Basic Weave in Slow Foxtrot

Ballroom Blitz #079

Basic Weave in Slow Foxtrot - Oct 26, 2023

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!

Ian: Hello again blitzers. Welcome back to Ballroom Blitz for another Foxtrot video. Today we are going to be doing the Basic Weave. Now, the basic weave is composed of a few different components that we have already blitzed, so we'll leave all the links in the description for you to go back to it but, we're going to put them all together and smash them out hit those critical positions and get you weaving on the floor as soon as we can.

So we are going to be using an underturned Reverse Turn to get into one of our critical positions for the Basic Weave, then we're going to use a checking action to get into that critical position to hit that Weave Ending. We've already done the Reverse Turn, we will leave that in the description, we've already done the Weave Endings, we'll leave that in the description. So, really it's the three abridging moves, a few fancy words there for three short steps, to get from one to the other to put the whole thing together.

(demonstration without music)

Ian: Now, technically speaking the Reverse Turn bit at the start isn't actually part of your Basic Weave, but it's probably going to be the first way you will get into this figure. So we're going to leave you to revise that, but just note that you need to underturn the figure because leaders you want to end up backing diagonal wall around line of dance, to get into that critical position. So let's cover the check, and then we will link it to the Weave Endings and you're good to go.

Leaders, we have done either the underturned Reverse Turn, or some other figure, to get to this position where if I'm dancing that way I am backing diagonal wall, I'm back on my left foot ready to use my right foot on a slow. Preferably on beat one, but you'll get away with beat three as well. We're going to take a slow checking step back, bearing in mind that the follow at this point is expecting to power, so we're going to have to sink into that leg, check it nice and evenly don't make it too abrupt. Heel back with a quick, side step to that critical position mentioned in the Weave Endings video, and then continue with the four quicker steps, one, two, three, hitting that feathered position, and then settling out with a slow step to drive into whatever you're choosing to follow with.

(demonstration of Leaders check)

Lindsey: Now followers, our first indication that a Basic Weave might be coming up is that underturned Reverse Turn. So when the leaders put us into a Heel Turn and we're going backwards on the right, turning on the left, for my heel turn, usually we end up facing straight down line of dance. In this case the leaders will underturn it, and we'll find ourselves facing instead diagonal wall. Now this might still not be a Basic Weave, but it's given us an idea that it might be. So we step out of our heel turn on the right foot, we are now ready to take a heel on the left, but as we take it we should feel the leaders sort of absorb that power and start to push back at us. So we'll have a backward step after that in a quick, we are taken to the side in a way that should indicate that we can step past our leader next, and that is our critical position to do our weave ending. So I've just taken a quick step out of my heel turn I will then have

(demonstration of Follower steps)

(demonstration with counts)

(demonstration with music)

Ian: There you go the Basic Weave. The critical point is using that check, rocking and side action to get into that critical position to have those four Weave Ending steps, and of course you can use that underturned Reverse Turn to get into that position if you choose. It's not the only way to get into it, but it is probably the most straightforward with your basic foxtrot moves. I'm sure you will find many and varied ways of getting to the same position where you can use it. Just remember you have to go back and check on a slow, otherwise it won't quite work, and if you make it work it will just feel possibly a little bit odd. But, smash it into your Foxtrot, have fun, it's never as hard as you think it is. Give it a go, let us know how you go, and we'll catch you next time.

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