The Cuckoo Waltz

{c. 1950}

Introduction

The Cuckoo Waltz is an easy Waltz sequence dance by Arthur Clarke, which was described in several sources around 1950, at the height of the Old Time Dancing revival in England.

The Position

Closed position, Lead facing LOD.

The Dance

Part I - Balance and Left Waltz (4 bars): Step forward left (1), close right without weight (3), step back right (4), and close left without weight (6). Then 3/4 of a turn of left-turning waltz (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6), ending with Lead facing out.

Part II - Swing and Rollaway (4 bars): Holding two hands, step side left along LOD (1), swing right foot through (3), step side right (4), and swing left foot through (6). Then a full outward rollaway (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6).

Part III - Chassé Left and Right (4 bars): Side (1), close (3), side (4), close without weight (6) along LOD, then side (1), close (3), side (4), close without weight (6) against LOD. The leading hands (L-to-R on the first half and R-to-L on the second) are held at shoulder level, the trailing hands at hip level.

Part IV - Waltz (4 bars): Two full turns of right-turning waltz.

Repeat from the beginning.

The Music

Waltz music, at 144 bpm.

The specified music is "Cuckoo Waltz" by J. E. Jonasson.

Sources

A. J. Latimer. (1950). A Second Bouquet of Old Time Dances. London.
Victor Silvester. (1950). Old Time Dancing. London.

For more dance descriptions, see our three books on dancing:
The Book of Mixers: 100 Easy-Teach Dances for Getting Acquainted (2022) by Richard Powers and Nick & Melissa Enge,
Cross-Step Waltz: A Dancer's Guide (2019) by Richard Powers and Nick & Melissa Enge, and
Waltzing: A Manual for Dancing and Living (2013) by Richard Powers and Nick Enge.

For full-length teaching videos, visit: University of Dance.

For help crafting a life you love, visit: Project Quartz.

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