I need some help! Talking about ballroom dances, I would like to know what do i have to do to make the woman understand that she has to do a heel turn instead of any side step. I mean, i can do reverse turn in english waltz or telemark.Whats the difference in leading? The lady has to know that she has to close feet to turn in heels instead of doind any side step. Can any help? Is it clear my question?
Thanks in advance.

To understand the leading of a heel turn, it is best to first understand what it is you want the follower to do. This may sound self-evident and oversimplified, but when a leader is unsuccessful, a lack of complete understanding is usually the culprit. So I suggest exploring that on a deeper level in studio, keeping the following things in mind as you do:

With the heel turn, a "missed" lead typically results in a side step for the lady, so you're on to something when you question the difference in lead between a heel turn-based reverse (or natural) and an open reverse. The answer is in the distinction between those two movements. In any turning figure there is a balance between the progression of the body through space and the timing of the rotation; Changing that balance affects the outcome.

With no turn, leading and following is a fairly straightforward endeavor: You move off of a foot, and your partner should be inclined to do the same, in the same direction and with equal distance. Turn complicates things because the more of it you have, the more you and your partner's steps will differ in size and direction, assuming you intend to stay in the same position relative to one another (e.g. closed position). This can be illustrated in the extreme by standing in a wide closed facing position, and having the man turn around while standing on one spot. The lady is forced to walk or chasse around a circle whose radius is exactly the length of the distance between partners.

A good rudimentary exercise in understanding the leading of heel turns, as well as spot runs, standing spins, and other rotational movements, is to do just that: First, have the man stand on a spot with the lady dancing on a circle around him. Then switch roles, with the man dancing around the lady (turning in the same direction). Then practice transitioning from one to the other without stopping, having the man decide when to switch each time, and leading each switch. Start with the widest possible radius (i.e. greatest distance possible in a closed facing position, or even in an open facing position with two-hand hold). Then if you're successful, start shortening the distance. The shorter the distance, the more subtle the distinction becomes, and the more the difficulty increases as a result. Practice first at the distance that is 100 percent successful, then go just slightly beyond. If you find yourself confused and frustrated, you've pushed too far. Back off and pace yourself, and it will eventually get easier.

A second exercise would be one where, instead of having one partner at the exact center of a circle, you have both partners chasse around two wider, concentric circles, i.e. curving chasses. Here, both partners must continually shift weight from one foot to another, but one partner's steps will always be slightly wider than the other's. The amount of difference depends on the width of the circles. Start with a very wide circle, so that the difference is almost unnoticeable, and then spiral inward, noticing the increasing difference in size of your steps. At its extreme, it becomes the exercise above, where one partner is at the center, taking no steps at all. Like the above exercise, practice switching roles, with the man leading the change from inside to outside of turn, always turning the same direction.

When you become skilled at both of these exercises, you will begin to see more clearly how you can lead and follow turns -- not only what direction to turn, but also who is turning around whom, and how big those circles are. Or put another way, whether you want the lady to close her feet and remain at the exact center of the circle while you turn around her, or whether you want her to move with you on a wider circle that's only slightly smaller than your own.

Put into the context of the open reverse vs. the heel turn reverse: The second step is the moment where the two of you will be drawing that circle, and that is the moment when

Put into the context of the open reverse vs. the heel turn reverse: The second step is the moment where the two of you will be drawing that circle, the moment when you will either be dancing around the lady while she remains on one spot, as in the heel turn, or the two of you will be stepping sideways around two concentric circles, as in the open reverse. But the distinction between the two types of turn actually begins quite a bit earlier than that, after the first step has been placed. It is at this moment that the timing of your progression to your rotation is crucial. If your progression is too dominant, especially that of your left side, you will force the lady to progress beyond her first step, and she won't be able to close her feet even if she tries to. This, of course, is exactly what you want to do when leading an open reverse: You want to cause her to move off of her first step and take a side step with you. But in the case of a heel turn, you must moderate the progression of your left side, and once she's on her foot, divert the direction slightly so that your left side moves around her, so as not to disturb her balance over her foot as she turns.

Again, this all comes back to understanding what you're trying to ask your partner to do: When you want her to balance over one foot, you'd better not push or pull her off of that foot. Everything at that point must be done in service of keeping her balanced on her foot, and when you approach it from that perspective, you will be more successful at moving your body in a way that maintains that balance.

To that end, I will suggest one last exercise. Starting in a wide closed facing position, lead the first three steps of a reverse turn. Do this several times in a row, choosing at random whether to lead the heel turn or the open reverse. Each time, after you have placed your first step, pause momentarily, taking the time to think about whether you intend to keep her on one spot, or move her off of her foot as you move off of your first step and into your second. If you are consistently successful, you can gradually over time shorten the distance between you and your partner, with the goal of eventually executing it in body contact. Just remember that decreased proximity = increased difficulty, so take your time working toward that goal. And if your success rate decreases too much, you must dial back the difficulty by increasing the distance to one you can handle.

You may also hear others recommend using a slightly earlier rise to assist in leading the heel turn. This can also help for a number of reasons, and should not be overlooked ultimately. But before you go pursuing yet another skill, start with the above exercises, simply for the purpose of teaching yourself the core principles of the timing of your rotation. You can always conquer more beasts after you've slain this one, or at least given it a good, solid beating.

I hope that helps. Good luck, and happy dancing!

Regards,
Jonathan Atkinson
www.ballroomdancers.com