Engagement Waltz Dance Steps
The Engagement Waltz dance script was composed by Ken Park in 1988. It is a 16 bar dance (see paragraph numbers) in the usual 3/4 waltz time and should be danced with the usual 1-2-3, 1-2-3 rhythm to music at a tempo of 32 beats per minute. We commence the dance in normal ballroom hold with the man facing and the lady backing centre. We describe only the man’s steps here on the assumption that the lady will follow as a counterpart, unless otherwise stated.
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 Prefer to Just Watch the Dance, Scroll to the Video at the Bottom
Engagement Waltz – 1st Movement – Reverse Turn – Whisk – Chasse in Promenade Position
1. The man moves his left foot forward, diagonal to centre while turning to the left (1) then brings his right foot to the side, still turning to the left (2) and closes his left foot to his right foot so that he is now backing line of dance (3).
2. The man now brings his right foot back, still turning to the left (1) his right foot goes to the side, his toe pointing diagonal to wall (2) then closes his right foot to his left so that he is now facing diagonal to wall (3). This completes the ‘Reverse Turn‘.
3. Now comes the whisk. The man moves his left foot forward in a diagonal to wall direction while turning to the left (1) then his right foot diagonally forward, his right shoulder leading (2) and then crosses his left foot behind his right foot in Promenade Position, facing line of dance and preparing to move diagonal to centre (3).
4. The man moves his right foot forward and across in Promenade Position and with a Contra Body Movement Position, moving diagonal to centre (1). He then moves his left foot to the side and slightly forward, still in Promenade Position (2) and closes his right foot to his left (&) then his left foot to the side and slightly forward , thus completing a chasse in Promenade Position (3).
Engagement Waltz – 2nd Movement – Half Reverse Weave – Back Lock – Open Impetus – Left Whisk
5. Now comes the Half Reverse Weave. The man moves his right foot forward and across in Promenade Position and with a CBMP while turning to the left (The Lady moves her left foot forward in Promenade Position and with a CBMP while also turning to the left) (1) then his left foot comes forward toward the centre, still turning to the left (The Lady’s right foot goes to the side, still turning to the left) (2) and the man’s right foot goes to the side and slightly back so that he is now backing diagonal to wall (The Lady’s left foot goes to the side and slightly forward, pointing diagonal to wall) (3).
6. Next, the man’s left foot comes back in a diagonal to wall direction as he leads the lady to step forward outside her partner who is on her right side (1) then his right foot comes back in the same diagonal to wall direction (2) and he crosses his left foot in front of his right foot (&) then brings his right foot diagonally back, to complete a Back Lock (3).
7. Now the man’s left foot comes back in a CBMP as he commences turning to the right with his partner on his outside on his right side (The Lady’s right foot moves forward, also in a CBMP outside her partner, also turning to the right) (1). The man closes his right foot to his left foot and does a Heel Turn while still turning to the right (The Lady brings her left foot to the side, still turning to the right) (2). Now in Promenade Position, the man moves his left foot diagonally forward, his left shoulder leading and preparing to move down the line of dance (The Lady brings her right foot to the side in Promenade Position having brushed it to her left foot while also preparing to move down the line of dance) (3).
8. The man moves his right foot forward and across in Promenade Position and another CBMP down the line of dance (1) and brings his left foot to the side and slightly forward while turning the lady square to himself (2) and crosses his right foot behind his left foot (The Lady crosses her left foot behind her right foot) to complete a ‘whisk’ (3).
Engagement Waltz – 3rd Movement – Twist Turn to the Right – Hover – 4 5 6 Reverse Turn – Travelling Contra Check
9. The man commences to twist to the right on both feet (while the Lady commences to move around her partner, starting with her right foot forward) (1) He continues twisting to the right (while the Lady continues moving around her partner, now with left foot forward) (2) He continues twisting to the right (and the Lady continues moving around her partner, now with her right foot forward) (&) He continues twisting to the right, completing a 3/4 turn to end backing diagonal to wall against the line of dance and finishing with his weight on his right foot (while the Lady continues moving around her partner, this time with her left foot forward, to end facing diagonal to wall against the line of dance) (3).
10. The man moves his left foot back in a CBMP, diagonal to wall direction against the line of dance while leading the lady to step forward outside her partner, who is on his right side. He starts turning to the right (1) and brings his right foot to the side and slightly forward, still turning to the right and brushing his left foot towards his right foot, keeping the lady in line with himself (2) then brings his left foot back, so that he is now backing diagonal to centre (3).
11. The man brings his right foot back, diagonal to centre, while turning to the left (1) then his left foot to the side, still turning to the left (2) and closes his right foot to his left foot, to end facing diagonal to wall (3).
12. Now the man moves his left foot forward, diagonal to wall and strongly across his body in a CBMP towards a Check Action, with his right shoulder leading (1) then his right foot to the side and slightly forward, a small step, and turns his body to the right (2) then his left foot to the side and into Promenade Position, moving diagonal to wall with his body facing the wall (3).
Engagement Waltz – Final Movement – Hover in Promenade Position – Fallaway – Slip Pivot – Natural Hesitation Change
13. The man moves his right foot forward and across while in Promenade Position to form a CBMP and starts turning to the right (1). Then his left foot moves diagonally forward, his left shoulder leading, while he continues turning and rising onto his toes to form a Hover (2) and then his right foot comes back into a fallaway position, moving diagonal to centre while backing the line of dance (3)
14. The man brings his left foot back in a diagonal to centre direction in another CBMP and in fallaway, while turning to the left (1) then his right foot comes back towards the centre, while leading lady to be square to himself (the Lady does a ‘slip’, moving her left foot forward in a CBMP) (2) and the man brings his left foot to the side and slightly forward, his foot pointing diagonal to wall (3).
15. Now the man’s right foot moves forward in another CBMP outside his partner, while turning to the right (1) then brings his left foot to the side, still turning to the right (2) and closes his right foot to his left foot so that he is now backing the line of dance (3).
16. The man’s left foot comes back down the line of dance while turning to the right (1) his right foot goes to the side, a small step, and does a Heel Pull, facing diagonal to centre (2) and completes the dance by brushing his left foot to his right foot without changing his weight (3).
Then ready to begin again . . .
Enjoy this Engagement Waltz Video Presentation
