In the Waltz when closing the foot is it the heel or the toe that closes first? I'm sure I read somewhere that it is the heel that closes but my new coach insists it is the toe. By the way I'm a lady.

Puzzled. Believe your teacher. Going forward man or lady the footwork is Step 1 H. Step 2 T. Step 3 TH. Going backwards it is Step 1 TH. Step 2 T. Step 3 TH. Please note that the second step in both cases, Step 2 the heel does not lower to the floor..

Incorrect. The footwork of step one is HT, which in a swing dance is a world of a difference from H.

Not that it has much of anything to do with the poster's question though.

One probably could argue that after dancing the forward half of a turn, the heel will close first since the moving foot is closing backwards relative to itself, but setting up the correct footwork for moving the body weight is a lot more important than the details of inflection of the non-weighted foot.

As a result of an injury, i've been working on my own on a few technical things for slow waltz, and a few tricky points have cropped up.
Take the natural turn for a man, and everything i say will be related to the foot placement, which i am assuming will be on the beat in slow waltz. (I say this because the phrase 'end of 3' is ambiguous - i put up a posting on this before).
First - the rise. I am at my lowest as my right heel is planted on the first beat of the music. When do i start my rise? My left is planted on the toe on beat two, with my right still on its toe. Has there been much rise before this left toe plant? And if so, approx. how much (compared to the total rise). The technique book says "rise on 2 and continue to rise start of 3". But this means rise on step 2, which doesn't coincide with beat 2. I've possibly been thinking about rise too much after seeing a top English dancer moving beautifully in slow waltz with a rise to die for.
Second - the foot alignments. At the moment when my left toe plants, both feet are on their toes, but my left foot is angled about 60 degrees relative to the right (the standing foot i'm moving from). I always think this must look a little ugly, but i guess it's inevitable with a rotating figure. Should i be worried about this?

The rise begins at the end of one. Because the footwork is HT, you must already have your right heel lifted before your left foot passes it on the way to step two. This is only slightly a rise, much more it will help create the upswing that will make the correct amount of rise in step two very natural.

For foot alignments, your right foot must not turn more than a trivial amount off the direction of progression at any time in step one. The step is forward, period. Step two is placed with the feet parallel and unturned, and then both feet swivel to back something like DC, staying more or less parallel throughout the entire figure. (We call step two a sideways action because the body has turned, but it is still in pretty much the same direction in which step one was taken). This is in marked contrast to the back half of the natural, where the feet point between 100 and 135 degrees apart during step 2.

Anonymous. Quote. a forward walk on the RF, then on the LF, would be described as Heel Heel. The fact that the whole of the RF. lowers to the floor immediately is assumed and not mentioned. It is obvious that when the LF moves forward,. the heel of the RF. will naturally leave the floor, as described in the Forward Walk of the man. Again this is assumed, but not mentioned Alex Moore. End of Quote. So there we go. I would never try to say to a beginner HT. or THT. It's too much of a mouthful, it might be misinterpreted , and might cause the pupil, in this case a beginner, to rise too quickly. Just analyse a TH as in the third step off the Feather Step. How could you not raise the heel as the next step is taken , which is strangely enough call just a H. but when it become the first of a Reverse becomes a HT. That is one place where it is neccasary to say HT. because of the rise needed to arrive on the second step.To finish. Quote. In his book Alex Moore said. It is hoped that the keen Amatuer will regard this book as something more than a means of acquiring knowledge of steps and variations. It is also hoped that no student will be foolish enough to be gulled into the belief that a Parrot's knowledge of its contents will be sufficient to satisfy an astute examiner. It maybe that some of my views may not meet with universal approval, but they are given in the conscientious belief that they will assist towards a truer interpritation of the Dance. End of quote. But unfortunately in an examination one has to become a Parrot.

Phil. After step one of the Natural the left foot must come under the body and be collected as your right foot will turn. The Golden Rule for Modern is that the feet are pointing in the same direction. Not to turn on the RF will have your feet looking like Daffy Duck. What do you do on a Closed Change. The first three of a Natural is only a Closed Change with turn. To understand turning over the feet it's worth trying 456 of the ladies Spin Turn starting facing the LOD. Forward RF turning a half a turn over that foot coming into neutral before stepping to the side with the LF. where the turn is continued. There should be a Pivot type action but it is not a true Pivot. This is probably new to some, but believe me it has been there in the book since the year dot. It is not that action that resembles a weight being swung around on the end of a rope completely out of control. If you are trying to get anywhere near those first three of a Natural as we see on tapes. Try counting 1 and 2 and 3 and. The draw up of the feet is on the and after 2. then we have three to rise and LOWER ON THE THREE AND. Remember to bring the LF under the body into a Neutral position on 1 and. Do exactly the same in a Closed Change. Now we have a continuity of steps and not something different every time we do something that should have the same technique. All of the above can be seen and learned from a tape if we don't have some preconcieved idea of how it should be done. I try to watch as if it is the very first time each time. I also wondered how those champions have more time than me especially on beat three, that's the one to watch.

Thank you Anon and Phil for your reply. Onlooker and Don. I believe your postings should have been displayed elsewhere. My message - if you read it again - is about the closing foot on step 3 of the Natural Turn in the Waltz, as lady. This action was just brought up in general conversation with my new coach. My previous coach was trained by the late Major Eric Hancox, UK.

Puzzled. Yes things did get carried away. The answere is that the closing foot in the modern Waltz is a toe untill the feet come together. At this point you are on both toes. Then the closing foot, the heel lowers to the floor.

Perhaps you should explain what you mean by 'closes first'. One poster seems to be giving you answers about what part of the foot is in contact with the floor, but it doesn't look like that's what you asked. And since some other questions came up, those have gotten answered.

But really, what exactly was your question?