Slavi Waltz/Viennese Waltz - Cecile

Waltz

Use breathing to help the concept of weight.

- When up and stretching: Inhale

- When going down: Exhale (start exhaling a little before going down to initiate the movement)

On the natural turn: Man should release the hip forward when the foot passes on 1, and go "underneath" the lady

Same foot lunge: Exhale and take your time, then go faster on the next part.

Back Check: Leave the right foot back. First internalize/suck stomach in, before releasing to stretch and create the line of the back check. Then roll onto the ball of the foot to go into the pivots.

Double lock: On the second lock, man should create the shape by leading with the hips. Also turn head towards the lady. Man shouldn't turn more to the left on the second lock to face the line of dance, but on the contrary more to the right facing the wall.

Tumble turn: Review man's footwork (should step forward instead of lock back). Lady: Left foot forward, then right foot forward: turn to the left but only with the hips and continue this rotation when stepping back with left foot. Should have the feeling to be quite forward and rolling on top of the man.

Throwaway oversway: Do not pick up the left foot. In order to do that: When the weight is on the left foot before the TO, really plant the weight and rotate almost completely the upper body (shoulders) to close. Then step with the right foot and plant the weight again. THe left foot should simply follow while staying on the floor.

Ronde: Exhale while going down + there was something Thomas did that made it really easy to walk around at the end. (?)

Viennese Waltz

Natural turn: On the forward part, start with torso rotated diagonal center, then while lowering rotate the torso until it faces straight line of dance (this is more rotation that I would usually do) and finish about diagonal to the wall. Do the pendulum with the left arm to help find the right action. "Pick up the apple" at the end.

Reverse turn: On the backward step on 1, resist the temptation to turn, stay very much to the left and don't turn in front of the man until the next step. Normally this should be led by the man and the lady shouldn;t worry about anything.

Change step: Preference seems to be to change forward after natural turn, and backward after reverse. THe lady shouldn't even be aware that a change is happening, it should flow naturally.

There shouldn't be any "jumping", because there shouldn't be any turning. If you eliminate the turning, the jumping goes away.

Exercise

Stretch inside shoulder/pectoral muscle (hold on to pillar and stretch arm back, shoulder down).