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Figure Technique6 minutes

Slow Waltz: Right Turn in Six Steps

By Mary De LucaUpdated

In short
  • The right turn consists of six steps over two bars, counted as two sets of one, two, three.
  • The leading role starts with the right foot forward, the following role with the left foot backward, each followed by a side step and a close.
  • In the second bar, the leading role starts with the left foot backward, the following role with the right foot forward, each followed by a side step and a close.
  • The standard execution turns three quarters clockwise in total and ends with the leading role facing diagonally toward the wall again.

When dancing as a couple, the right foot can suddenly feel wrong if both partners want to take the same path. In this figure, the wider outside lane and the narrower inside lane alternate: this shift is what lets you keep moving together.

What you need for your first run-through

  • Clear practice space for two traveling measures
  • Comfortable dance shoes with a sole that glides in a controlled way
  • Closed dance hold without pulling on the arms
  • Confident weight changes and counting in three-quarter time
  • Assigned leading and following roles

The Natural Turn travels instead of rotating on the spot

The right turn is also called the Natural Turn. In the standard version described here, you turn three eighths to the right in each measure, for a total of three quarters of a full rotation. This is not a mistake: after six steps, one quarter of the full rotation is intentionally left out. The figure is designed to travel along the edge of the room, not to make a closed circle in the same spot.

The direction of dance, meaning the path counterclockwise around the room, serves as a reference. At the beginning, the leading role faces diagonally forward toward the wall, roughly between the direction of dance and the outer wall. After the first measure, they have their back to the direction of dance. After the second, they face diagonally toward the wall again. This ending position is farther ahead than the starting position.

In the first measure, the leading role travels around the outside, and in the second, the following role does. The role that starts backward takes the shorter path on the inside each time. If you both traveled equally large arcs, your frame would become tense. The roles refer to dance tasks, not genders. The introduction to learning the Waltz can help you understand both waltzes; the overview of the Slow Waltz places this figure in the broader learning journey.

A man and a woman dance Waltz or Salsa in a studio
A short break to change shoes makes more sense than forcing a turn with a sticking sole.

Dance the right turn step by step

  1. Set your starting direction and supporting foot

    Take closed position: the leader faces diagonally toward the wall, the follower in the opposite direction. The leader puts their weight on the left foot, the follower on the right; the other feet are free. First, agree to do one run-through without music and stop after the six steps.

  2. Start by moving forward on count one

    The leader steps forward with the right foot, the follower backward with the left. Begin the right turn through your shared body movement, without pulling on each other's hands. The forward step lands heel first; the person moving backward leaves enough room for you to move together.

  3. Continue turning sideways on two

    The leader steps left to the side, the follower steps right to the side. By this step, you have turned about a quarter to the right. The leader moves along the wider outer track, while the follower keeps their side step smaller. At the end of the step, begin to rise.

  4. Close and lower on three

    The leader closes the right foot to the left, the follower the left foot to the right, each with a weight transfer. Complete the remaining eighth turn: the leader now has their back to the line of dance. Stay up at first and lower in a controlled way at the end of three.

  5. Start backward on the second “one”

    In the leading role, you step backward with your left foot; in the following role, you step forward with your right foot, heel first. The right turn continues. Now the following role takes the wider outside path; in the leading role, you make room with your backward step instead of using your arms to push your partner past you.

  6. On count two, take the second side step

    As the leader, step to the right, while the follower steps to the left. Continue turning together to the right and begin rising again at the end of the step. The follower's turn, which began with a forward step, circles around you; keep your own inside path compact and your upper body connected to theirs.

  7. Close on three and hold the exit

    As the leader, close your left foot to your right; as the follower, close your right foot to your left, transferring your weight. Complete a total of three eighth-turns in the second measure and lower at the end. The leader faces diagonally toward the wall again, with the right foot free. The follower has the left foot free.

Preserve the shared path through space

Like this

  • Adjust your step size to the shorter inside path
  • Transfer your weight fully as you close
  • Let your hands move calmly with your body
  • Take side steps along the new path across the floor

Not like this

  • Force the inside and outside arcs to be the same size
  • Close your feet, but keep your weight on the same foot
  • Pull your dance partner around with your right hand
  • Spin in place on both feet

Mark your practice session as complete

Before You Start

Starting Position

After the First Measure

Intermediate Position

After the Second Beat

Ending

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Yes, Natural Turn is the English name for the right turn in Slow Waltz. It refers to the complete six-step figure, not just its first three steps. Some lesson sequences use only the first three steps before moving on to another figure. That is why specifying the number of steps is helpful.

Ballroom classes for your Waltz figures

Practice the right turn in Slow Waltz with guidance on step size, footwork, and turning together.

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Practice six steps together

On udansa, you can find dance partners for ballroom dances to slowly go through the natural turn with. Describe your level and preferred dance role so you can start with the same exercise.

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