Care to Waltz?

Ever wanted to learn cross-step waltz? Here’s your chance. No fees. No registration.

Imagine you and your partner figure skating upon the ballroom floor. We call it Cross-Step Waltz.

You have seen couples dancing cross-step waltz variations and you’d like to try it, too. Now Patrick and The Dancing Fish are teaming up to walk you through the essentials. Just arrange with Patrick that you will arrive early, say, a half-hour or so before a contra dance. That’s all you need to do. You will:

  • Learn what makes cross-step waltz so entirely different from other waltz forms.
  • Learn to dance forwards while also turning simultaneously.
  • Learn to dance in fractals, the fundamental repeating patterns of the natural world.
  • Improve your posture, balance and vitality—and never get dizzy again.
  • Learn spin-outs where you & your partner are momentarily dancing apart.

“Cross-step waltz is more than a dance step.  Cross-step waltz embodies a partnering dynamic, a mindset, and a philosophy.”

-Richard Powers

Cross-step waltz can travel and rotate like traditional waltzes, while the dynamic of the cross-step facilitates a wide range of traveling variations.

Learn to follow or lead—or both!

  • Leads
  • Follows
  • Couples

“Cross-Step Waltz is one of the newest social dance forms, spreading quickly because it’s easy to learn yet endlessly innovative, satisfying for both beginners and the most experienced dancers.  It travels and rotates like traditional waltz, but the addition of the cross-step opens up a wide range of playful yet gracefully flowing variations.”

-Richard Powers

Lead/Follow Roles

Some dancers enjoy cross-step waltz because the steps and roles of Lead and Follow are more equal than in most social dances.

  • The steps of the Lead and Follow roles are more equal because they’re mirror-image.  This makes it easy to quickly adapt to your partner’s footwork.
  • The roles are a little more equal because the Lead is constantly tracking (some say following) his partner, while the Follow role is more actively a co-pilot than in other couple dances.
  • Role reversal is also easier than in most other dances because both roles have the same basic step, both crossing forward on the downbeat.  The Follow can take over the Lead while dancing, continuing the flow of movement without missing a beat or having to re-start.
Richard Powers and Angela Amarillas demonstrate cross-step waltz variations.
Learn Cross-Step Waltz Essentials
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Patrick Harrigan

An avid contra dancer, Patrick Harrigan is also a photographer, editor, and website publisher.