Charmaine Waltz Dance Steps
The Charmaine Waltz is a modern sequence dance. The dance script was composed by Joe Smith in 1967. It is a 32 bar dance (see paragraph numbers) in the usual 3/4 waltz time and should be danced to a 1-2-3 rhythm to music at a tempo of 48-52 bars per minute. We commence the dance in right shadow hold with both the man and lady facing the line of dance. Only the man’s steps are described here, with the Lady dancing as a counterpart, unless otherwise stated – in which case, the lady’s steps are in italics. Both man and lady dance the same steps until bar 25.
TECHNIQUE:- The man lowers (bends his legs) slightly and uses “heel leads” to step forward; backward steps are drawn with his toe (again, lowering himself) and whenever they bring their feet together in a sideways movement, both man and lady should rise up onto their toes.
If You Prefer to Just Watch the Charmaine Waltz, Scroll to the Video at the Bottom
Please also bear in mind that all waltz sequences are about correct angles in relation to the line of dance.
Bar |
Timing | |
Charmaine Waltz – 1st Movement – Walks – Grapevine Changing to Right Side |
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1 | The man moves his left foot forward and down the line of dance | 1 2 3 |
2 | Then he moves his right foot forward and down the line of dance | 4 5 6 |
3 | Followed by the left foot forward and down the line of dance, then commencing to turn to the left | 1 2 |
Next, he brings his right foot to the side and slightly back, until he is backing diagonal to wall | 3 | |
4 | Then he brings his left foot back toward the wall and commences turning to the right – a longer step – while moving rightwards behind the lady | 4 5 |
Then he moves his right foot forward and pointing toward the line of dance. Both man and lady should now be in Left Shadow Hold | 6 | |
Charmaine Waltz – 2nd Movement – Lock – Walks – Grapevine Changing to Left Side – Lock
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5 | The man moves his left foot forward and down the line of dance | 1 2 |
The he crosses his right foot in behind his left foot – a Lock Step | 3 | |
6 | Then he moves his left foot forward and down the line of dance | 4 5 6 |
7 | Then his right foot goes forward and down the line of dance | 1 2 3 |
8 | Followed by his left foot going forward and down the line of dance | 4 5 6 |
9 | Then his right foot goes forward and he commences turning to the right | 1 2 |
His left foot goes to the side and slightly back. It should now be backing diagonal to centre | 3 | |
10 | Then he brings his right foot back toward the centre and commences turning to the left – a longer step – moving leftwards behind the lady | 4 5 |
Next, he moves his left foot forward and pointing toward the line of dance. Partners should now be in Right Shadow Hold | 6 | |
11 | Then he moves his right foot forward and down the line of dance | 1 2 |
And cross his left foot in behind his right foot – another Lock Step | 3 | |
12 | Then his right foot goes forward and they commence turning to the right | 4 5 6 |
Charmaine Waltz – 3rd Movement – Turning Chasse – Back Lock and Aerial Lift |
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13 | Now the man’s left foot goes to the side and across the line of dance, while still turning to the right | 1 2 |
And he closes his right foot to his left foot which should now be backing diagonal to centre, while still turning to the right | 3 | |
14 | Then he brings his left foot back and down the line of dance – they are now in Left Shadow Hold | 4 5 6 |
15 | Followed by his right foot coming back and down the line of dance | 1 2 |
And he crosses his left foot in front of his right foot – another Lock Step | 3 | |
16 | Then he brings his right foot back and down the line of dance | 4 |
And they Swing their left foot up into a Medium Aerial Lift, while both facing against the line of dance | 5 6 | |
Charmaine Waltz – 4th Movement – Walk, Cross Right Over Left – Reverse Turn to Right Shadow Hold and Point Diagonal to Centre |
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17 | The man moves his left foot forward and against the line of dance | 1 2 |
And crosses his right foot over his left foot and commences turning to the left | 3 | |
18 | Then he brings his left foot back in a diagonal to centre direction while still turning to the left | 4 5 |
Then he brings his right foot back, still turning to the left | 6 | |
19 | Now he moves his left foot forward and pointing toward the line of dance | 1 2 |
Followed by his right foot going forward and down the line of dance. Partners should now be in Right Shadow Hold | 3 | |
20 | Then he brings his left foot to the side and slightly forward, pointing it in a diagonal to centre direction | 4 5 6 |
