Time signature is 3/4. Normal tempo is 60. Slower music is recommended for practicing.
The steps are similar to the man and the lady. One step is taken on each bar. Viennese waltz is a rotary dance; nonrotating steps are normally used only to change the direction of rotation and when there is no room for turning.
| Measure | Beat | Step |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Right foot forwards |
| 2 | Left foot forwards | |
| 3 | Close right foot to left foot | |
| 2 | 1 | Left foot forwards |
| 2 | Right foot forwards | |
| 3 | Close right foot to left foot |
The sequence can be started with the right foot from beat 1 or with the left foot from beat 4.
Backward steps are normal opposite to forward steps. When the man dances forward, the lady dances backward, and vice versa. In practice, the man cannot dance backwords for more than a measure or two, since he is responsible of navigation.
| Measure | Beat | Step |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Left foot backwards |
| 2 | Right foot backwards | |
| 3 | Close left foot to right foot | |
| 2 | 1 | Right foot backwards |
| 2 | Left foot backwards | |
| 3 | Close right foot to left foot |
This figure is not very useful in a ballroom, but it is the most natural starting point in in lerning the rotating waltz. Instead of dancing all steps forwards or all steps backwards, we shall take three forward steps followed by three backward steps and so on.
| Measure | Beat | Step |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Right foot forwards |
| 2 | Left foot forwards | |
| 3 | Close right foot to left foot | |
| 2 | 1 | Left foot backwards |
| 2 | Right foot backwards | |
| 3 | Close right foot to left foot |
The rotating steps are actually composed of aternating three-step sequences forwards and backwards. The couple turns 180° on three steps, in either direction. Thus if the man dances three steps forwards starting face to the line of dance, he must start the next triplet with backward steps and backing the line of dance. The net effect is propagation towards the line of dance, simultaneuosly rotating. The lady, of course, dances the opposite steps with the same effect.
| Measure | Beat | Man | Lady |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Right foot forwards | Left foot backwards |
| 2 | Left foot to side, along line of dance | Right foot to side, along line of dance | |
| 3 | Right foot closed to left foot | Left foot closed to right foot | |
| 2 | 1 | Left foot backwards | Left foot foewards |
| 2 | Right foot to side, along line of dance | Left foot to side, along line of dance | |
| 3 | Left foot to right foot | Right foot to left foot |
| Measure | Beat | Step | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Left foot forwards | Right foot backwards |
| 2 | Right foot to side, along line of dance | Left foot to side, along line of dance | |
| 3 | Left foot crossed in front of right foot | Right foot closed to left foot | |
| 2 | 1 | Right foot backwards | Left foot forwards |
| 2 | Left foot to side, along line of dance | Right foot to side, along line of dance | |
| 3 | Right foot closed to left foot | Left foot crossed in front of right foot |
If you took a look on the animations, you probable noted that they look quite different. Yet the only essential difference is the cross step on beats 3 (man) and 6 (lady). When you take it, the other changes take place spontaneosly.
The easiest way of practicing turns is to increase turning gradually.
Start with no turning at all, by dancing three steps forwards and three
steps backward as described above.
Start the forward steps with the right foot and the backward steps with
the left foot.
Then add a slight clockwise turn, both on forward and backward steps.
When the turning speed reaches 60° per three steps, you start
circulating a triangle counterclockwise.
When the rotation increases to 90 degees per three steps, you will travel the
perimeter of a square.
When the rotation speed increases to 120° per three steps, your
trajectory is a hexagon.
When the turn per three steps is 180°, you will propagate a straight
line, and you are able of following the line of dance in a ballroom
(some imagination is required at corners).
Counterclockwise turns can be practiced in a similar manner. The couple now travels the polygon clockwise.