Anonympous. It doesn't stop there. If I step four backing diagnal to the wall. Step fives goes diagnal to the Wall.
If I step four backing LOD then step five goes down the LOD The amount of turn is the same.

"Anonympous. It doesn't stop there. If I step four backing diagnal to the wall. Step fives goes diagnal to the Wall.
If I step four backing LOD then step five goes down the LOD The amount of turn is the same."

The overall amount is the same, but it's distribution varies.

We know that steps 1 and 2 are going to move to DW. And we know that step 5 is going to go more or less down LOD. The question then is where the change is made.

The official figures set up a change of direction during step three, such that step three ends having established a new direction of progression that will be down LOD, so step five moves that way.

What we are seeing though is a tendancy to keep the movement to DW, and for the man at least to move his body off to DW during step four. The lady will tend to dance some sort of compromise - trying to some extent to move down the LOD with her step four, but not perfectly able to as she would seperate from him too much if she did. By step five they have usually patched things up, and are both moving down LOD.

So the question really, is if the direction of movement should change during step 3, or only during step 4. Officially it is step three, and when you discover the role of rise in facilitating the change of direction, you will realize why that is the proper answer. If you really study the technique book, you will start to see that this is fairly consistent principle - body rotation can happen at any time, but the actual change in the direction of progression tends to occur at the highest point in the figure. Figures where step three is not a closure makes this clearest, but it is also true in the waltz.

"The official figures set up a change of direction during step three, such that step three ends having established a new direction of progression that will be down LOD, so step five moves that way."

Sorry, should be so step FOUR moves that way. Step five of course will as well.

A Natural Spin Turn contains the first three of a Natural plus a Pivot. If it isn't done that way then it is a type of Spin Turn. In the early 20's four teachers of ballroom dancing were asked to compose a sylabus for the purpose of examination . The Dance Journal published the syllabus of the examination which the candidates had to pass to be admitted to the new society.
The comittee was J Bradly. E. Smith.L Humphries and V Silvester. One aim they had was to stop the style becoming part of the crazy steps that some were trying to do at that time.
Reading through some of our old posts the term Three step Turn was used. We in Modern do not do a Three Step Turn. It is a step in Latin. It is a Latin Step and nothing to do with Modern. By that I believe shows my thoughts. You cannot change a step and call it anything other than a type of.
If I find any competition were they do a NST.I will return. At this moment in time I haven't seen one yet.I have a bigger collection of IDSF tapes than most to plough through. Running Spin Turn yes, plenty. Spin Turn nil. As for a Natural Turn you can forget that one. Nobody does it and haven't for years, something like 60 maybe.I've never seen one.