Autumn Mist Waltz Dance Steps
The Autumn Mist Waltz is a modern sequence dance and was composed by Audrey Bromage and Michelle Webster in 1989. It is a 16 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 31 beats per minute. We commence the dance in ballroom hold with the man facing and the lady backing diagonal to wall. 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.
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 he brings his feet together both man and lady should rise up onto their toes. If you find yourself confused with all the technical terms, you can skip to a video presentation of the dance below.
If You Prefer to Just Watch the Autumn Mist 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 | Description | Footwork | Beat |
| 1 |
Autumn Mist Waltz – 1st Movement – Travelling Contra Check – Chasse in Promenade Position – Natural FallawayThe man commences by moving his left foot with a strong step forward well across his body in a diagonal-to-wall direction in Contra Body Movement Position (CBMP) but square to his partner, slightly flexing his left knee. This is called a Travelling Contra Check. |
Heel Toe | 1 |
| The man closes his right foot to his left and slightly to the side, now straightening his legs and body, while preparing to turn lady into Promenade Position | Toes | 2 | |
| The man now moves his left foot to the side and along the line of dance while still in Promenade Position, his toe should be pointing diagonal-to-wall. This completes the “Hover”. | Toe Heel | 3 | |
| 2 | Now we chasse down the line of dance. The man moves his right foot coming forward and across himself and down the line of dance in another CBMP and still in Promenade Position | Heel Toe | 1 |
| Then his left foot continues to the side and slightly forward along the line of dance, still in Promenade Position | Toes | 2 | |
| The man closes his right foot to his left foot, still in Promenade Positiion | Toes | & | |
| Then brings his left foot to the side and slightly forward, still in Promenade Position | Toe Heel | 3 | |
| 3 | Now the man moves his right foot forward and across himself in another CBMP and in Promenade Position, down the line of dance while turning to the right | Heel Toe | 1 |
| His left foot now goes to the side, still in Promenade Position, so that he is almost backing diagonal-to-centre while still turning to the right | Toes | 2 | |
| Then his right foot comes back towards centre, his right shoulder leading, so that he is now backing diagonal-to-centre | Toe Heel | 3 | |
| 4 | Now his left foot comes back toward the centre while turning to the left in another CBMP and a fallaway while preparing to turn the lady to the left and square to himself | Toe Heel | 1 |
| Now his right foot comes back toward the centre while still turning to the left with his partner square to himsself (the Lady slips her left foot forward) | Toes | 2 | |
| The man’s left foot goes to the side and slightly forward, his toe pointing diagonal-to-wall while turning slightly to the left | Toe Heel | 3 | |
Autumn Mist Waltz – 2nd Movement – Natural Spin Turn – Turning Lock Ending in Promenade Position – Wing |
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| 5 | To begin the natural spin turn, the man brings his right foot forward in a CBMP and diagonal-to-wall direction, with his partner on his right side and both turning to the right | HT | 1 |
| Now the man’s left foot goes to the side, still turning to the right | T | 2 | |
| And he closes his right foot to his left, at which point he is now backing down the line of dance | TH | 3 | |
| 6 | Now the man brings his left foot back down the line of dance while pivoting strongly to the right to end this step facing down the line of dance | THT | 1 |
| Then his right foot comes forward in a contra body movement position down the line of dance while still turning to the right | HT | 2 | |
| And his left foot goes to the side and slightly back, so that he is now backing diagonal-to-centre | TH | 3 | |
| 7 | Now his right foot comes back, his right shoulder leading, still backing diagonal-to-centre | T | 1 |
| And the man crosses his left foot in front of his right foot in a Lock Step, still moving backwards in a diagonal-to-centre direction | T | & | |
| Continuing the lock step, the man’s right foot comes back and slightly to the right, still backing diagonal-to-centre but now turning to the left into Promenade Position | T | 2 | |
| The man’s left foot goes to the side and slightly forward in Promenade Position, facing diagonal-to-wall | TH | 3 | |
