The Apple Blossom Waltz is a modern sequence dance. The dance script was composed by Samantha Heywood in 1992. It is a 16 bar dance (see paragraph numbers) and should be danced to a 1-2-3 rhythm with 3 beats to a bar. This is a slow waltz and should be danced to music at a tempo of 31 bars per minute. We commence the dance in normal ballroom hold with the man facing and the lady backing diagonal to wall. The man’s steps are described here. The lady dances the counterpart unless otherwise stated in italics.
TECHNIQUE TIP:- 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 and then lower. This is called “rise and fall” and adds class to the appearance and feel of the dance.
If You Prefer to Just Watch the Apple Blossom 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.
Apple Blossom Waltz Dance Steps
|
Bar |
Footwork: HT means “lead off with the heel and end up on the toe”. TH means “draw back with your toe and finish on your heel”. T means “on your toes” |
Foot |
Timing |
Apple Blossom Waltz – 1st Movement – Whisk – Chasse in Promenade Position – Check – Slip Pivot – Half Reverse Turn |
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| 1 | The man moves his left foot forward while facing diagonal to wall | HT | 1 |
| Then he brings his right foot to the side and slightly forward, still facing diagonal to wall | T | 2 | |
| And then his left foot crosses in behind his right foot while in Promenade Position and still facing diagonal to wall (the Lady should be facing diagonal to centre) | TH | 3 | |
| 2 | Now the man moves his right foot forward and across himself in a Contra Body Movement Position (CBMP) and also in Promenade Position | HT | 1 |
| The man’s left foot goes to the side and slightly forward while still in Promenade Position | T | 2 | |
| And his right foot closes to his left foot in Promenade position and facing diagonal to wall (the Lady should be facing diagonal to centre) | T | & | |
| Now the man’s left foot goes to the side and slightly forward, still facing diagonal to wall | TH | 3 | |
| 3 | Then he moves his right foot forward and across himself in another CBMP and in Promenade Position, still facing diagonal to wall, into a Check Action (the Lady should be facing diagonal to centre) | H | 1 |
| The man brings his left foot back in CBMP and into a Fallaway – a small step – and begins turning to the left | TH | 2 | |
| Now the man brings his right foot back while bringing the lady into line with himself and does a Slip Pivot. The man should now be facing diagonal to centre. | TH | 3 | |
| 4 | Then he moves his left foot forward and begins turning to the left until he is facing diagonal to centre | HT | 1 |
| Next, he brings his right foot to the side while still turning, until he is backing diagonal to wall | T | 2 | |
| And the man’s left foot closes to his right foot as he is backing the line of dance. | TH | 3 | |
Apple Blossom Waltz – 2nd Movement – 1 to 3 Reverse Corte – Back Hover – Wing – Open Telemark |
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| 5 | The man, who is now backing the line of dance, brings his right foot and begins turning to the left | TH | 1 |
| His left foot then closes to his right foot without changing his weight. He should now be backing diagonal to centre and against the line of dance (the Lady brings her right foot to the side) | H then toes |
2 | |
| The man holds his position on this beat and … (the Lady closes her left foot to her right foot while facing diagonal to wall and against the line of dance) | TH | 3 | |
| 6 | Now the man brings his left foot back in another CBMP (and the Lady moves her right foot forward in another CBMP and outside her partner) | TH | 1 |
| Then the man brings his right foot diagonally back and begins turning the Lady to the right. | T | 2 | |
| The man replaces his weight onto his left foot in Promenade Position. His foot should be pointing diagonal to centre and his body facing the line of dance | TH | 3 | |
| 7 | Now the man moves his right foot forward and in Promenade Position and another CBMP and begins turning the Lady to the left (the Lady moves her left foot forward in Promenade Position and into another CBMP) | H | 1 |
| The man beings closing his left foot to his right foot while his body is turning to the left (and the Lady moves her right foot forward and prepares to step outside her partner who is on her left side) | – | 2 | |
| The man’s left foot closes to his right foot without changing his weight. He should now be facing diagonal to centre (the Lady moves her left foot forward into another Contra Body Movement Position, stepping outside her partner who is on her left side. She should be facing against the line of dance and continue until she is backing diagonal to centre) | B | 3 | |
| 8 | The man moves his left foot forward and begins turning to the left | HT | 1 |
