Movie Waltzing Richard Powers

It's fun to take ideas for waltz positions and figures from films. Many are historically authentic, while some others are whimsical fabrications. • One-armed hold. It's just that. His L hand can be behind his back, palm outward.

• She holds her dress with her L hand.

• Her R hand is at his L shoulder and she may hold her dress with her L hand; or her hand floats free. His L hand is behind his back, palm out, as he holds her w his R arm.

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Or her R hand at his neck, L hands flying free. This the Russian version of War and Peace.

• Wedding Cake Position, from The Young Victoria.

• From Wedding Cake, hold L palm-to-palm, mid-height. From the 2015 Cinderella.

3 • From Wedding Cake, she outstretches her free L arm. Look at partner dramatically.

• Also from Wedding Cake, he lowers held L hands to his left bicep, keeps it there, slightly shifts his R hand to the top of her shoulder, and she places her R hand on his L wrist. Both on this page are from Anna Karenina.

4 • Arms folded, do a left-shoulder dos-a-dos, waltz step forward both beginning R foot; turn 1/4 CW then back L; repeat both. It also works with a redowa step.

• In Russian Ark they then did a promenade, then genuflexions.

5 • Fog Hands, where they take R-to-R palm grasps, lower them, take L-to-L palm grasps, lower them. Here they were circling in place CCW. If you're really good, you can do that in rotary waltz, giving pullback tension with the held hands. (Clouds rise and Fog sinks.)

• Cloud Hands. From The Sound of Music. Transition: He places her R hand into his R hand. Raise R and let go on 1-2-3; raise L and let go.

• Rotary Cloud Hands Transition: He places her R hand into his R hand. Raise R and let go on 1-2-3; raise L and let go on 4-5-6. It also works raising L first, but the beauty of this version is that you can exit with a Face Loop on a 4-5-6, when L hands are raised.