When we are dancing ballroom, we want to make sure that we are dancing around the room and moving in the same direction as our partner. In order to do this, we use a standard alignment (direction). We refer to alignment in reference to the direction of our feet in relation to the room.
(See below)
When you are beginning to learn to dance, you will only need to know 3 alignments; diagonal to wall, diagonal to centre and line of dance (lady: backing line of dance, backing diagonal to wall and backing diagonal to centre).
The lady usually dances on the same alignment as the man but the opposite way(e.g. If the man is facing wall, the lady will be backing wall). This allows us to move together.
To assist us in avoiding other couples and according to tradition, we always move in an anti-clockwise direction around the floor. The line of dance alignment is travelling forwards in the direction you are travelling. This means that the other alignments change, while staying relative to the line of dance.
We also have pointing steps and body turn. A pointing step usually happens when you are on the inside of a turn and do not want to move your weight too quickly. Instead we can dance a pointing step before moving our body weight in order to help our partner to complete turn. When there is a pointing step, the body usually turns less. Body turn is also used to help us to get round our partner.
Body turn usually commences on the step prior to a turning step and happens by bending the knees and turning the body through the back.