How to Avoid Getting Dizzy With Viennese Waltz?

[DancePoet]

Hi folks!

How can a person avoid getting dizzy while doing Viennese Waltz?

I don't seem to have much of an issue with this, and I'm not sure why, but my partner really has a problem with this.

My guess is we might be making the turns too tight. Maybe the second and fifth step of the pattern both need to be longer and straighter?

Any ideas?

[Porfirio Landeros]

If you're taking turns going around each other, no one should be constantly rotating. For example, on reverse turns, the person going forward turns at the end of the figure, around the person who was going back - then it's the other partner's turn. Viennese is really a lot less rotational than people tend to make it. Sometimes in my head, I say, "I go, she goes, I go, she goes..."

Hope this gets you started.

[Chris Stratton]

Mostly comfort will increase with practice. I did notice a bit of dizziness when I tried following a VW a while back - it didn't bother me, but I noticed it a lot more than when leading, so I could believe that 'knowing where you are going' makes things easier.

[Larinda McRaven]

There is also the point that her head should not be turning at the same speed as her body. It rotates slower or faster depending on where she is in the turn. If her head moves at a constant speed (and your body is rotating at a constant speed - which is already stated as incorrect)everything becomes a blur.

[Chris Stratton]

I'm curious to what degree spotting is actually practiced... just took a quick look at some videos and it appears that many of the ladies are keeping their heads farily fixed relative to the body most of the time, and only taking an occasional peek. In contrast, the guys are more visibly changing head position. I'm not sure what this really means though. Perhaps changes of head position sufficient to create a more constant visual direction really aren't that obvious. Perhaps dancers of this level simply have a higher tolerance for disorientation. Or perhaps the eyes can track fixed spots mostly on their own.

I do often feel that I choose to really "look" in only a few directions during the turn, and cultivate a much more passive "awareness" of what is in other directions.

[twnkltoz]

I spot during VW. Turning right, I was taught to leave my head behind for as long as possible, so that helps there. Turning left, I fix my eyes on a spot for a couple of seconds before moving to the next. I keep my head where it belongs, it's just my eyes that are spotting. I never get dizzy, although we never do more than 8 measures in any direction either.

That's why I like American style so much better than International. Get to stop, look in different places, rest, etc! And it's a little slower.

[DancePoet]

Originally Posted by Porfirio Landeros

If you're taking turns going around each other, no one should be constantly rotating. For example, on reverse turns, the person going forward turns at the end of the figure, around the person who was going back - then it's the other partner's turn. Viennese is really a lot less rotational than people tend to make it. Sometimes in my head, I say, "I go, she goes, I go, she goes..."

Hope this gets you started.

Yes, I find if I think like this on the turns, it doesn't feel like I'm spinning.

[DancePoet]

Originally Posted by Chris Stratton

Mostly comfort will increase with practice. I did notice a bit of dizziness when I tried following a VW a while back - it didn't bother me, but I noticed it a lot more than when leading, so I could believe that 'knowing where you are going' makes things easier.

Interesting ... yes, I recall feeling alittle dizzy sometimes when I first started learning.

[DancePoet]

Originally Posted by Larinda McRaven

There is also the point that her head should not be turning at the same speed as her body. It rotates slower or faster depending on where she is in the turn. If her head moves at a constant speed (and your body is rotating at a constant speed - which is already stated as incorrect)everything becomes a blur.

I'm having a hard time visualizing this. Is this what twnkltoz is describing when she talked about spotting?

[Laura]

I used to get dizzy all the time, and it just went away with practice. Now if I get dizzy when I do it, it usually means I'm coming down with something like a cold or mild ear infection.