I dip, You dip, We dip

As the music is winding down and the dance is coming to an end, the question becomes How can I stop dancing with out being really awkward? The Answer: The dip. The most classic of dance endings, there are many different variations of the dip. Some have spins before them, while others begin from a sway.

What is important to remember while dipping is the relationship of trust between the two partners. The lead will decide how low the dip will go, by how much support he gives the follow. The follow must commit to the dip by letting go and falling into the lead. However, this does not mean that follow is not holding their own weight in their legs, with out that support the follow will quickly overwhelm their partner with their weight, no matter how light the follow is.

In this video Michael Mitchel and Amanda Melton demonstrate how to dip in Waltz.

Waltz - 1, 2, 3

In these videos, Michael Mitchell and Amanda Melton demonstrate the basic for waltz. The basic consists of a basic box step and the rotating box step. The rotating box step, allows dancers to move counter clockwise across the floor. This rotating is what gives waltz its characteristic spinning effect and gives the dance movement across the floor.


The Basic Box Step

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The Rotating Box Step

Waltz- Its not just for Princesses

The waltz is probably the most recognizable of all the ballroom dances. Immortalized by Disney and other movie corporations, it is burned in our mind as the dance of prince and princesses. It is romantic yet distanced, unlike its Latin counter-part the Rumba which displays more of the physical understanding of love.

Waltz is considered a Standard or Smooth dance, as opposed to a Rhythm or Latin dance.
Its danced primarily in Closed position. The movement is conducted in ¾ time in which the down beat or beat #1 is emphasized. The movement of the dance has long smooth steps and follows a gentle rise and fall pattern. The most characteristic movements are pivots, hesitation and dips.

Closed Frame- Getting close with your partner

Frame is the relationship of positions that you dance in with your partner. There are many stylistic variations on frame, but generally there are two frames: open and closed. In closed frame dancers hold each other closely while dancing, whereas in open frame dancers merely hold each others hands allow for an open space to form between them.

This video demonstrates how to dance in closed frame. This frame is used in all ballroom dances but is most recognized in dances such as waltz, foxtrot, rumba and tango where many of the moves originate from closed frame.