In ballroom dancing (and in some other types of partner dance), directions of progressive movement, in particular directions of steps, can be indicated either in relation to the room or in relation to the body position. Directions of turns, although there are only two of them, may also be indicated in several ways.
Dancers can align their bodies and move in any of these directions:
These directions may be taken either facing if the dancer's feet are pointing in the direction of the movement, or backing if the dancer's feet are oriented in the opposite direction and the dancer is moving backwards with respect to their body. For example, "backing DC against LOD" means that a dancer is moving diagonally to the center against the line of dance, but as they are dancing backwards, the feet (and, roughly, the body) are pointing diagonally to the wall. [1] [2]
The term pointing refers explicitly to the direction the feet are pointing, which is useful if they are not, or not yet, aligned with the orientation of the body. For example, a dancer can be pointing DW while facing the wall. [1] [2]
These are described in one of the following ways.
Ballroom dancing distinguishes
The term "natural turn" describes a right or clockwise turn of the dance couple. [7] This usage originated from the names of waltz moves and was transferred to other, similar dances.[ citation needed ]
A commonly stated theory of the origin of the term is that considering the right-shifted position in a couple (even more pronounced in older times) and the counter-clockwise direction of travel along the line of dance, the right turns are easier to perform, they are more "natural". [8] [9] This is especially true at the corners of the dance floor: the amount of the right turn is effectively only 3⁄4 of a full turn, and the amount of the left turn is effectively as much as 5⁄4, because the LOD changes its direction by 90 degrees to the left (CCW).
The partner dancing forward is said to be on the outside of the turn, having the longer way to move, and the partner dancing backward is on the inside of the turn. [10]
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The terms "inside turn" and "outside turn" apply only to an individual turn of a partner, not to a turn of a couple. They occur in Latin dances and in American style. An "inside turn" is a turn that begins with the held hands (often the leader's left and the follower's right) moving toward the "inside" of the couple (along the imaginary line between the centers of the partners); an "outside turn" is the opposite. The turns may be performed in numerous ways and using different handholds. In dances such as swing and salsa, inside and outside turns typically refer to underarm turns performed by the follower. In these dances the follower's right arm is normally used to lead a turn (most commonly by the leader's left arm, but sometimes by the leader's right arm when a cross-hand or "handshake" position is used), an inside turn is normally a left (counter-clockwise) turn, while an outside turn is a right (clockwise) turn. However, if the follower's left arm is used to initiate the turn, the intended direction of turning may be opposite.
"Inside turn" is most intuitively clear if initially the couple is in an open single-handhold position facing each other, and the name corresponds to the direction of the lead. To lead the inside turn, the leader moves the follower's arm inside, and conversely for the outside turn. In other positions the term is not so clear, therefore in some dances,[ which? ] some[ who? ] prefer to use this term according to its usage in ballet, based on footwork rather than arm style. In ballet, when describing pirouettes, an outward (en dehors) turn is the turn in the direction towards the working leg. Accordingly, an inward (en dedans) turn is the turn in the direction towards the support leg. See also rond de jambe.
The latter definition is unambiguous, but in other contexts it is only applicable to a single footstep. For example, according to this definition, chaînés turns are alternating inside and outside turns, although the direction of the rotation is the same. Therefore, it is common to name the turning figure according to the direction of the first turning step.
An alphabetic list of modern country dance terminology:
In some types of partner dance, lead and follow are designations for the two dancers' roles in a dance pairing. The leader is responsible for guiding the couple and initiating transitions to different dance steps and, in improvised dances, for choosing the dance steps to perform. The leader communicates choices to the follower, and directs the follower by means of subtle physical and visual signals, thereby allowing the pair to be smoothly coordinated.
A redowa is a dance of Czech origin with turning, leaping waltz steps that was most popular in Victorian era European ballrooms.
This is a list of dance terms that are not names of dances or types of dances. See List of dances and List of dance style categories for those.
Because ballet became formalized in France, a significant part of ballet terminology is in the French language.
Chicken walks is a dance move that is most frequently used in swing dances, such as East Coast Swing, West Coast Swing and jive. Sometimes they can be seen incorporated in samba.
The closed change is a Pre-Bronze, or newcomer waltz figure, performed in closed position. Changes may start of the right foot or left foot, moving forward or backward. This makes four different types of closed changes. Combining two changes results in a box step. In right changes the man starts from the right foot, while in left ones the man starts from the left foot.
The chassé is a dance step used in many dances in many variations. All variations are triple-step patterns of gliding character in a "step-together-step" pattern. The word came from ballet terminology.
Botafogo, also sometimes spelt as Bota-fogo or Bota Fogo, is a dance step in Samba. Depending on relative positions and handholds, there are several versions of Botafogos while the basic footwork technique is the same. The name comes from Botafogo place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
V6 is a silver level dance pattern of the quickstep International Standard Ballroom dance syllabus. The couple moves diagonally to the center (DC) and then diagonally to the wall (DW), thus sweeping a V-shape on the floor.
Contra body movement is used in ballroom dances, such as waltz, foxtrot, tango, and quickstep. It comprises turning the body against the movement of the legs: either moving forward with the right foot and the left hip and shoulder, or vice versa.
Crossovers are a basic stroking technique in figure skating for gaining impetus while skating along a curve or circle. They may be performed while skating either forwards or backwards.
The counter promenade position is a dance position in ballroom and other dances. It is described differently in various dance categories, but essentially it is the opposite of the promenade position.
British Ice Skating is the governing body of ice skating within the United Kingdom. Formed in 1879, it is responsible for overseeing all disciplines of ice skating: figure skating ; synchronised skating; and speed skating.
A step sequence is a required element in all four disciplines of figure skating, men's single skating, women's single skating, pair skating, and ice dance. Step sequences have been defined as "steps and turns in a pattern on the ice". Skaters earn the most points in step sequences by performing steps and movements with "flair and personality", by turning in both directions, by using one foot and then the other, and by including up and down movements. Step sequences in pair skating should be performed "together or close together". Step sequences must be a part of the short program, but they are not required in the free skating program. The step sequence must be "visible and identifiable", in any shape they like. The ISU defines a step sequence in ice dance as "a series of prescribed or un-prescribed steps, turns and movements in a Rhythm Dance or a Free Dance". Step sequences in ice dance have three divisions: types, groups, and styles.
The promenade position is a dance position in ballroom and other dances. It is described differently in various dance categories.
In dance and gymnastics, a turn is a rotation of the body about the vertical axis. It is usually a complete rotation of the body, although quarter (90°) and half (180°) turns are possible for some types of turns. Multiple, consecutive turns are typically named according to the number of 360° rotations.
The whisk is a ballroom dance step used in the waltz and American style Viennese waltz. It is one of several ways to get into promenade position and is used to turn dancers around corners or change their direction on the dance floor. It can be performed after a reverse turn.
A natural turn is a dance step in which the partners turn around each other clockwise. Its near-mirror counterpart is the reverse turn, which is turning to the counter-clockwise.