Aww thanks Ann! Really kind of you.


Thank you Jennifer! I do as much as I can. I don't have very much room at home so can't do as much as I'd want to, but I can practice particular steps. I used to work in a big empty office room, closed off from the rest of the building with a big open space and reflective windows... that was pretty useful. on slow work days! And the one person who was sometimes in the room with me would say "do a bit of dancing!" and I'd show her what I'd been focusing on.

I used to really hate dancing on my own in any capacity as a lady, but I find it quite empowering now.

When I was involved with medallist schools, we always had 2 different U35 bronze, silver and gold events. One was for ex-juniors, the other for U35s who had never previously danced. I do know, though, that not all schools or competitions cater for this, which I always found to be very unfair.

Our ex-juniors would also keep, and add to, their more advanced routines. For medal tests we only had people in to judge who were happy for juniors to dance their advanced routines providing they included all necessary basics. And I have to say they were very very hot on marking those basics.

BIB: Yes it has and no need to apologise for asking. I've a tiny bit of ballroom dance experience from years ago but no technical/theory understanding save what is said on the programme. So I might have absorbed their constant references to hips and find myself regurgitating it without understanding what I mean or why I'm obsessed with it!

Thats great. You should feel empowered !
In Ballroom, the days where the lady had a passive role, are long gone. Todays lady Ballroom dancers very much have an active role to play and a job to do. I like to practice on my own we well as with a partner.
Are you familiar with the waltz box step? You can do that in very little space and I practice that one too. Great for practising lowering through the knees, the control on forward and backward steps, controlled rise and controlled fall, closing of feet and then adding a little swing and sway when you feel fully in control and on balance,.

Just catching up on tonights ITT and in Kellies training footage she does a step that looks like a heel turn which I've only seen in foxtrot on strictly. Is it a completely different step that just happens to look similar? And is it a common step in waltz outside of strictly?

I have not seen ITT either, will try and have a look in a moment.

The Double Reverse Spin they were doing, is that the right part you meant?

Do you mean at the start ? If so, these are double reverse spins - look rather laboured at this stage, but hopefully will improve by Saturday

Yes, looked it up on youtube and thats it! Just wasn't a step I recognised so I was curious. Thank you

When done properly, they are beautiful.

Yes, I watched a video of a few professionals doing it and it's so flowy! (Terrible description but only way I can think to say it, such a beautiful movement)

Heel turns appear a lot in the Waltz. Various types of Telemarks for example as well as the Double Reverse Spin. The Double Reverse Spin can also occur in Quickstep

The reason why they are so well known in Foxtrot is that they are required as part of a Reverse Turn which is one of the first basic steps you learn. (A Waltz Reverse Turn does not have a heel turn in it).

Thank you for this!

Can I just say how lovely it is to have a question like that and have so many knowledgeable people in this thread to provide such fantastic answers!

And can I just say how lovely it is that people such as yourself, and others, show enough interest and respect, that you ask such fantastic questions?

I agree with kaycee. Great to have the questions and interest. (Although I've only very limited competitive experience, I have worked though both the latin and ballroom syllabus and answering questions is actually good practice for me as it makes me think and will help me in the future with teaching.)

And I learn too from others!

I read this thread because it's lovely and calm in here. I just sit quietly in the corner and listen to everyone else.

At one time, in the early days of Strictly and as a non dancer, I could learn all sorts from just watching the programme, but alas those days are gone. It's really nice to be able to read informative posts and carry on learning little bits and pieces about such a lovely elegant art form.

Great tip! I'll try that. Thanks very much.

It is nice in that I don't think anyone on this thread has quite the same background (some ballroom, some latin, some competitive, some teaching). So it is interesting to hear different answers.

I miss the early Strictly format too.

BIB As do we all, Ann. Even those of us who has competed as pros, and now teach, can learn something from others point of view. And isn't it refreshing that, even if we do not agree 100% with each other, we can disagree politely?

i totally agree kaycee!

I've seen a few comments suggesting that Georgia's samba lacked samba steps. It looked kind of samba-y to me (or, more accurately, like a typical SCD samba of recent years).

What's the view of those who know what they're looking for in a samba - content-lite, or not?

Georgia's samba was crammed full of authentic samba steps.

I think confusion can arise when people are looking for 'Basic' steps. These are the steps set out in technique books for beginners and those going up through the grades. However, once those steps have been mastered, and dancers become more advanced, they can move on to an almost never-ending array of steps and moves that - while not in the technique books - are nevertheless authentic steps. This isn't just in the samba, but in all dances.

Getting back to Georgia - if I had one criticism it would be that the music was played far too fast. On a dance that is already fast, speeding up the music makes it extremely difficult for dancers to produce accurate, well performed technique.

Thanks Kaycee.

It looked like a samba to my untrained eye - but then I thought Helen's rumba was quite rumba-y (she seemed to have the rumba foot/floor contact that we hear about so often from La Hardy), but Len says not, so what do I know?

A lot of the steps were in the technique book anyway (stationary samba walks, bota fogos, samba locks, promenade runs - all syllabus) plus some "off syllabus" stuff like batucadas, spot turns. To be honest, I don't think many posters have the technique book in front of them. They look for common Strictly steps such as samba rolls and voltas and if they don't see them assume it is content free.

I didn't rate Helen's rumba (content or technique).

After chatting to you knowledgable ladies in this forum, I was able to indentify some samba steps in the thread stating that there was little samba content...so thank you for imparting your wisdom!

Again, as a non-dancer, I can only make semi-informed observations about technique. Helen still looked too high up in her body (as in other Latins) and therefore seemed to lack the grounding needed to create a natural hip movement. Also, the opening outs looked a little half-hearted. No idea whether that's an accurate interpretation of her dance, but that's what I took from it!