Standard Technique

Standard Technique

See: 

Dance Frame and Topline

Understand Alignment (Line of Dance) 

Ballroom Dance Movement

Turns in Ballroom Dance

Principal Actions in Ballroom Dancing

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

1. Progression - leg action

   • Basic action: forward, back and side.

2. 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

3. Lowering - leg action

   • without change body posture

4. Rising - leg action

   • Foot rise: use ankle joint

   • Body rise: straightening knee

5. 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.