My background in dancing is mainly Austrian - several dance course programs have been succeeded by nearly 4 years membership in a nearby ballroom dance club and many balls.

Recently, I was surprised when an American girl I was teaching the waltz, who had had some dance lessons in the US, told me that she had learned just the opposite of what I was teaching her. In Europe, we learn Viennese or English/Slow Waltz with the lead starting forwards on his right foot. She had learned that the lead starts forward on his left, with the couple dancing a clockwise box step. European waltzes have a counter-clockwise basic box step.

The lead starts on his left foot forward for the reverse turn waltz, in both Viennese and Slow Waltz.

I have now even seen some tutorial videos where the instructors show that the dance direction is clockwise around the room, completely the opposite of here, but which is according to the opposite regular step.

Does anyone know why this is? It doesn't make any sense to me... Maybe it got mixed up when the dance floated across the pond 200 years ago?

Cheers,
Andrew