Change of Direction In Modern Waltz

Ballroom Blitz #121

Change of Direction In Modern Waltz - Jul 04, 2024

Transcript

Ian: Hey guys and girls from the inter-webs. My name's Ian,

Lindsey: and my name's Lindsey,

Ian & Lindsey: and welcome to Ballroom Blitz.

Ian: Hello Ballroom Blitzers, welcome back to the channel. Today we are going into the world of Modern Waltz. We have a super simple adaptation of a Foxtrot move that will help you curve and get around the floor. It is the Change of Direction for Modern Waltz.

[Demonstration without mucis]

Ian: As you can see from the demonstration, this figure is super simple and it is very functional. Now, in the transition from the Foxtrot version of the figure, I'll leave links for that in the description, to the Waltz version of the figure, there is one very important difference, and that is in the Waltz you do not take the final step.

So it is almost like the opposite turning Hesitation Change in a way, where you're going to take a step forward, if you have the leader, change direction, but then you don't continue to walk out like a Foxtrot, you will hesitate much more consistently with your Modern Waltz steps and your Quickstep style steps. So that is the main adaptation.

So it ends you in a position very similar to what a, Hesitation Change will, which means the same exits [follows] will apply and it will turn you, about a quarter [1/4] to the left, which means we don't have to turn three quarters [3/4] around to the right like you would in a Hesitation Change. So let's have a look at the steps. Super simple. Super easy. I guarantee you'll be able to get it up and running very quickly and put it to good use.

Ian: Alrighty, leaders, there's a wall. there's a line of dance, let's say I want to change direction. If I am here, you would describe my orientation or alignment as diagonal to wall; I'm dancing that way, there it is, and let's say I want to be diagonal centre, and let's say I want to be diagonal centre but ready to use my left foot for, say, Chasses to Right or a Double Reverse Spin, something of that ilk. If I was here and I was on my right foot, ready to use my right foot, I could do some sort of Natural Turn, and that would be good, I could do a Natural Turn with Hesitation or Hesitation Change as we know it in Waltz. But, let's say I'm on my left, well, I could go through a Left Foot Change and add some basic steps, and then do that. But that would progress me down the floor and maybe I don't have room. So, what I'm going to do is perform the Change of Direction. So I'm going to commence on my left foot, which means overall we are going to be turning anti-clockwise.

This drive step is going to be fairly simple. I compress and do all the good driving things, drive. I'm going to stay low, low like a Hesitation Change, but without the Heel Pull, because I don't want to inspire my follow to rise on to toes at close and change weight at the end. So I'm going to stay a little bit low, but still do the toe swivel moving into the second step to make this a side step, and then here, this is where I definitely don't want to then shoot up on their toes with any sort of abrupt late rise. I want to make sure that I can close my feet without weight. Sort of hesitation style ready to use my left foot coming out. If I didn't do that, then it's just sort of Underturned Reverse Turn, started from a wonky angle.

So we don't want to really do that. So I want to drive on the left, stay a little bit lower, a little bit Foxtrot style, close without weight and I have changed my direction. I am now facing diagonal centre. I'm ready to use my left foot now, of course, if you're in the same orientation, you don't want to use your left foot, if you wanted to use your right foot, you would pick a different figure. So, this changes your direction and conserves which foot you're on and so now you have a range of options depending on, what foot you want to be on and which direction you want to point in.

Lindsey: Followers, Let's have a look at your steps, they are the natural opposite to your leader. I'm going to be using the same line of dance, so it's scooting back that way. I am starting backing diagonal wall, I'm ready to go on my right foot for beat one. I’ll feel my leader's drive step on their left and I will feel the turn to the left commence, and then, not surprising, I'm going to use my left foot next it will go to the side. I've turned about a quarter [1/4] there and this is where Ian is quite right, the lead for this, because I'm so used to going step-side-close, step-side-closed, change weight in my Waltz, I need to feel that lack of rise to encourage me to not do that.

If we're low, if we feel our leader is low and we match in, it's actually very hard to close your feet and change weight and the result of that is we simply don't do it. We don't do what's hard, we do what's easy. So we go backwards on the right, on beat one, sideways on the left on beat two and because there's no rise, I'm going to draw my foot underneath me to be nice and neat. But I'm not going to change weight. I will be ready to go backwards on my right foot, out onto the floor on that diagonal for the next bar, into whatever the leader pleases.

[Demonstration with counts]

[Demonstration with music]

Ian: There you have it guys ‘n’ girls, the Change of Direction for the Modern Waltz. Adapted from your Slow Foxtrot, but still very, very usable. Very, very workable. Just remember, because it is adapted from Foxtrot, we're going to stay low like a Foxtrot, not rise up. That will inspire the follow to not change weight and make sure we don't get any misfires when we're stepping out using the lead is left and the follow is right. Try it out on the floor. Get round some corners. Change your direction by using this figure and put another figure in your repertoire to use for those purposes. Let us know what you would like to see on the channel, and we will see you next time.

Ian: Well, that's it for this blitz boys and girls. Don't forget to like,

Lindsey: comment,

Ian: share,

Lindsey: and subscribe.

Ian: See you next time.

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