AUSTRIAN WALTZ
The Austrian Waltz is characterized by elegance of line combined with the typical lightness of the Viennese Waltz. It should be skated with strongly curved edges, bending of the skating knee and wide extended movements of the arms and free legs while maintaining a soft flow throughout the waltz.
The three-turns in closed hold should be skated with the feet of the couple close together. The lady’s twizzles should be skated well in front of the man. The leading hand of the man must support the lady during her turns so that there are no stops in the flow. During the execution of all of her twizzles, the free foot is crossed in front of the skating foot.
The dance is commenced in Kilian hold with a touchdown three-turn on the left foot for both partners (Step 1). Bending of the skating knee for two beats and rising on count three is essential in order to turn the three easily around the same axis, to keep the flow (in Kilian hold) and to accentuate the waltz character. The very short right back outside edge is skated on the “and” after beat three of Step 1. Steps 2 and 3 are followed by a left forward inside edge held for three beats.
On Step 5, the lady skates an inside three on count six of the measure changing into closed hold and finishes with a swing of her free leg starting on count one with the edge held until count three. Meanwhile, the man skates a crossed behind right forward outside stroke on the count of three and steps on count four on a crossed in front left forward outside edge, swinging his right free leg forward matching the lady’s movement for the same beats.
On Step 6, the man turns a three on the right forward outside edge on count six. The lady’s back outside edge is an open stroke with her free leg swinging behind to be closed on count six and both partners rising.
The long Step 7 for the lady starts with a right forward outside three on count three, followed by a right backward inside edge with the free leg stretched behind for three beats. Still on the right foot, she changes the edge to a right backward outside edge with her free leg moving in front for the next two beats. To finish the movement she closes her free leg on the next beat to turn her counterclockwise back outside twizzle under the left arm of the man. On Step 7a, the man skates a left backward outside edge for the first three beats. For the next three beats (his Step 7b) he skates a right forward outside edge with free leg stretched behind. His sequence is finished with a left forward cross roll for two beats (his Step 7c) and a three-turn on the last beat matching the twizzle of the lady.
Step 8 is an outside edge for three beats duration with the free leg extended. Step 9a for the lady is an inside Ravensburger-type three turned on count three with a swing of her free leg starting on count four to be held until count six. After a short cross behind left backward outside on the “and” between counts six and one, the lady crosses in front to a right backward inside edge. Keeping her free foot close to the skating foot, she turns a backward inside three-turn on count three to finish with a swing of her free leg starting on count four to be held until count six (her Step 9b). The man’s Steps 9a and 9b are a swing roll of six beats and a cross roll swing of again six beats duration. It is important that both partners match their free legs on the last three beats of that section. With the second three-turn of the lady, they change to Kilian hold.
Step 10 for both is a touchdown three turned in Kilian hold on the third beat, followed by a short right backward outside edge skated on the “and” after beat three. Both skaters skate Step 11 for counts four to six as an open stroke with the foot extended back.
The lady continues on her Step 12 with a cross roll and a three-turn on count three followed by a very short left backward outside edge to help to step forward for Step 13a (a touchdown three). During Steps 12a and 13, the man is slightly left of the lady. Step 13 is turned on the count of one (beat four of the step). The lady’s Step 13a is a right forward outside edge for three beats and is followed by a crossed behind left forward inside edge on count one (Step 13b) with a forward extension to match the man’s free leg and finished with a “twizzle-like” motion. Both partners change to a “waltz” hold with their right arms extended in “helicopter” style after Step 13b with the man skating backwards.
Steps 15 to 17 are European Waltz-type three-turns in closed hold. On Step 18 the lady steps her cross roll slightly to the left of the man to turn her three on count six followed by a very short left backward outside (a touchdown three) to step forward to turn their simultaneous three-turns on Step 19 in crossed Foxtrot hold. (The partner’s arms are crossed at their back with the man’s right hand on the lady’s right hip; the lady’s left hand on the man’s left hip).
On the left backward outside edge on Step 20 both partners release their hands in front to move them close to their hips with their other arms still crossed behind their backs. Out of this hold, the lady starts with a right forward outside rocker briefly touching down with the left foot to skate a right backward outside edge lifting the left free arm above the head (her Step 21a). The man steps forward from a crossed behind right backward outside edge (his Step 21a), while the lady turns the rocker behind his back (the Back to Back section), to skate a left forward outside (his Step 21b) holding the lady’s right hand with his left hand and moving his right hand above his head matching the lady’s movement. (For her 21a, the lady steps on one, turns her rocker on count two, briefly touches down to thrust her onto her RBO for counts three, four and five, then skates XB-LBO, her Step 21b, on count six.)
During Step 22, both partners change back to High Kilian hold with their right hands up above shoulder level. On Step 22, the lady skates a cross in front backward inside three turned on count two to skate the right forward outside swing in unison with the man’s forward outside swing roll started with a cross roll. Both turn a left forward inside three (her Step 23a; his Step 23) on count two with the free foot crossed in front. The man finishes his edge still on his left foot with a back swing on counts four, five and six. The lady steps forward (Step 23b) and may match the man’s swing on her right forward outside edge. During the three-turn, the partners change into “closed” hold with the right arms extended in “helicopter” style. The three-turns (Steps 24 and 25) are three-turned on count three. Step 26 is a swing of six beats duration.
On Step 27 the lady turns a fast twizzle (1.5 rotations counterclockwise) on her right forward inside edge on count three, under the left arm of the man, while he skates a left forward outside edge for six beats with his free leg extended on the last three beats to match the lady’s leg action as she holds her RBO edge after her turn.
Step 28 for the lady is a left backward outside twizzle of one rotation turning in the opposite direction (clockwise), and still under the left arm of the man, fnishing on a LBO with a swing matching the free leg movement of the man. The first three of the “walkaround threes” (Step 29 for the man; Step 30 for the lady) is turned on beat three of the step. The second three of this set (Step 31a for the man; Step 31b for the lady) is turned rapidly so that the timing for the man is two counts for his left forward outside edge with the three being turned on the “and” between counts two and three. The lady skates her right back outside edge for two counts and her left forward outside three-turn (her Step 31b) for one count.
During these fast turns (walk-around threes) a firm waltz hold, upright position and tight footwork are very important, and the couple must remain opposite skating around the same axis. Step 33 is a left backward outside edge for the lady and a cross roll three-turn for the man in closed hold. For the lady, Step 34 is a right forward outside double three, with the first three-turn being turned on count six and the right backward inside three turned on count three of the next measure. The man’s Step 34a is a left backward outside edge, and his Step 34b is a right forward outside edge changing into Kilian hold as the lady turns her first three-turn. Step 35 is a cross behind left forward inside edge for both skaters held for two counts, and Step 36 is a right forward inside edge in preparation for the restart.
MUSIC RHYTHM: Waltz 3/4
TEMPO: 60 three-beat measures per minute; 180 beats per minute
ISU MUSIC INTRODUCTION: 48 beats, 16 seconds
PATTERN-TIMING: 1 = :49; 2 = 1:38; 3 = 2:27; 4 = 3:16
DURATION: Test 2 = 1:38 Competition 2 = 1:38 Adult Competition 2 = 1:38
SKATER’S CHOICE TIMING: See Skater’s Choice Pattern Dance Timing Chart on usfgureskating.org under the “Technical Info” link
PATTERN: Optional
TEST: International
INVENTORS: Susi and Peter Handschmann
FIRST PERFORMANCE: Vienna, Austria, 1979
AUSTRIAN WALTZ — STEP CHART - 2019-20 U.S. Figure Skating Rulebook
