Standard Lesson with Danny

1. We continued the conversation on rotation in waltz.

2. In double reverse: the person going back does the rotation, the person going forward needs to move. So it is lady rotate, man move; then switch to lady move, man rotate. In the over spin part, lady rotate again. man move.  At this point, we get into something like a PP for a brief moment, before step out to the left whisk.

3. In natural turn, the leader sends his signal at the & before the 1, by bending the ankle. the difference between bending the ankle and bending the knee is that bending ankle shift the body forward, while bending the knee could keep the person in place (like sitting down, instead of moving forward). And it's the moving forward that is giving the signal to the girl to step out.

4. Swing and sway of the natural turn: the leader sway left to stop the turn. Not exactly sure if it's sway we are talking about here, because he said it's something in the legs that he is doing. He called this counter rotation.


Quick Step.
1. need to make sure that the legs are before the body in closed position. In promenade position, can keep the body tilted because nobody is in front of you.
2. pepper pot step has Q&QQQ, the first Q& each are 1/4 of a count. 

General.
1. He asked us for a stronger/warm connection/fit, especially at the beginning of a partnership. 
2. He asked me to free my upper body for rotations. He said I was too stiff to follow his lead. So I was able to correct it, and he said it was good.

standard lesson with Danny on 12/21/2011

We had a lesson on waltz with Danny today at Ballroom Off Fifth.
It was a great lesson, we were able to work on some finer details of the dance.
1. we talked about fitting first.  Especially the fitting of the hip/thigh joint.
2. We then talked about the standing spin:
a. Denis need to lead the turn with the back of his neck, not his right arm.  He need to screw into the floor to stop, not still high up to stop.
b. I need to move my foot before my head, and leave my head with the standing leg. Need to ensure this on the first step stepping out of the left whisk.
3. we talked about free up the body for movement, instead of having it rigid and all thrown toward the partner at the same time. We started this topic while Danny was trying to tell Denis how to do the double reverse. He need to the step, rotation and swing in that order, not all at the same time. As he was talking about it, I realized that this rotation is what was missing in our natural turn, so I asked him to elaborate on this using Natural turn as an example. An example is the rotation of the body in the natural turn. In particular for the leader, after moving weight to the right foot, then it's rotation of the body (shoulder?), then it's swing the leg (think of the leg started at the shoulder). He demonstrated the rotation and usage of the body with me, using some figures like a zig zaging (but not really zig zagging, it's like weave, but I go backward). He showed how dancing is rigid and boring without this part.  He mentioned o do this as well in the spin turn.  We need to talk about  this more in our next lesson with Danny. Denis asked an interesting question when we were talking about the rotation in the spin turn vs the turning in the standing spin. Earlier in the standing spin, Danny was instructing him to only lead the turn with the back of the neck, do not pull the right side(shoulder) away to lead the turn. Here on the running spin turn, Danny talked about using rotation of the body after weight is commited at the first step (i.e. on the left step).
4. We talked about switching roles in the double reverse over spin to left whisk. In general the person going back is the person who is active.

Waltz Routine

Totally 6 phrase (48 bars), with 28-30 bar per minute, that is 96-102 seconds to finish.  Typically would dance to the end of 5th phrase in 90 seconds.

Waltz Routine
1st wall (Long)
1. Natural turn 123
2. Running spin turn 4&56
3. Reverse turn ending VCross 223&
4. fall away slip pivot 4&56
5. double reverse over spin 3&2&3
6. Left Whisk 4 5 6
7. run around 4&2&3&
8. Ending in PP 4 5 6
9. zigzag: 1&2 3  2nd wall (short)

10. pivot and spin turn: 4& 5 6  (4& are pivots, keep it flat, 5 is spin turn rise.)
11. turning lock ending PP: 2&23
12. chasse: 4 5&6 (on the 6, goes back, instead of side)
13. natural: 3 2 3
14. spin turn: 4 5 6 (where do we need to face at the end of the spin turn? Is this an under turned spin turn?)
15. turning lock to PP: 4&23
3rd wall (Long) 
16. chasse: 45&6
17. quick open reverse + a pivot: 1&23&
18. double reverse overspin: 4&5&6
19. throw away : 223 456
20. turn around develope: 323 456
21. weave from PP 423
22. Outside change to PP 4 5 6
22. lunge roll  12&3
23. right foot lunge 456
4th wall (Short)
24. check & slip pivot 223 456
25. chasse to right. 32&3
26. tumble turn. 45&6&
27. reverse turn. 423
28. contra check. 456 (weight on R foot on 3)
29. two step forward then rounde on right foot. (1&2
30. run around ending in PP (Standing spin) (3& 4 &56), &3 step forward, & get on left foot, 123 turn into PP)
5th wall (Long)
31. wave to outside change to PP (223, 456)
32. telespin. (3&2&3)
33. outside swivel,(&456)
34. change of direction.(like a reverse turn?) (323)
35. develope on right foot, outside partner. (456)
36. outside spin.(1&23)
37. pivot, pivot. (4& 5& 6) Not sure about the rest
38. heel turn, change foot,
39. step back right foot to same foot lounge (head left)
40. shape head right,
41. shape head left, weave coming out. (what is the head out step called?)
42.  outside change to PP.