Tumbleweed Triples

Tumbleweed Triples could also be called Keep-Touch-Triples, but I really like the imagery suggested by the other name; a name which was suggested by one of the dancers in the clip below.

The main objectives of this form of Tripling is to maintain physical contact at all times while our movements are based on the fundamentals of Vintage Waltz.  (Which is not to say that using the fundamentals of any other dance is at all discouraged!)

• Maintaining physical contact at all times: a beat here or there isn't an issue, the point is a concept of continual interaction so that the triple is at all times a three-way involvement.

• We are a playing with this concept in a Vintage Waltz practicum so our tripling moves are solidly based on the fundamentals of Vintage Waltz with an occasional moment that looks/feels like something else (Swing comes to mind).  If anyone wants to run with these concepts in a different type of dance, that would be wonderful.

This is a very early version; none of us have done even half-a-dozen of these.

"Original/Standard/Early Triple Style"

These triples are with three people but the links between all three are less tight than in a Tumbleweed.  In these triples, two people dance and a third, the outside lead, reconnects every so often.  For our group, we try to reconnect every 3-6 beats so that the integrity of the triple is there and it's not just two people dancing with an occasional visit from satellite.  We often fall short of the 3-6 beat goal, but when we can sustain that, the result is exhilarating.

One of the more popular videos.

There are hints and fragments of what this could include scattered over the internet:

Waltzlab spent week 16 on this idea here:

    http://waltzlab.appspot.com/viewcompetition?competitionkey=agpzfndhbHR6bGFichMLEgtDb21wZXRpdGlvbhipwwEM 

and here:

    http://waltzlab.appspot.com/viewcompetition?competitionkey=agpzfndhbHR6bGFichMLEgtDb21wZXRpdGlvbhiRywEM

and here's a playlist of fullblown attempts at tripling from other social dances:

     http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL22175E0BE88AAE8D