Tracie Leigh Waltz Dance Steps
The Tracie Leigh Waltz is an Australian New Vogue sequence dance. The dance script was composed by Bernard and Betty Reilly in 1965 and named after their daughter, Tracie Leigh. 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, 4-5-6 rhythm to music at a tempo of 50 beats per minute. We commence the dance in open extended hold with the man facing diagonal-to-wall and the lady facing diagonal to centre down line of dance. We describe both partners’ steps here, with the Lady’s 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 Dance, Scroll to the Video at the Bottom
Tracie Leigh Waltz 1st Movement – Forward Walks – Cross Step – Aerial
1. The man moves his left foot forward down the line of dance (the Ladymoves her right foot forward down the line of dance) (1-2) followed by his right foot forward down the line of dance (the Lady’s left foot follows forward down the line of dance) (3)
2. The man’s left foot continues forward down the line of dance (the Lady’s right foot continues forward down the line of dance) (4) and the man’s right foot crosses behind his left foot (the Lady’s left foot crosses behind her right foot) (5-6)
3. The man’s left foot continues forward down the line of dance (the Lady’s right foot continues forward down the line of dance) (1-2-3)
4. The man’s right foot swings to a medium aerial position and lowers to the floor, pointing his toe (the Lady’s left foot swings to a medium aerial position and lowers to the floor, pointing her toe) (4-5-6)
Tracie Leigh Waltz 2nd Movement – Back Cross Step – Solo Turn
5. Now the man brings his right foot back against the line of dance (the Lady brings her left foot back against the line of dance) (1-2) and his left foot crosses in front of his right foot (the Lady’s right foot crosses in front of her left foot) (3)
6. Then the man’s right foot comes back against the line of dance (the Lady’s left foot comes back against the line of dance) (4-5-6)
7. Solo Turn – The man’s left foot now moves forward while turning left to face the centre (the Lady’s right foot moves forward while turning right to face the wall) and they release their hold (1-2) his right foot goes to the side as he now faces the centre and still turning left to be backing the line of dance (the Lady’s left foot goes to the side as she now faces the wall and still turning right to be backing the line of dance) (3)
8. The man’s left foot comes back, backing down the line of dance as he continues turning to face diagonal-to-wall against the line of dance (the Lady’s right foot comes back, backing down the line of dance as he continues turning to face diagonal-to-centre against the line of dance) (4-5) and his right foot closes to his left foot without changing his weight, still facing diagonal-to-wall against the line of dance (the Lady’s left foot closes to his right foot without changing his weight, still facing diagonal-to-centre against the line of dance) and the man’s left hand takes hold of the lady’s right hand (6).
Tracie Leigh Waltz 3rd Movement – Repeat Bars 1 to 8 Against Line of Dance on Other Foot
9. Turning to the right to face against the line of dance, the man moves his right foot forward against the line of dance (the Lady moves her left foot forward against the line of dance) (1-2) then his left foot forward against the line of dance (the Lady’s right foot goes against the line of dance) (3)
10. Then the man’s right foot comes forward against the line of dance (the Lady’s left foot comes forward against the line of dance) (4) and his left foot crosses behind his right foot (the Lady’s left foot crosses behind her right foot) (5-6)
11. Then the man’s right foot continues forward against the line of dance (the Lady’s left foot continues forward against the line of dance) (1-2-3) and his left foot swings up to a medium aerial position and then lowers to the floor, pointing his toe (the Lady’s right foot swings up to a medium aerial position and then lowers to the floor, pointing her toe) (4-5-6)
13. The man’s left foot then comes back down the line of dance (the Lady’s right foot comes back down the line of dance) (1-2) and his right foot crosses in front of his left foot (the Lady’s left foot crosses in front of her right foot) (3)
14. Now the man’s left foot continues back down the line of dance (the Lady’s right foot continues back down the line of dance) (4-5-6)
15. Solo Turn – They release their hold and the man’s right foot moves forward against the line of dance while turning right to face the centre (the Lady’s left foot goes forward while turning left to face the wall) (1-2) his left foot then goes to the side against the line of dance when he is facing the centre and he turns right so that he faces the line of dance (the Lady’s right foot goes to the side when facing the wall and she turns left so that she also faces line of dance) (3)
16. Then the man’s right foot goes to the side against the line of dance while turning to face diagonal-to-wall against the line of dance (the Lady’s left foot goes to the side against the line of dance while turning to face diagonal-to-centre) and they take up Double Hand Hold (4-5). The man’s left foot closes to his right foot without changing his weight, still facing diagonal-to-wall against the line of dance (the Lady’s right foot closes to her left foot without changing her weight and still facing diagonal-to-centre) (6).
