Please read previous comments. We have been looking at this from the mans steps. When we look at how the lady swings her right hip and foot back into place we will see that the leg is straight,that there is no pushing up off that foot and that it is not used to control the timing. Yes I know the man controls the timing but the lady has danced her timing and rise with the swing of that hip.

Hi Dave,

No doubt, the Waltz is being danced with ever increasing flight and therefore the flight in all steps has increased over time.

What I am contesting, is very specifically the relative difference between the flight into step 1 versus the flight into step 2 ie., generally I disagree that the flight into step 1 is more than the flight into step 2, in the basic figures dancing the classical musicality.

To achieve the 'classical' Waltz character and musicality one should dance the end-of-3 into 1 into 2 with ever increasing flight. The entire mechanics of the basic steps are constructed from this musical intent that harmonises the flight with the way the musical tension is built and released in the music. And I don't see the very best messing with the 'flight' pattern I mention when dancing the basics (not that I'm prescibing that one should never...you will not find me using that kind of language).

Yes, there are other musical interpretations and choreographic possibilities and by all means dance them, no harm there. Variation is important.

Rha

Thanks Rha. I personally find it easyer and more enjoyable to dance it more horazontal with less sway and the way that Gleave dances and describes the basic waltz in his video. When teaching someone to dance for the first time you obviosly have to get them to dance the timing with each foot since they have no flight. I still don't know the difference between step swing and step push. Where is the incorrect push taking place ? It can't be on (one) the first step as we roll over the foot onto the ball using the ball toe for more power to push off do we not? or are we supposed to have have enough power from the 3& . But as you say the old way is to increase the power gradually over step one and two. The problem with the old way is that it does not work that way when we swing into a FSPivot or a DRS here we step and swing onto the second step, perhaps the new way if it is new,of dancing a NT makes it easyer to swing into the next movement. I say try dancing a curved feather from a contra check without using the second step to continue the rise or control the timing

"When teaching someone to dance for the first time you obviosly have to get them to dance the timing with each foot since they have no flight."

Why should beginner dancers have no flight once they put on their dance shoes, when the probably had flight on the walk between the car and the studio door?

"I say try dancing a curved feather from a contra check without using the second step to continue the rise or control the timing"

A curved feather does not have waltz rise, so the second step will be different than in a figure which does.

When they walk from the car to the studio they use each foot for the flight and not alternate feet. Yes you are right they can dance it with flight at the very begining with a good teacher and a quick learner but would they not still have to dance the timing with the feet at least untill they no longer have to think what they have to do with the feet. Please at what point in the NT do we not PUSH . Thank You . Dave PS: I don't see any visable difference in the rise of a feather step in the waltz compared to the the basic 18 of the waltz, is the timing not the same. What am I missing? Thanks

Feather should be Curved feather,sorry.

" I don't see any visable difference in the rise of a feather step in the waltz compared to the the basic 18 of the waltz,"

A basic waltz figure rises along a path of underhanded (pendulum) swing to cease motion with the feet together. A (curved) feather rises along a more linear path and crests softly as a metromic* or overhanded swing, with only a slowing rather than a cessation of motion at the peak of rise.

(*metronomic swing = allusion to motion of an inverted pendulum such as the old tick-tock metronome)

Thanks Suomymona. I was taught to change weight quickly enough at the top of the swing in the natural so that there would be no pause and so the rise would be the same. My teacher a world finalist called that "if I remember correctly" splitting the beat,also by splitting the beat one leg is always moving when we dance, so that as soon as the right leg is along side the left the left is moving befor you have lowered. This needs strong ankles, so the ankles have to be strengthend through various exercises.

If we said there is a horizontal plane as well as a vertical plane in the swing of the waltz, then yes we do pause on the horizontal plane when we bring our feet together in the NT, but on the vertical plane "the rise and fall" there is no pause and both the curved feather and NT are danced with a waltz timing.

"but on the vertical plane "the rise and fall" there is no pause and both the curved feather and NT are danced with a waltz timing."

You obviously neglected to look up the rise and fall for the curved feather before posting. It's actually given as the same as for the linear feather: rise end of 1, up on 2. This is different than waltz, where you commence to rise end of step 1 and continue to rise on steps 2 and 3.