The Basic Outside Three Turn (As in the European Waltz)

This is a movement that is very often, badly performed and as with all turns it is important that there is a preparation followed by a checking action. This movement is performed with an open hip throughout.

Firstly, you start in a basic outside edge position, for instance, if you are on the left foot then your left hip, shoulder and arm in the lead with your hips and shoulders facing to the outside of the circle by about 45 degrees. Again as always you bend both knees before pushing and then strike onto your forward outside edge with your free leg well turned out and extended and your free foot pointed with your toe slightly down. Then as you rise gently on your skating knee your free leg is drawn in to the skating leg until they touch in a T position with your hips still open and turned out. At the same time as this rising movement your upper body rotates so that your right shoulder and arm are forward against your left hip causing the ‘preparation'. Then just before the turn you stop the rotation so that you can check the turn by reversing your arms and hips, simply allowing only your skating foot to turn. You then lift lightly on the skating knee forward to the right side of your body, across the turn so that you weight moves over the ball of your foot and back onto the heel of your skating foot (the left). This allows your weight to move progressively in the direction that you are moving. I also think it is a big asset to make sure that you head continues to look in the direction that you are skating. This means that you start looking over you left shoulder and as you rise, your head slowly appears to look over your right shoulder as your body rotates under head.

In the checked position you should be looking inside of the circle with your hips and shoulders parallel to the tracing and your weight on the heel of your skate, your feet in a T position and on a backward inside edge, your head looking over your right shoulder and your left arm checked across your body towards your right hip. After this you can close the feet together so that the right foot closes into the instep of the left, you can then bend both knees to push in preparation for the next step. The turn should be a very calm and easy movement with as little movement as possible, at takes place at the top and the rising knee action so the it is light and lifted into the checked position, not pressed, scraped or forced.

It is also important to understand that at the point of the turn the body weight must progress by about two feet, which is caused by the action of the foot turning under the body. Many beginners have difficulty with this because while they obtain the prepared position easily, they do not progress their weight during the moment of the turn, this results in them finding that after the turn they are falling back from where they came and are out of balance and control. Weight progression is a very important part of good ice dancing.

I hope that this helps you to improve your Three Turns.