| 8 | Now his right foot comes forward in a CBMP and still in Promenade Position, still facing diagonal-to-wall and leading the lady to move towards his left side in a ‘wing‘ formation. | H | 1 |
| The man closes his left foot towards his right foot without changing his weight, the lady still moving around towards the man’s left side | T | 2 | |
| The man closes his left foot to his right foot without changing his weight. He should still be facing diagonal-to-wall with the lady now on his left side | T | 3 | |
Autumn Mist Waltz – 3rd Movement – Check into Quick Open Reverse – Hover Corte – Back Whisk |
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| 9 | The man moves his left foot forward in a contra body movement position and diagonal-to-wall direction, with his partner on his left side, into a Check | H | 1 |
| Now he brings his right foot back in another CBMP, in a diagonal-to-centre direction against the line of dance, his partner still on his left side and the man turning to the left | T | 2 | |
| Next, he brings his left foot to the side toward the centre, his toe pointing diagonal-to-centre and his partner square to himself. He should still be turning to the left. | TH | 3 | |
| 10 | Now the man’s right foot goes forward in another CBMP in a diagonal-to-centre direction, his partner now on his right side | HT | 1 |
| The man’s left foot goes forward in a diagonal-to-centre direction, himself being square to his partner and still turning to the left. | T | 2 | |
| The man’s right foot goes to the side, while he continues turning to the left. it ends with him backing down the line of dance | T | & | |
| The man’s left foot comes back in another CBMP down the line of dance, with his partner on his right side | TH | 3 | |
| 11 | Followed by his right foot coming back down the line of dance, but now his partner is square to himself and he is turning to the left | TH | 1 |
| Then the mans’ left foot goes to the side and slightly forward along the line of dance, while still turning to the left | T | 2 | |
| Then he replaces his weight onto his right foot, which he moves to the side and slightly back against the line of dance, so that he is now backing diagonal-to-centre against the line of dance | TH | 3 | |
| 12 | Now the man’s left foot comes back in a CBMP and diagonal-to-centre direction against the line of dance, his partner on his right side and now leading the lady to turn to the right | TH | 1 |
| His right foot comes diagonally back. He is still backing diagonal-to-centre against the line of dance at this stage, with his partner square to himself | T | 2 | |
| And he crosses his left foot behind his right foot into a Back Whisk. He should be facing diagonal-to-wall and in Promenade Position | TH | 3 | |
Autumn Mist Waltz – 4th Movement – Curved Feather From Promenade Position – 4 TO 6 Hesitation Change – Reverse Turn |
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| 13 | Commencing the curved feather, the man commences with his right foot going forward and across in a CBMP and still in Promenade Position, while turning to the right (the Lady doesn’t turn) | HT | 1 |
| Then his left foot moves diagonally forward in a diagonal-to-wall direction, as he is still turning (curving around) to the right and should be square to his partner | T | 2 | |
| Next, his right foot comes forward in another CBMP against the line of dance, with his partner on his right side. He should now be backing down the line of dance | TH | 3 | |
| 14 | His left foot comes back in another CBMP down the line of dance, his partner still on his right side and himself turning to the right | TH | 1 |
| Now his right foot goes to the side, a small step into a Heel Pull, his partner square to himself, still turning to the right, to end facing diagonal-to-centre | – | 2 | |
| Now he closes his left foot to his right foot without changing his weight and does a Brush Step, facing diagonal-to-centre | IET | 3 | |
| 15 | The man’s left foot goes forward in a diagonal-to-centre direction while turning to the left | HT | 1 |
| Then his right foot goes to the side, while still turning to the left | T | 2 | |
| And he closes his left foot to his right foot and should be backing down the line of dance | TH | 3 | |
| 16 | His right foot comes back down the line of dance, while turning to the left | TH | 1 |
| And his left foot goes to the side, his toe pointing diagonal-to-wall and himself still turning to the left | T | 2 | |
| Close RF to LF, facing DW in commencing position | TH | 3 | |
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