A natural turn is a
dance step in which the partners turn around each other clockwise. Its near-mirror counterpart is the reverse turn, which is turning to the counter-clockwise.
This terminology is used mainly in the
"International Standard" group of
ballroom dance
Ballroom dance is a set of partner dances, which are enjoyed both socially and competitively around the world, mostly because of its performance and entertainment aspects. Ballroom dancing is also widely enjoyed on stage, film, and television. ...
s. "Natural turn" and "reverse turn" are names of syllabus figures in
waltz,
Viennese waltz,
foxtrot
The foxtrot is a smooth, progressive dance characterized by long, continuous flowing movements across the dance floor. It is danced to big band (usually vocal) music. The dance is similar in its look to waltz, although the rhythm is in a tim ...
,
quickstep
The quickstep is a light-hearted dance of the standard ballroom dances. The movement of the dance is fast and powerfully flowing and sprinkled with syncopations. The upbeat melodies that quickstep is danced to make it suitable for both formal a ...
. In addition, the words "natural" and "reverse" are used in some other figures that amount to turning to the right or left, respectively, e.g.
natural twist turn
Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. Although humans are p ...
in
tango and foxtrot.
The name "natural" has two explanations. In a standard ballroom closed
dance position the partners are somewhat shifted to the left with respect to each other, which makes the right turn easier. The second reason is related to progress around the floor along the counter-clockwise
line of dance
In ballroom dancing (and in some other types of partner dance), directions of progressive movement, in particular directions of steps, can be indicated either in relation to the room or in relation to the body position. Directions of turns, altho ...
. Turning to the right is partly compensated for by the line of dance's leftward curve, so that it takes less effort to stay on line of dance while turning to the right than while using opposite footwork and turning to the left, especially at the corners.
Natural turn
;Leader (man)
;Follower (lady)
Other "natural" figures
Reverse turn
;Leader (man)
;Follower (lady)
Other "reverse" figures
References
External links
* (natural turn at 1:07 and reverse turn at 2:13)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Natural And Reverse Turns
Social dance steps