Charmaine Waltz – 5th Movement – Back, Side, Forward Diagonal to Wall and Point Right Foot Forward and Back |
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21 | The man brings his left foot back and commences turning to the right | 1 2 |
Then his right foot goes to the side and slightly forward, pointing diagonal to wall. The man should be moving slightly rightwards behind the lady | 3 | |
22 | Now the man moves his left foot forward in a diagonal to wall direction. They should now be in Left Shadow Hold, with the man behind the lady and slightly to her right side | 4 5 6 |
23 | They Point their right foot forward | 1 2 3 |
24 | Then they Point their right foot back | 4 5 6 |
Charmaine Waltz – 6th Movement – Breakaway – Walks |
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25 | The man moves his right foot forward in a diagonal to wall direction and releases his hold on the lady, ready for the Breakaway Action (the Lady moves her right foot forward and swivels to the right until she is facing her partner) | 1 2 |
The man closes his left foot to his right foot. He should now be backing diagonal to centre against the line of dance (the Lady closes her left foot to her right foot without changing her weight) | 3 | |
26 | Now the man brings his right foot back while turning to the left until he is facing the line of dance (the Lady moves her left foot forward) | 4 5 |
And the man closes his left foot to his right foot without changing his weight (the Lady closes her right foot to her left foot without changing her weight). Partners should now be in Closed Ballroom Hold | 6 | |
27 | The man moves his left foot forward and down the line of dance | 1 2 3 |
28 | Then he moves his right foot forward and down the line of dance | 4 5 6 |
Charmaine Waltz – Final Movement – REVERSE VIENNESE WALTZ |
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29 | Turning to face the line of dance, the man moves his left foot forward and down the line of dance (the Lady, turning to back the line of dance, brings her right foot back down the line of dance) | 1 |
The man moves his right foot forward and down the line of dance (the Lady brings her left foot back and down the line of dance) | 2 | |
Turning to the left on the ball of his right foot until he is backing diagonal to wall, the man allows his left foot to cross in front of his right foot and then taking his weight on this left foot (the Lady turns to the left on the ball of her left foot and the heel of her right foot, drags her right foot into a loose close to her left foot and now facing diagonal to wall) | 3 | |
30 | Turning to back the line of dance, the man brings his right foot back down the line of dance (the Lady, turning to face the line of dance, moves her left foot forward and down the line of dance) | 4 |
The man then brings his left foot back and down the line of dance (the Lady moves her right foot forward and down the line of dance) | 5 | |
Turning left on the ball of his left foot and the heel of his right foot, the man drags his right foot into a loose close to his left foot, himself now facing diagonal to wall (the Lady, turning to the left on the ball of her right foot until she is backing diagonal to wall, allows her left foot to cross in front of her right foot and then taking her weight on this left foot) | 6 | |
31 | Turning to face the line of dance, the man moves his left foot forward and down the line of dance (the Lady, turning until she is backing the line of dance, brings her right foot back and down the line of dance) | 1 |
The man moves his right foot forward and down the line of dance (the Lady brings her left foot back down the line of dance) | 2 | |
Turning to the left on the ball of his right foot until he is backing diagonal to wall, the man allows his left foot to cross in front of his right foot and then takes his weight on this left foot (the Lady, turning to the left on the ball of her left foot and the heel of her right foot, drags her right foot into a loose close to her left foot until she is facing diagonal to wall) | 3 | |
32 | Turning until he is backing the line of dance, the man brings his right foot back and down the line of dance and continues turning until he is facing diagonal to wall (Lady turning to face LOD, LF fwd down LOD turning to face DC) | 4 |
The man brings his left foot to the side and diagonal to centre (the Lady brings her right foot to the side and diagonal to wall) | 5 | |
Finally, the man’s right foot closes to his left foot as he is facing the line of dance (the Lady closes her left foot to her right foot as she is backing the line of dance) | 6 |
Enjoy This Video of the Charmaine Waltz