Tracie Leigh Waltz 3rd Movement – Check and Chasse
17. The man now moves his left foot forward in a diagonal-to-wall direction against the line of dance and outside his partner. The man’s left shoulder should be in line with the lady’s left shoulder as he lifts his right heel from the floor (the Lady’s right foot comes back in a diagonal-to-wall direction against the line of dance with her partner on the outside, her left shoulder to the man’s left shoulder as her left foot lifts from floor to a medium aerial position) (1-2-3)
18. The man replaces his weight back onto his right foot and commences to turn left (the Lady replaces her weight back onto her left foot and commences to turn left) (4-5) and his left foot brushes to his right foot without changing his weight (the Lady’s right foot brushes to her left foot without changing her weight) (6)
19. Now the man’s left foot goes to side down the line of dance as he continues turning left to face the wall (the Lady’s right foot goes to the side down the line of dance as she continues turning left to face the centre) (1-2) and his right foot closes to his left foot, now facing the wall but continuing to turn to the left (the Lady’s left foot closes to her right foot, now facing the centre but continuing to turn to the left) (3)
20. The man’s left foot goes to the side again and slightly forward down the line of dance while turning to face diagonal-to-wall and preparing to step outside his partner with his right foot (the Lady’s right foot goes to the side and slightly back down the line of dance while turning to be backing diagonal-to-wall) (4-5) and his right foot brushes to his left foot (the Lady’s left foot brushes to her right foot) (6)
Tracie Leigh Waltz 4th Movement – Check and Chasse
21. The man moves his right foot forward in a diagonal-to-wall direction and outside his partner, with his right shoulder to the lady’s right shoulder and his left heel lifts off the floor (the Lady’s left foot comes back in a diagonal-to-wall direction with her partner on the outside, her right shoulder to the man’s right shoulder as her right foot lifts off the floor to a medium aerial position) (1-2-3)
22. He replaces his weight back onto his left foot (the Lady replaces her weight back onto her right foot) (4-5) and his right foot brushes to his left foot without changing his weight (the Lady’s left foot brushes to her right foot without changing her weight) (6)
23. The man’s right foot goes to the side against the line of dance, still facing diagonal-to-wall (the Lady’s left foot goes to the side against the line of dance, still backing diagonal-to-wall) (1-2) and his left foot closes to his right foot, still facing diagonal-to-wall (the Lady’s right foot closes to her left foot, still backing diagonal-to-wall) (3)
24. His right foot goes to the side again, continuing against the line of dance and still facing diagonal-to-wall (the Lady’s left foot goes to the side against the line of dance, still backing diagonal-to-wall) (4-5) and his left foot closes to his right foot without changing his weight (the Lady’s right foot closes to her left foot without changing her weight) and they release their hold – only the man’s right hand releases from the lady’s left hand, but the man’s left hand holding to the lady’s right hand is retained (6).
Tracie Leigh Waltz 5th Movement – Walks and Aerial (Lady Underarm Turn)
25. The man’s left foot moves forward down the line of dance, still facing diagonal-to-wall and preparing for the lady to move under his raised left arm (the Lady’s right foot moves forward down the line of dance while turning right under the man’s arm to face the wall) (1-2) the his right foot comes forward down the line of dance (the Lady continues turning right with her left foot moving back down the line of dance and allowing her right foot to cross loosely in front of her left foot, to do a spiral turn) (3)
26. The man’s left foot moves forward down the line of dance (the Lady’s right foot moves forward down the line of dance) (4) and his right foot swings up to a medium aerial position (the Lady’s left foot swings up to a medium aerial position) and they lower their raised arms (4-6)
27. The man’s right foot comes back against the line of dance (the Lady is now turning sharply to the left on the ball of her right foot to the point where she faces against the line of dance and then her left foot goes forward against the line of dance) as they raise their arms again (1-2) and his left foot comes back against the line of dance (the Lady continues turning left to face the wall, her right foot goes to the side against the line of dance, allowing her left foot to cross loosely in front of her right foot, into a spiral turn) (3)
28. The man’s right foot comes back against the line of dance while facing diagonal-to-wall and his partner (the Lady’s left foot moves forward to her partner, moving diagonal-to-centre against the line of dance and preparing to take up Ballroom Hold ) (4-5) then his left foot brushes to his right foot without changing his weight and still facing diagonal-to-wall, now in Ballroom Hold (the Lady’s right foot brushes to her left foot without changing her weight and facing her partner, still backing diagonal-to-wall and now in Ballroom Hold) (6) ready for the reverse Viennese Waltz.
Tracie Leigh Waltz 6th Movement – Reverse Viennese Waltz
The final part of the dance involves two complete reverse Viennese Waltz turns, ending in the partners releasing their hold and resuming Open Extended Hold ready to start the sequence again. For the technically minded, we provide the following description for the final 4 bars of the dance and for each 1-2-3 move.
29. The man turning to face the line of dance moves his left foot forward down the line of dance (the Lady turning to back line of dance, brings her right foot back down the line of dance) (1) then his right foot goes forward down the line of dance (the Lady’s left foot comes back down the line of dance) (2) Turning to the left on the ball of his right foot, to now be backing diagonal-to-wall, allowing his left foot to cross in front of his right foot and taking his weight (the Lady, turning left on the ball of her left foot and heel of her right foot, drags her right foot to 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 down the line of dance) (4) then his left foot comes back down the line of dance (the Lady’s right foot moves forward down the line of dance) (5) Turning left on the ball of his left foot and the heel of his right foot, he drags his right foot to a loose close to his left foot, now facing diagonal-to-wall (the Lady, turning to the left on the ball of her right foot, to be backing diagonal-to-wall, allows her left foot to cross in front of her right foot and taking her weight) (6)
31. Turning to face the line of dance, the man moves his left foot forward 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) then his right foot goes forward down the line of dance (the Lady’s left foot comes back down the line of dance) (2) Turning to the left on the ball of his right foot, to be backing diagonal-to-wall, he allows his left foot to cross in front of his right foot and taking his weight (the Lady, turning left on the ball of her left foot and the heel of her right foot, drags her right foot in a loose close to her left foot, now facing diagonal-to-wall) (3)
32. Turning to back the line of dance, the man brings his right foot back down the line of dance, releasing his hold and turning to face diagonal-to-wall (the Lady, turning to face the line of dance, moves her left foot down the line of dance, releasing her hold and turning to face diagonal-to-centre) (4) his left foot goes to the side and diagonal-to-centre (the Lady’s right foot goes to the side and diagonal-to-wall) (5) and his right foot closes to his left foot in Open Extended Hold facing the line of dance (the Lady’s left foot closes to her right foot in Open Extended Hold facing the line of dance) (6)
Then begin again . . .
Enjoy This Video of the Tracie Leigh Waltz