| Then he brings his right foot to the side (and the Lady closes her left foot to her right foot and does a Heel Turn) | T | 2 | |
| The man brings his left foot to the side and slightly forward, in Promenade Position, pointing it diagonal to wall while his body is facing the wall | TH | 3 | |
Apple Blossom Waltz – 3rd Movement – Hover from Promenade Position – Contra Check to Promenade Position – Curve – Open Impetus Turn |
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| 9 | The man moves his right foot forward and across himself into a Contra Body Movement Position while also in Promenade Position | HT | 1 |
| Then he brings his left foot to the side and points it diagonal to wall while still in Promenade Position – a Hover Action | T | 2 | |
| He then replaces his weight onto his right foot while turning to the right to face diagonal to wall against the line of dance, turning the lady square to himself. | – | 3 | |
| 10 | Then the man moves his left foot forward into a CBMP facing diagonal to wall against the line of dance but pointing his foot to the wall and turning his body to the left. His knees should be slightly flexed (the Lady brings her right foot back, diagonal to wall against the line of dance, until she is almost backing the wall while she turns her body to the left) | H | 1 |
| The man now transfers his weight back to his right foot while he is backing diagonal to centre and turns to the left (the Lady who is facing diagonal to centre, now also turns to the left) | T | 2 | |
| The man brings his left foot to the side and slightly forward. It should also pointing diagonal to wall, while he is in Promenade Position | TH | 3 | |
| 11 | Then he moves his right foot forward and across himself into a CBMP while still in Promenade Position – and begins turning to the right (the Lady begins turning to the left) | HT | 1 |
| Now he brings his left foot to the side as he is facing against the line of dance (the Lady should now be facing the line of dance) | T | 2 | |
| Then he moves his right foot forward into another CBMP outside his partner and facing against the line of dance | TH | 3 | |
| 12 | Next, he brings his left foot back, while he is backing the line of dance, and begins turning to the right | TH | 1 |
| His right foot closes to his left foot and he does a Heel Turn, while facing diagonal to centre (the Lady brings her left foot to the side while backing diagonal to centre) | HT | 2 | |
| And the man moves his left foot diagonally forward while in Promenade Position, his left shoulder leading and his foot pointing diagonal to wall (the Lady brings her right foot to the side while in Promenade Position, having brushed it to her left foot) | TH | 3 | |
Apple Blossom Waltz – 4th Movement – Chasse in Promenade Position – Check – Slip Pivot – Reverse Turn |
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| 13 | The man moves his right foot forward and across himself into a CBMP while also in Promenade Position, facing diagonal to wall and moving along the line of dance | HT | 1 |
| Then he brings his left foot to the side and slightly forward, still in Promenade Position and facing diagonal to wall (the Lady brings her right foot to the side, also in Promenade Position with the man and facing diagonal to centre) | T | 2 | |
| The man closes his right foot to his left while, still in Promenade Position and facing diagonal to wall (the Lady should be facing diagonal to centre) | T | & | |
| Then he brings his left foot to the side and slightly forward, still in Promenade Position and facing diagonal to wall | HT | 3 | |
| 14 | The man’s right foot then goes forward and across himself into a CBMP while still in Promenade Position and facing diagonal to wall – a Check Action (the Lady should be facing diagonal to centre) | H | 1 |
| Now the man brings his left foot back into another CBMP and does a fallaway – a small step – and begins turning to the left | TH | 2 | |
| Then he brings his right foot back, bringing the lady into line with himself and does a Slip Pivot, with the man now facing diagonal to centre | TH | 3 | |
| 15 | The man moves his left foot forward while facing diagonal to centre and begins turning to the left | HT | 1 |
| The he brings his right foot to the side while still turning to the left. By this time he is backing diagonal to wall | T | 2 | |
| The man closes his left foot to his right foot and should now be backing the line of dance | TH | 3 | |
| 16 | Then he brings his right foot back, while he is backing the line of dance and still turning to the left | TH | 1 |
| His left foot goes to the side and should be pointing diagonal to wall | T | 2 | |
| Finally, he closes his right foot to his left foot and should be facing diagonal to wall, ready to begin the sequence again | TH | 3 | |
