Closed And Open Changes
Closed Change and Open Change are basic dance steps in the waltz, performed in closed position.
The Closed Change is known as the Box Step in some other dances.
Changes also may be Right and Left, making four types of changes in total: Right Closed, Left Closed, Right Open and Left Open.
In Right changes the man starts from the right foot, while in Left ones the man starts from the left foot.
A change is called "closed", if on the last step the moving foot closes to the standing foot. A change is "open", if on the last step the moving foot passes the standing foot.
The figures are called "changes", because they allow dancers to change from Natural Turn to Reverse Turn and vice versa. For example, a basic practicing variation in Waltz goes as follows:
- Dance 1-6 steps of Natural Turn,
- then 1-3 steps of Right Closed Change,
- then 1-6 steps of Reverse Turn,
- then 1-3 steps of Left Closed Change,
- repeat until the music stops or partner drops.
All four changes are similar, therefore a detailed description is only for the Right Closed Change.
Read more about Closed And Open Changes: Right Closed Change
Famous quotes containing the words closed and, closed and/or open:
“Because you live, O Christ,
the spirit bird of hope is freed for flying,
our cages of despair no longer keep us closed and life-denying.
The stone has rolled away and death cannot imprison!
O sing this Easter Day, for Jesus Christ has risen!”
—Shirley Erena Murray (20th century)
“With two sons born eighteen months apart, I operated mainly on automatic pilot through the ceaseless activity of their early childhood. I remember opening the refrigerator late one night and finding a roll of aluminum foil next to a pair of small red tennies. Certain that I was responsible for the refrigerated shoes, I quickly closed the door and ran upstairs to make sure I had put the babies in their cribs instead of the linen closet.”
—Mary Kay Blakely (20th century)
“Rita: Sadie, don’t open the door. It might be the guests.
Sadie: It can’t be. It’s only seven.
Rita: Well if it is, they mustn’t see you like that.
Sadie: If they’re that early, they deserve what they get.”
—Joseph L. Mankiewicz (1909–1993)