What makes a twinkle? My dance teacher keeps calling two different things a twinkle, and I'm getting confused. The first twinkle starts when I'm facing toward a corner, I don't turn on the first 123. It ends when I turn a little to the right and end facing the wall on the second 123.

The second twinkle starts when I'm facing a wall, and I turn a little to the left on the first 123. This one ends on the second 123 when I turn the follower to face me. This time I end facing toward a corner again!

But he calls both of these patterns "Twinkle". What am I missing?

American style naming is inconsistent enough that our circle of smooth afficionados generally uses international style terminology either instead of or in addition to smooth terms.

"Twinkle" is a term of convenience that gets slapped on a bunch of things - descriptive modifiers are more important. I've done hover telemark to pp twinkles, back-whisk like twinkles (w/o foot cross), progressive twinkles & their mirror image, etc...

Also, it's critically important to break sequences down into their component parts at the measure level - Dance Vision in particular is often guilty of tacking a precede or follow onto something, naming the combination as one figure, and not telling you what they have done.

The description of the first one doesn't sound like any twinkles I can think of, but I might be able to place it with more detail (the directions you're stepping in and what your partner is doing). As Dronak said, there are several types of twinkles.

And then you have the difference between Bronze and Silver Twinkles, which is a matter of footwork.

In Bronze Waltz, the leader would go L-Forward, R-Side, L-Close (This may turn a bit to get you into proper alignment of where you want the twinkle to end, if you are going around a corner, probably doesn't need to turn, if you are in the middle of a wall, need to turn it so your promenade is facing at a diagonal, so you continue down line of dance.).... As you lower, you turn into Promenade and the R Leg Extends between partners R-Forward, L-Side (bring partner to face), R-Close.

In Silver Waltz, the difference is on the first 3. L-Forward, R-Side, ***L- Brushes to meet R Foot and then steps out*** (Usually involves more turn then the bronze version, but less than a spin turn.) R- Step through, L-Side (bring partner to face), R-Close.

Hope this helps. (Any corrections, welcome, too.)

Vince, a "hover" has to actually hover...you go to a foot, hover there while you change direction, then step out on the other foot. Silver level twinkles in ballroom do this, bronze twinkles do not.

Blair, not all twinkles end in promenade: progressive twinkles (some people call them spirals) are executed entirely in closed position. I don't think I've ever seen a twinkle that didn't include a movement that brought you back to closed by the end...at least as written in the Dance Vision syllabus.

I don't know American style well enough to tell from your descriptions what the steps are. However, they could be different variations of a basic twinkle and actually have longer, more specific names. Like maybe one's a Basic Twinkle and the other is a Turning Twinkle or something. I really have no idea. Why not just ask your teacher about it? That's what he's there for, to help you learn. If you're confused, why not tell him so and see if he can give you a better explanation?

--
James Marshall
marshall@astro.umd.edu
http://www.astro.umd.edu/~marshall

Thought what was a hover? IIRC, the international foxtrot Hover Telemark is essentially a type of American style twinkle. Maybe you have to make it end in PP, but I think that's how I remember being taught it.

--
James Marshall
marshall@astro.umd.edu
http://www.astro.umd.edu/~marshall

I think you are describing more than just a version of the Twinkle but also the figure that follows it as well. All Twinkle variations are figures that end with you opened into promenade position in either waltz or foxtrot. The following figure can be anything that starts from promenade position. Twinkles are a transitional step and can be useful for changing directions (like corners).

Blair

. . . and all the time I thought that was a "hover."

No wonder it's most most favorite, yet most challenging dance!!!

Dronak:
Obviously, I am not a 'ballroom' dancer, but I understood them to mean . . . in the Waltz!

I do compete, and the Waltz is one of the dances I compete in. I have heard my Pro use the term "twinkle." But I do use the hover to change direction, say from 'my back being downline' of the dance floor moving to the outside of the dance floor . . . getting up on the balls of the feet on 2, 3, opening up to my partner, changing directions to me facing downline of the dance floor???

Told you I'm not ballroom, but this is what I am being taught, and not sure if they are nearly the same thing.

I'll ask my swing Pro on Saturday during my private with her . . . she does ballroom . . .