Cross-Style Dancing: Specific Figures, Smooth/Standard

Still having video issues, and completely swamped this week.  I will work on getting the videos for last week and this week ASAP.  

Besides observing the syllabus, transferring from American Smooth to International Standard has one ferociously obvious restriction that should be easy to follow: don’t break frame.  In some ways, though, this makes transitioning between Standard and Smooth more potentially confusing than between Rhythm and Latin because differences in similar figure are more subtle. 

Waltz

In a Chasse from Promenade Position in International Waltz, the Lady closes to the Man by the end of the figure; in American Style, the Lady remains in Promenade Position.  Furthermore, the Chasse from Promenade is the ONLY syncopation allowed at Bronze in American Style.  International Style includes syncopated figures Progressive Chasse to the Right and a Back Lock in Bronze as well.

Another stipulation of Bronze American Waltz is that feet be closed on the three (Chasse from PP is the exception).  This restriction means that an International Style Whisk is not permitted in American Style.  Instead, you must dance a Twinkle, where the feet close on three.

A simple Grapevine or Zig Zag is allowed in Bronze American Waltz but does not exist anywhere in the International Waltz syllabus.

Finally for Waltz, American Style allows a Forward Twist Turn to the Left from Promenade Position.  A twist action, turning right, is provided in the International Syllabus only as a possible Follow for the Left Whisk in Gold.  It does not exist as a figure on its own.  

Though Tango has a different basic action between styles, and Foxtrot is a completely different dance, I want to mention a few figures specifically anyway because a slight amount of figure overlap does occur.

Tango

In Bronze American Tango, you may dance a Twist Turn Left OR Right from Promenade Position.  International Style’s Twist Turn does appear in Bronze, but only turns to the Right.  

Right Side Fan is a Bronze figure in American Tango but does not appear until Silver in International Style, where it is called an Outside Swivel.  There are four methods of dancing an Outside Swivel; Right Side Fan most closely resembles Method Three.  Most importantly, a Right Side Fan contains two swivels danced back to back but an Outside Swivel may not Precede or Follow itself. 

Foxtrot

Where Foxtrot is concerned, American Style does allow two figures in Bronze that have similar “friends” at Gold in International Style.  Twist Turn to Left from Promenade Position and Zigzag/Grapevine are both Bronze for American Style Foxtrot.  Figures called Natural Twist Turn and Natural Zig-Zag from Promenade Position exist in Gold Foxtrot, but as I have noted before, are very different stylistically due to the strong difference of character between American and International Foxtrot.  Additionally, Natural Twist Turn comes equipped with four specific endings (and of course turns Right, as is indicated by the word “Natural”).