Solo .Just a series of Closed Change Steps. Going foreward to Waltz time. Concentrate on what is happening. Is your weight under your body before the side step. Is the heel leaving the floor at the end of step one. Now go backwards. Have you gone to the tip of the toe of the moving leg. Is the weight under the body before stepping to the side. Is the heel of the supporting foot still in contact with the floor as the side step is being placed NFR. What might seem like a very boring episode can become very interesting if some thought is put into it. Now introduce this into your dancing especially on any steps going backwards.

Closed changes are awkward for many.

One secret: as you arrive in step one, bring your weight into the foot, then redirect it 90 degrees to the inside edge. This puts you into position to make a sidestep with control, from inside edge of foot to inside edge of foot.

Anonymous. You might know the name Michael Barr. He was giving the comentory on last years World Amatuer. In the Solo Waltz one couple started with absolute basics. He commended them for doing so and said how difficult those steps are to perform well. Enough said coming from a former British and World Champion.

The thing is, basics are hard. To win with them, you need to master the kind of often misunderstood details that only a coach like Michael or Vicky or one of their peers, or the most attentive students thereof, can provide. It's not enough to simply drill your basics, you have to actually understand what you are working towards in practicing them.