The Telemark is a ballroom dance step; in waltz competition, it is in the Silver syllabus. Telemarks are reverse turns where the follower (the lady) does a heel turn as the leader (the man) travels around her. There are similar Telemarks in foxtrot and quickstep.[1]
The term Telemark is borrowed from skiing, in which a turn is generated by a forward leg motion. The closed Telemark and open Telemark are fairly similar. However, the closed Telemark ends in closed position, while the open Telemark ends in promenade position.[2]
The closed Telemark can be followed by a natural turn, natural spin turn, hesitation change, or forward lock.[1]
| Beat | Foot position | Alignment | Amount of turn | Footwork |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Left foot forward | Facing diagonal center | Starting to turn left | Heel – toe |
| 2 | Right foot to side | Almost backing line of dance | Slightly less than between 1 and 2 | Toe |
| 3 | Left foot to side and slightly forward | Pointing diagonal wall | Slightly over between 2 and 3; body turns less | Toe – heel |
| 1 | Right foot forward in contra body movement position (CBMP), outside partner (OP) | Facing diagonal wall | Heel | |
| Beat | Foot position | Alignment | Amount of turn | Footwork |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Right foot back | Backing line of dance | Starting to turn left | Toe – heel |
| 2 | Left foot closes to Right foot (heel turn) | Facing line of dance | between 1 and 2 | Heel – toe |
| 3 | Right foot to side and slightly back | Backing diagonal wall | between 2 and 3, body turns less | Toe – heel |
| 1 | Left foot back in CBMP | Backing diagonal wall | Toe | |
The open Telemark can be followed by an open natural turn, a chassé from promenade position, cross hesitation, wing, or left whisk from promenade position.
| Beat | Foot position | Alignment | Amount of turn | Footwork |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Left foot forward | Facing diagonal center | Starting to turn left | Heel – toe |
| 2 | Right foot to side | Backing diagonal wall | between 1 and 2 | Toe |
| 3 | Left foot to side and slightly forward in promenade position (PP) | Pointing diagonal wall, body facing wall | between 2 and 3, body turns less | Toe – heel |
| Beat | Foot position | Alignment | Amount of turn | Footwork |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Right foot back | Backing diagonal center | Starting to turn left | Toe – heel |
| 2 | Left foot closes to right foot (heel turn) | Facing line of dance | between 1 and 2 | Heel – toe |
| 3 | Right foot diagonally forward and slightly to right in PP, right side leading | Facing line of dance | Slight body turn to left | Toe – heel |