Ballroom Dance Terminology.
Like
any other hobby or sport, Ballroom dancing has some shorthand terms that are
worth memorizing:
Line of Dance.
Abbreviated as LOD. This is an imaginary line running anti-clockwise around
the dance floor parallel to the walls. Dancers should always progress around
the line of dance, and not cut across the middle of the floor or move against
the line of dance.
Alignment.
Stand facing along the line of dance, 90 degrees on your right is Wall and
90 degrees on your left is Centre.
Diagonal to Wall (DW) is 45 degrees to your Right, and Diagonal to Centre (DC)
is 45 degrees on your Left.
You can be described as “Facing” an alignment or “Backing” an alignment.
Outside Partner.
For the man this is normally a step forward on the right foot taken on your
partner’s right side, so you end up right hip to right hip. The lady’s
equivalent of this is “Partner Outside” which indicates she will step back on
her left foot while her partner steps “outside partner” on his right foot.
Natural Turn.
A Turn to the right.
Reverse Turn.
A Turn to the left