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Footwork5 minutes

Cross your feet in Viennese Waltz without getting stuck

By Mary De LucaUpdated

In short
  • When crossing forward in the Viennese Waltz left turn, the left foot crosses in front of the right on three.
  • First, practice the crossing step on your own, starting from the position learned in class after the second step.
  • Put your weight on your right foot, bring your left foot just past it, and only then transfer your weight.
  • With short repetitions, reconnect the crossing step on your own with the familiar forward rhythm, then practice it with a partner.

A shoe catching can turn a familiar beat into a sudden searching movement. If you keep repeating the entire figure, the crucial moment stays visible for too little time to change it deliberately.

What you need for the correction

  • The forward half of the left turn you've already learned
  • A dry, level practice area free of obstacles
  • Well-fitting shoes with no loose laces
  • The familiar foot alignment after the second step
  • A few minutes without the pressure of music

The crossing needs a clear path in front of the standing foot

When crossing to the left in the Viennese Waltz, the left foot should not simply land beside the right. On count three, it moves in front of the right foot. This crossing belongs to the forward-moving half of the turn to the left, not to every Waltz measure. The person dancing backward therefore does not take the same crossing path at the same time.

To correct it, separate two tasks: the path of the free foot and the weight transfer that follows. If the left foot is still bearing weight, you cannot bring it in freely. If its shoe edge meets the right shoe before passing its front, a bottleneck forms. Pulling harder on the leg will not create more space there. Instead, it can drag the standing foot along.

So the isolated exercise starts in your familiar position after step two. Keep that alignment instead of inventing a new ending position. You are looking for a narrow passage without contact, not the deepest possible cross. The principle of separating tasks first also helps with coordinating arms and legs. For now, keep your arms still so you can feel the path of the foot. The full turn and its amount of rotation are not rebuilt here.

A short break between attempts prevents you from unknowingly carrying the previous incorrect movement into the next attempt.
A short break between attempts prevents you from unknowingly carrying the previous incorrect movement into the next attempt.

Clear the crossing in short attempts

  1. Pinpoint the sticking point

    Dance your familiar forward half solo and slowly until the first shoe contact. Notice whether your left shoe catches on the side of your right shoe or bumps into it only when you set it down; don’t repeat the contact with momentum.

  2. Take the position after step two

    Set up the position you learned in class after step two, without taking a run-up. Shift your weight onto your right foot so you can free your left foot without leaning your upper body to the side.

  3. Move the free foot forward

    Move your left foot slowly and close to the floor toward your right foot and past it, without transferring your weight at first. Stop before the feet touch and adjust only the path of your foot until the edges of your shoes pass each other without touching.

  4. Taking the Weight After Crossing

    Place your left foot in the familiar crossed position and transfer your weight onto it. Keep your knees relaxed; your shoes should not press against each other. You can tell the weight transfer was successful when your right foot is free of weight afterward.

  5. Briefly repeat the individual sequence

    Release the crossed position, return to the starting position and repeat the sequence two or three times. After each attempt, consciously return to the start instead of continuing from an increasingly tighter crossed position.

  6. Reconnect with the forward timing

    Incorporate the corrected movement into your familiar one, two, three steps, first slowly and without music. Remove the artificial pause after two; if you can keep the timing without partner contact, repeat it with the familiar musical pulse.

  7. Using the crossing with a partner

    Dance only the familiar short section with your partner, then stop and start again. The person dancing backwards keeps their own footwork; if the crossing is clear, you can fit the section back into the sequence you learned.

Keep the passageway clear

Like this

  • Move only up to just before the first shoe contact
  • Guide your foot close to the floor past the shoe
  • Use the cross position you learned in class
  • Stop the exercise immediately if you feel pain

Not like this

  • Pull through the resistance with momentum
  • Lift your foot over the other shoe
  • Twist your legs to cross them more deeply
  • Force more crosses despite the pain

Check off your short practice

Before Your First Try

Start

After the Solo Exercise

Footwork

After practicing with a partner

Application

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. No, in the forward cross practiced here, your left foot goes in front of your right. You don’t switch to a second cross with your right foot within this beat. If you take on the backward half, follow the footwork you’ve already learned for it.

Standard Dance Classes for Your Waltz Technique

In a standard dance class, you can bring the more relaxed cross step back into the Viennese Waltz left turn you've learned.

View All Suitable Classes

Strengthen the cross together reinforce

On udansa, you can find dance partners to practice the left turn you've already learned in short sequences. In your request, describe your dance role and exactly which crossing point you want to work on.

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Strengthen the cross together reinforce

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