As far as I'm concerned they are not the same steps. This is maybe where you need to start when thinking about it.

There is quite a few other differences related to shaping and the feel of the step.

It's the difference between a Natural Turn and spin turn in the Waltz. It is not the same variation and therefore it is danced differently.

I think at the end of the day you're teacher is correct it is just the way it is done as the first person to standardize the step decided to do it that way.

The fact is it is possible to use a different step to do a reverse turn on viennese music but then we would not call it a Viennese waltz.

This point might be moot, but needs to be made.

Other than the very first basic step done to " New " music, everything else is someones idea what should follow ( no pun ).

When VW was initially danced, it had only one turn... NATURAL .

Sooo.. if the music determines the dance, then by eliminating the cross on the Rev. turn and yet dancing to the SAME music, is it not VW ?.

Variations , by their very name, are just that.. no more.. no less . This begs the Q.. do they define the " Dance " ?.

By the way, this thoeretical argument has been on going for multi yrs.

The Germans have a very different view on how we percieve it to be !

Here in Ireland we have a dance called the "irish old-time waltz" which is identical to viennese waltz except:
i)The music is slower at about 55 bars per minute
ii) There is no lock on the reverses.
The reverse turn feels easier (in the sense that i feel more together with my partner) when using the lock. I always thought that the lock allowed me to keep my centre towards my partner on the reverses.

As far as I can make out, long before the V. Waltz, part of this dance which was called the Volta in the 1500's was to lift the lady from the right side to the left side of the man and back again after a Reverse movement for a Natural. Some that I have danced with lately, i think it would be better if they lifted me.
The word Volta in Italian means turn.
The Foxtrot as danced up to 1920. The Reverse Turn was a Reverse Viennese. Cross with a Feather Finish

Terence, thanks for making the point about variations on dances. They are fun to learn and teach, but they can also be borderline on whether they, as you say, "define" the dance. I can see where those with far more expertise and experience than I would have fun debating that. As for the VW, the point made about keeping it moving in a straight line is important. I have seen some dancers "cheat" on this dance (including myself, depending on my partner at the time) and skip the crossing or lock steps. This results in simply going around in a dizzying circle, it seems. A tip I got on this board last year about viewing this dance as one that keeps moving along LOD helped me cut down on the tendency to get stuck twirling around in one place -- and getting sea sick doing it!

Dheun. If you commence all of the Natural Turns that you do facing diag to the centre. That includes going from a Reverse to a Natural. Use the Forward Change correctly at the end of the Reverse to finish diag to centre. When going from a Natural to a Reverse use the Forward Change to bring you to facing the LOD. not diag to centre.
The alignments are very simple.
Natural Diag to centre
Reverse facing the LOD.
These alignments are not just at the commencment of the dance. But all the way through.
As it happens last night a person I know was having his first lesson on the V Waltz. It could be seen how he froze when told to face diag to centre to start his Natural Turn on his right foot turning clockwise. Been there done that.

I beg to differ the Polished's point of view,

Arrcording to Christopher Hawkins, "Change Steps are designed to take us from one diagnal to another", and this meets the late Alex Moore MBE's idea.

Thanks for that interesting bit of info!

HungJX. I wouldn't be looking at the Alex Moore book . I would be looking for one thing. At how step six of a Natural Turn. as the foot closes is being performed today. It is flat on the floor. Things have changed over the last 70 years.

According to Ian K Gillett, closing step on beat six of natural turn for male is flat foot. Ian Gillett is qualified instructor in Washington DC/Virginia area.

Question I have: For male, step one of either natural or reverse turn, should the step be a heel-toe, with slight rise due to the rolling action of the heel-toe?