Waltz Video Analysis

Analysis of the Waltz Routine

Here is a self-evaluation and critique of my waltz routine (in a quicktime video clip). My intention here is to share with you some of my mistakes so that myself and others can learn from them. I welcome your constructive critiques in helping me to advance my ballroom dancing. Here are some of my observations:

Open Natural Turn to Right-Side Position: I find it difficult to complete the half turn from promenade position into Right-side position. From a promenade, I don't have the advantage of using contra-body movement. Also, my foot alignment down diagonal wall also makes it difficult to initiate the half turn.

As you can see in the video, I fail to get into the Right-side position by the end of the third count. I suspect that what I need to do are a few things. I should take a smaller step on 1 so that my partner steps small on 1 too. In doing so, I should have an easier time getting around my partner.

Another point which might help me complete the half rotation into a right-side position is to step on 1 and quickly pivot on my toes on count 1+ . Perhaps my difficulty is that I don't pivot enough as go into step 2. I also suspect that I should maintain steady rotation through a right shoulder lead in order to get into the ride-side position as I land into count three on my right foot.

Any other suggestions or advice here?

Natural Turn with Tiplets: It seems that my tiplet steps are too big as I step through the tiplets (counted 2& 3). Perhaps I should focus more on rotation than on traveling down the line of dance. Note also on the & of 2, I don't quite close my feet. Furthermore, my left foot is slightly angled inward.

Natural Turn into Hesitation: As I step into 3 to initiate the Natural Turn with Hesitation Drag, I should again concentrate more on rotation than on distance. The video seems to show that I lost balance and posture to get around my partner as I pivot on count 3. In the video, I'm trying hard to pivot enough so that I can step out of the rise-step hesitation into a promenade going down diagonal center.

In the rise-up step, I see that I failed to stop my forward motion off the natural turn. As a result, I leaned forward into my partner during count 2 of the hesitation drag and rise-step. That forward motion should have been instead the completion of the natural rotation with a straight vertical rise.

Continuity Finish: On step 2 of this move, not how I lost posture when I stooped my neck forward. Not a pretty sight, hey?

Fallaway with Slip Pivot: I think I executed this step pretty nicely. I liked the way I compressed into the knees and used contra-body movement to initiate the fallaway. I also liked how I maintained my shoulders square to center of dance to allow my partner to step back before pivoting. A question I do have is whether step 1 of the fallaway was too large a step. I really pushed hard off that first step!