Standard Ballroom Practice Exercises

Exercise to improve the use of legs and feet. This is the basic movement for Waltz, slowed down and detailed.

1. Start with feet together.
2. Extend the right foot forward, pushing the heel along the ground, by bending the left knee, keeping body straight.
3. Push off left leg to transfer weight to a bent right leg.
4. Press up through the right knee to bring the feet together.
5. Repeat 2-4, switching right and left feet.
6. With feet together, after pressing up through the knee, continue pressing up through the feet, getting the heels as high up over the balls of the feet as possible.
7. Step forward with the right foot, landing on the ball of the foot, keeping the heel off the ground.
8. Bring the left foot to the right foot, and do not let the heel of the right foot touch the ground until the left foot is even with it.
9. Repeat steps 1-8, switching right and left.

The same exercise going back.

1. Start with feet together
2. Bend the left knee forward over the foot. Imagine that the knee is trying to touch a spot on the floor a couple of body lengths in front of you. As you do so, extend the right foot backward.
3. Transfer partial weight to the right foot, keeping the body poised forward, and pull back the left foot, dragging the heel along the ground, keeping the heel of the right foot and the toe of the left foot off the ground until the feet are together. The forward poise of the body is required to keep the heel of the right foot off the ground.
4. Repeat 2-3 switching right and left.
5. Rise up as high as you can on the toes, and step back with the right foot. 
6. Bring the feet together, pulling the left foot back, keeping the right heel off the floor until the feet are together.
7. Repeat 2-6, switching right and left.