Ballroom Blitz #084

Video

youtu.be/VdNLw1Y7D9k

Transcript

Ian: Why hello there random dancer on the internet. My name's Ian,

Lindsey: and my name's Lindsey,

Ian & Lindsey: and this is a Ballroom Blitz!

Lindsey: Hello there dancers, [we] hope you're having a splendid dancy day, thank you for joining us. We've got another Ballroom Blitz for you and we are looking at a Quickstep move today, it is the Back Lock.

A lot of our ballroom dance figures are named for what the leader is doing so as advertised, as it says on the tin, the leader is performing a Back Lock, but what the follower is doing is essentially the steps that the leader would do if they were doing a forward lock, so let's have a look at this move.

[Demonstration without music]

Lindsey: Now, even though this figure is a bit flipped on its head, with the follower going forwards and the leader going backwards, it's still following a pretty base Quickstep rhythm with a Slow a Chasse going Quick Quick Slow, and they've added on an extra Slow on the end just to confirm that that step is outside partner.

Now, because the followers have the forward work in this particular figure, let's have a look at their steps first.

Now, I am dancing as if my line of dance is going down this way, just so I can face you. We start with a drive step on our right foot followers, and chances are it's going to be outside our partner because of what just happened beforehand. So we drive across ourselves outside partner with a heel, we rise up onto our toes slightly for a Step-Lock, so the lock happens behind us because we're moving forward, Step Left Lock [on Right, and then Step] Left, we come back down to Earth again ready for a another drive step past, again on our right foot. So, if I was traveling with my line of dance going down this way, stepping across myself Right Left Lock Left Right.

Ian: So leaders, your steps are basically the natural opposite and essentially you're going to dance the follower's half of a Forward Lock. We're going to allow the follower to provide the drive and we're going to go backwards on our left for a Slow. Not rising too much, but rising into the Chasse of our Lock with a Quick, locking in front because now we're going backwards, settling on that second Slow, and Lindsey mentioned earlier, and as you would know from your Forward Lock to commence the first step of what comes next, and to settle us down we're going to drive outside partner, in this case the follow is driving outside of us, so we're going to settle back on a Left into whatever you choose to follow with.

Lindsey: Now it's the follower coming forward and providing the drive, but it is still the leader leading, and as with the Forward Lock that they perform coming forward, one of the big indications to the follower that it is in fact a lock that the leader wants us to do, is the fact that there is no turn. So, the previous figure will set up the angle, and then they will hold steady on that angle as we both perform the lock.

[Demonstration with counts]

[Demonstration with music]

Lindsey: And that is the Back Lock in the Quickstep. So, some nice forward work for the followers, leader's big job to set it up, and then guide them through and into the next figure after that. So, see how you go with this one on the social floor, let us know how you go, let us know what else you want to see, and we'll catch you next time.