Standard Technique

See:

Principal Actions in Ballroom Dancing

Dancing is blending of the following actions in different degrees, created by either leg or body action:

Progression - leg action
- Basic action: forward, back and side.
Turn and Rotation - body action
- Rotation
  - body turning (without feet moving). Maximum rotation is max body can do around spine (spine not moving) without involving feet
  - Feet swivel: try without involving shoulder, hip slightly rotates, but only as much it needs
- Turn - body turning with partner
Lowering - leg action
- without change body posture
Rising - leg action
- Foot rise: use ankle joint
- Body rise: straightening knee
Sway - body action
- curvature of the spine is maintained when swaying. don't just sway arms.
- sway is often done together with rotation

Terminology

Rhythm & Tempo

Bar/Measure: A bar is a part of the music that starts with an accented beat and finishes right before the next accented beat. (bar lines on musical sheet)

Rhythm/Time Signature: how many beats in each measure/bar. Example: 1 2 3 vs SSQQ

Tempo: speed of music, i.e. the speed beat is played, how many beats per minute.

Direction & Alignment

Travel direction and foot alignment may or may not be the same.

Foot alignment could be Diagonal Center, but traveling direction could be Line of Dance.

Turn & Rotation

Turn is for the feet. Rotation is hip relative position to feet.