Samba reverse turn explained: a left turn in hold over two bars with bounce on the “a”. Prerequisites, count, common mistakes and how to protect your ankles.
The honest answer to “What is the reverse turn in samba?”: it is a left turn in hold over two bars in which the samba bounce carries the turn. The World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) catalogue lists it as figure no. 12 with the timing “SaS SaS” (alternative: SQQ SQQ) [2]. In the Roundalab standard, an American round-dance rulebook, it runs on the count 1a, 2, 3a, 4 and is “usually one full turn” according to its note [1].
Important up front: Roundalab is not a competition syllabus; competition schools and associations describe the figure slightly differently in detail [1][2]. Ask your teacher which version you dance. This guide explains the principle.
What makes samba special? According to Roundalab, samba is danced in Latin hold, the dance travels, not the individual dancer, and the body does most of the movement, not the feet, because the rhythm is so quick [1]. Steps are taken on the balls of the feet with a momentary ball-flat; the bounce actions fall on the last quarter beat of the preceding bar and are counted as “a” [1].
And the effort? In a simulated Latin competition with 18 top dancers, samba had the lowest average heart rate: 165.3 beats per minute (maximum 185.6), versus 184.3 in jive; perceived exertion was 6.4, in jive 8.3 [3]. An anchor: not a walk in the park, but the “gentlest” of the five dances. That means samba suits an entry into Latin turns once your basic step is secure.
A note on transfer: Brazilian carnival samba is not the same as ballroom samba. In a study with 26 women from a Brazilian samba school, twelve weeks of rehearsals (three times a week, 30 to 60 minutes) produced, compared with an inactive control group, 19 percent more maximal oxygen uptake and 11 percent less body fat percentage [5]. That says nothing about the reverse turn, but shows that regular samba dancing challenges and improves the cardiovascular system.
How hard is it really? The step sequence is quickly understood. The difficulty is keeping the bounce even while you turn. Expect several practice evenings until the turn runs calmly (experience value, no source).
The Roundalab standard says: steps are taken on the balls of the feet with a momentary ball-flat, the bounce on the “a” [1]. Milestone: you dance the basic step for ten bars in time with an even bounce.
The figure runs over two bars: 1a, 2, 3a, 4 [1], in the WDSF catalogue as SaS SaS [2]. Count out loud “one-and-a, two, three-and-a, four” and clap the rhythm. Milestone: you count the figure without losing your place.
For the man the Roundalab standard describes: forward left turning left, side right, left crossing in front of right, back right turning, side left, close right; the woman begins back on the right and dances the counter-steps [1]. Practise this first without a partner and with a small turn. Milestone: you come back without dizziness and without swinging out.
Now together: Latin hold, turning together, the dance travels [1]. Keep the turn small at first and increase it in agreement with your teacher. Milestone: you turn together without the hold breaking.
Film yourself from the front: shoulders calm, knees soft, no evasive steps. Milestone: a video in which bounce and turn look even.
The reverse turn is not a risky figure, but turns load the ankles. In a study of 198 elite adolescent dancesport athletes, 49.5 percent had already sprained an ankle, 45.1 percent had chronic instability, and 88 percent of the sprains involved the medial side [4]. In a Dutch survey, 80.7 percent of active dancesport athletes had at least one injury, most often foot, ankle and lower leg [6]. Warm up, suitable shoes, breaks. If you feel pain: stop and involve your teacher or a doctor. This guide explains and motivates but does not replace supervised training.
A study with 42 elite youth ballroom dancers improved postural control in the Y-balance test and reduced errors in the balance test after ten weeks of neuromuscular training (three times a week) [7]. Not a samba study, but a turn is balance work. Before the reverse turn, practise one minute of single-leg stance per side (practical inference, no proof for the reverse turn).
A left turn in hold over two bars (SaS SaS), with bounce on the “a” [1][2]. The Roundalab standard gives one full turn as the rule [1].
In the Roundalab standard “usually one full turn” [1]. Competition schools and associations may set this differently; your teacher knows what applies in your group.
A movement that in the Roundalab standard falls on the last quarter beat of the preceding bar and is counted as “a”. Steps are taken on the balls of the feet, and the body does most of the movement [1].
In the simulated Latin competition, the average heart rate in samba was about 165 beats per minute and the perceived exertion 6.4 on the study scale (jive 8.3) [3]. It was the dance with the lowest heart rate.
For Brazilian carnival samba, one study showed after twelve weeks of rehearsals more maximal oxygen uptake (plus 19 percent) and less body fat (minus 11 percent) in 26 women [5]. For ballroom samba that is a transfer, not proof.
Learning Bachata — Sensual, but Where Do I Start?