn somewhat, nearly a quarter, so that whoever is driving forward powers down the floor and we commence to turn and travel around line of dance and not start spiraling into the floor or in any other undesirable direction.

Ian: So, if we have concluded a dance ready for a Rotary Chasse you can see we're in our classic closed position our hands are pointing down line of dance and we are ready to side and then power side and then power in a quick quick slow type fashion. Quick. Quick. Drive. Quick. Quick. Drive. Quick. Quick. Drive.

If we have concluded a dance ready for a Natural Waltz we have changed our position so that whoever is driving forward in this case the follower, they're driving forward first, they get that power step first and then we close our feet on step three; much more like. One. Two. Three. One. Two. Three. One. Two. Three.

One final element of confusion that is worth noting is that if you compare the Rotary Chasse to a Natural Waltz, the waltz turning clockwise, the drive step occurs on the same foot. You will always be driving forward on the right foot to turn in the natural direction so that you can perform both the Rotary Chasse or the [Natural] Waltz. This is why it's often the case that the Rotary Chasse gets confused with the Natural Waltz, but very rarely does the Natural Waltz get confused with the Reverse Waltz; because that power step occurs on a different foot in that case. So, we really want to pay attention to that setup position so that by the time you get to the power step there is no confusion you are either Waltzing in 3/4 time or you are Chasse-ing quick-quick-slow in 4/4 time.

Ian: And that is it how to disentangle whether you are Waltzing or a Rotary Chasse-ing at the end of a sequence dance. Sometimes it will be in the name as a big clue, if it's called Waltz it should be in 3/4 time and you will be Waltzing. But, then of course how to effectually set up your position before the waltz happens so that you are either side stepping into a Chasse or driving into a Waltz. There are always examples of both people driving forward in a Waltz so it's not always the leader going forward or always the follower going forward so don't let that trick you. But you are definitely never ever going to sidestep into a Waltz that will always be your Rotary Chasse.

I hope this has helped you out if you would like a comparison between the Reverse and the Natural Waltz, we can do that for you as well; let us know in the comments. Let us know if it's been helped full let us know if you would like us to do anything else. Thank you to those who have been commenting on our videos they have been very very nice thank you and they have inspired us to do other videos like this so do keep that up. Try that out on your floor next time and we will see you soon.