Editing Direction of movement (section)

== Directions of progressive movement ==
===Basic directions of movement with respect to the room===
[[File:Movement directions in ballroom.svg|thumb|upright=2|Basic directions of movement with respect to the room]]
Dancers can align their bodies and move in any of these directions:
* [[Ballroom glossary#Line of dance|line of dance]] (LOD)
* against LOD
* center (C)
* wall (W)
* diagonal center (DC)
* diagonal wall (DW)
* diagonal center against LOD (DC against LOD)
* diagonal wall against LOD (DW against LOD)

These directions may be taken either ''facing'' if the dancer's feet are pointing in the direction of the movement, or ''backing'' if the dancer's feet are oriented in the opposite direction and the dancer is moving backwards with respect to their body. For example, "backing DC against LOD" means that a dancer is moving diagonally to the center against the line of dance, but as they are dancing backwards, the feet (and, roughly, the body) are pointing diagonally to the wall.<ref name="DanceCentral">{{cite web|url=http://www.dancecentral.info/ballroom/resources/glossary/alignment-diagram|title=Alignment diagram|publisher=DanceCentral.info|accessdate=2020-04-30|archive-date=2020-04-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200428234935/http://www.dancecentral.info/ballroom/resources/glossary/alignment-diagram|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="BallroomDancers">{{cite web|url=https://www.ballroomdancers.com/Learning_Center/Technique/Alignments|title=Alignments|publisher=BallroomDancers.com|accessdate=2020-04-30}}</ref>

The term ''pointing'' refers explicitly to the direction the feet are pointing, which is useful if they are not, or not yet, aligned with the orientation of the body. For example, a dancer can be pointing DW while facing the wall.<ref name="DanceCentral" /><ref name="BallroomDancers" />

===Basic directions of step with respect to body position===
[[File:Step directions.svg|upright=1.5|thumb|Basic directions of step with respect to body position. Here, the left foot is the moving foot and the right foot is the supporting foot.]]

These are described in one of the following ways.

* With respect to the [[Glossary of ballroom dance terms#Line of foot|line]] of the [[Glossary of ballroom dance terms#Supporting foot|supporting foot]], the next step may be placed<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ballroomdancers.com/Learning_Center/Technique/Directional_Movements/|title=Directional movements|publisher=BallroomDancers.com|accessdate=2020-04-30}}</ref>
** in one of the primary directions:
*** forward,
*** back,
*** side(ways),
** in a diagonal line:
*** diagonally forward,
*** diagonally back,
** in a hybrid diagonal:
*** forward and slightly leftward (for the left foot) or rightward (for the right foot)
*** side(ways) and slightly forward
*** side(ways) and slightly back
*** back and slightly leftward (for the left foot) or rightward (for the right foot)
** in [[contra body movement position]] (CBMP):
*** forward in CBMP (i.e., the  moving foot is placed directly in front of the supporting foot),
*** forward and across in CBMP (i.e., the moving foot crosses in front of the supporting foot),
*** back in CBMP,
*** back and across in CBMP.
* By [[clock]]: The leader (man) is said to face 12 o'clock immediately before a figure starts. Then directions can be described by saying, for example, that the direction of the second step is 3 o'clock, and the direction of the third step is between 4 and 5 o'clock.<ref>{{YouTube|VtdVqxPFe7A|How to Dance Waltz Natural Turn from WDSF PD Champions}}. Retrieved 2020-04-30.</ref>
* By [[compass]] points: Assuming that the dancer faces North at any moment, one may say, e.g., "take a step North-West".{{fact|date=April 2020}}