Try this one. Am I wrong in saying that in the Vennese Waltz Natural Turn we move out of each others way without even having to think about it. If we didn't we will veer into the centre, and we know thats not right. So we allow space for the person on the outside allowing them to be able to do a straight line down the LOD. But when it comes to the other dances it seems that bit of technique goes out the window even though on videos it is plain to see. Four tracks, and the person on the inside of a turn allows the person on the outside the right of way. Still able to keep body contact which means the foot has to go wide of the hip line.
Fire Away.

In most of the dances, there is a school of thought that the foot goes in the direction of travel, while the body rotates or opens as necessary to get out of the partner's way. This is the form of CBM usually practiced by Eggleton-inspired dancers.

But there is another school of thought where the body and feet remain more aligned, and thus would both open somewhat on a curved track to accomodate the partner. This style is commonly associated with the students of Bill Irvine. It's worth noting though that the actual differences are fairly subtle, compared to the grossly overdone distortions of each method common in the wild.

But where it gets really interesting is that I know of at least one Eggleton style teacher who claims that viennese waltz doesn't really have CBM... finally we figured out that what they mean is that they dance VW with something more like an Irvine style body and foot CBM, which doesn't really feel like CBM to an Eggleton style dancer used to associating a feeling of internal twist with CBM.

Having just performed disastrously in a competition (pause for quick sob) i'm a little more nervous about commenting here than normal.
It's impossible to dance Viennese waltz, with its continuous rotation movement, without CBM.
As for allowing your partner to pass down the LOD (quickstep's point) just consider the man stepping back on beat one with his left foot in a natural turn. this step is not exactly down LOD. The foot is slightly outside LOD and as the foot is planted, the body has rotated by about 60 degrees.
Just remember, the rotation is continuous.
i believe a similar thing happens on the feather finish in foxtrot to allow the lady to pass on the outside of the turn, but this time with the man's right foot moving back.

Where i've said 60 degrees, i think that should have been "about 30 degrees"

The teacher in question merely opens the body but does not step off the line in slow waltz or foxtrot. However in viennese waltz they step off the line, so there is less internal twist in the body. Compared to their waltz/foxtrot technique, this doesn't feel like CBM, though of course it still is.

I hate the V.Waltz. No wonder it's not danced at the British. After the Nat Turns it's not possible to stay in phrase with the music which is eight bar phrased. Just been watching the tennis from Australia. The Dancing with the Stars which was so popular in the Uk and Australia. One of the Russian girls said when she gets home she has to learn how to dance. It seems to be catching on all over. In Australia the third series starts next month. Former Olympic Champion Swimmer Shane Gould is among those taking the plunge

Why can't you stay in phase? Dancers are doing it all the time

Staying in phrase in the V Waltz. Work it out. Eight bars of Natural. One change step to free the Left foot . Now your are starting your Reverse on 2 2 3 go on to 7 2 3 now 8 2 3 to release the Right foot. Back into the Natural on 1 2 3. Start the whole process again. It doesn't matter how you go about this it still doesn't work out.

Phil. I believe you have a tape Ballroom Lines with Marcus Hilton. If you go to the Eros Line to the Right (Last example) followed by a Curving Feather plus an Open Imputes Turn. If you put it into slow motion and take the floor boards as an alignment you can see how wide he steps in relation to the floor, also the strong CBM plus two other things. Look for the shaping of the left foot and the veering in of the right knee.. It is interesting if you watch the shape of the Right Foot at the end of the curved Feather into the Open Impetus. Which for me goes to prove that you cannot try to be too techniquely correct. Have a look at another dancer and we have other differences. I still have the old book and there is no shaping of the feet in it at all.

Hi Don
thanks for pointing me to that. i'll look at it tonight