Hi there everyone! I just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Taylor and I'm a professional ballroom dance instructor. I would very much appreciate it if you would ask me any questions you may have about dancing/dance history. I have done a lot of research on all kinds of dancing and I'm always looking to learn more myself, so if anyone has any questions I would love to answer them. Thanks!

InstructorTG. Before the Natural Turn in the Waltz was introduced by Victor Silvester in 1922 . Does anybody know what steps it replaced. I know on the Reverse Turn the feet crossed on the third step and a Heel Pivot in the last part..

As far as I can tell, Victor Silvester invented the Natural turn, but I don't think it replaced any step beforehand. I believe it was just a newly invented step. I've asked around and I unfortunately haven't gotten a lot of information on it. The Natural turn and the Reverse turn are almost near-mirror counterparts of each other, both have pivots.

How would you teach Males in particular to rise to the ball of foot at the end of the first forward step in figures like feathers and forward and reverse turns, in foxtrot? How do you convince them to get off the heel?. Put another way, how do you teach a heel-ball step?.

If you can make them imagine a central point through the middle of the body that has made the whole body almost rigid, then the body will stay in vertical balance, it then beomes dificult not make the heel leave the floor, this can give the initial lift required to move through the ball to the toe, once the body bends forward at the top, the heel can stay flat and they can get away with it. Be careful not to tighten them too much as you will create future problems in fluidity. Gary Sharp UK

I'm now learning [ Cha cha].
One of the figures is [Hip Rocks].
How we dance this figure ?
I donnot find it in the any textbook,
for example[Laten American Cha Cha Cha],
[Pupular Variations in Laten-American
Dancing].
Thunks.

Hi InstructorTG,
Welcome to this site. I'm quite sure you will learn a lot more.

What style of dance do you teach ?

And, how long have you been teaching/dancing ?

Are you qualified and to what level ?

Hi InstructorTG.

Welcome to the forum and thank you for your offer of help.

I was wondering if you could explain to me me whether the CBM on step 1 of a natural turn in international style waltz is applied before or after the foot placement , ie whether it represents a pushing from ankle of the L leg, or a pulling of the thigh of the R leg.

Another question I have. How does the man lead a lock to get the lady to cross rather than step back. I think this question is probably related to one posed in a recent thread I started "back lock, slightly rightwards ? " (although it might not be).

Any input from you TG (or any other of the regular contributors) much appreciated.

I you apply your CBM at the beginning of 1, it will take the jerkiness out of your first step and help to smooth your weight transfer, push from the left ankle then put pressure into the ball of your left foot to allow a smoother transfer of your weight onto the right heel. Happy Dancing