That's interesting.

The tumble turn we learnt was a natural turn, similar to a half natural and tipple to the right, which sounds like the turn Keh mentioned.

Jonathan's version seems to be what we learnt as a syncopated feather finish.

I haven't seen the Hilton's tape which features tumble turns but from the advert they dance a sequnce of bounce fallaway - tumble turn - curving back threestep. This would seem to fit with Jonathan's version.

Maybe there are natural and reverse tumble turns.
Are these steps written down anywhere?
Jonathan, what did you base your answer on, was it the Hilton tape?

Given the vast number of possibilities for 'inventing' new figures by playing around with existing figures do we need a namimg convention for these figures? Does it matter if two choreographers use the same name for different figures, or different names for the same figue? I guess you nay be used to this in the US with the different franchises like AM and FA.

Regards
Howard

A Tumble Turn is a Feather Finish with a bonus step (sort of).

Start backing DC, dance the three steps of a Feather Finish RLR with 1/2 turn to end on RF facing DC. Continue to rise over the course of the three steps. Because step 3 is continuing through both rise and rotation, the step will not be as big as it is in a normal feather finish.

The "bonus" step is a reverse pivot. Continuing to curve leftward, step forward LF towards center. As you step onto the reverse pivot, drop your weight onto the LF and flex left knee, turning through the pivot to back LOD. Follow with any figure which can follow 1-3 Reverse Turn.

Amount of turn for man: Commence to turn L on 1, 3/8 between 1-2 (body turns less), 1/8 between 2-3, 1/8 between 3-4, 1/4 on RF on 4.

Amount of turn for lady: Commence to turn L on 1, 1/4 between 1-2, 1/4 between 2-3, 1/8 between 3-4, 1/4 on LF on 4.

Sway: SRRL for man, SLLR for lady. To complement the rightward sway, the man can turn his head slightly rightward on 2-3. He should turn his head strongly to the left on 4. The lady should keep her head to the left on 1-3, but can turn it open to the right on 4.

Rise & Fall: Begin to rise on end of 1 (NFR for man), continue to rise 2 and 3, up on 4, lower at end of 4. Well, that's how the tech book would describe it, anyway. In reality, you'll probably reach the peak of the rise right in between 3 and 4, and lower as soon as your weight hits the 4.

Have fun tumbling!

Sincerely,
Jonathan Atkinson
www.ballroomdancers.com

I'm glad Jonathan answered because I've never heard of the Tumble Turn. It's not in the Popular Variations book I have and I don't recall it being in the couple books I have on open level figures either. So it's basically an overturned Feather Finish with a Fwd Reverse Pivot (since the syllabus Reverse Pivot goes back on the man's RF I figured I'd add a qualifier for the pivot)? Interesting. There's another figure I can attempt to spot when watching high level dancers. I like to try to figure out what figures the couples are doing in their routines, but since I don't know a lot of open stuff, it's hard for me to do. Still, knowing what some look like means I can try to spot at least those.

--
James Marshall
marshall@astro.umd.edu
http://www.astro.umd.edu/~marshall