History of the Viennese Waltz
The Viennese Waltz is the oldest form of ballroom dance. It emerged in the 18th century around 1750.
Its precursors originate back to the 12th century to a dance of the Middle Ages known as the Round. The
final turn of the dancing couple in the Round was the highlight of the dance, and this complete turn
became characteristic of the Viennese Waltz. The ¾ time that makes Viennese waltz possible dates back
at least as far as 1679 when “Das Lied vom lieben Augustin” was written.
Viennese Waltz arrived in England after the war of 1812. The dance was said to assist putting the
ambassadors to the Congress of Vienna in the frame of mind. There are still about 300 public dance balls
held within the first three months of the year.
Viennese Waltz came from the Landler, the Deutscher, the Dreher and the Schleifer. These were local
folk dances in Bavaria and Austria in the 18th century. When those living in the cities adopted these
dances, their character changed immensely.
Viennese Waltz originated in Habsburgian, Vienna. Continues to gain popularity throughout the 20th
century and into the 21stcentury. Waltz is a ballroom dance staple around the world.
Costumes:
Meaning of Waltz Costume
• Ladies wear full-length formal ball gowns with either full or straight skirts. The gown
traditionally has a full-length skirt reaching at least to the ankles and is made of a luxurious fabric such
as satin, silk, taffeta, or velvet or synthetic equivalents. The “gown” may be a two-piece ensemble.
• Men wear jeans or chinos paired with a t-shirt, dress shirt, or even suit coat and tie.
6 basics steps:
First step: the dancer steps forward with his right foot - or his left foot for a reverse turn - between his
partner's legs. This initiates a lesser or stronger turn - depending on whether one wants to waltz in a
straight line or to take a bend.
Second step: on the count of 2, the dancer circles his partner, thus leading the dancing couple into a
sidewards rotation. The larger this step is, the further the couple goes forward on the line of dance with
each turn.
Third step: the third step completes the first half of the circle: the moving foot joins the other one so
that both feet are closely parallel. For a very short time, the dancing couple - as well as each dancer
individually - stands in balance. This third step is especially important for controlling the rotation and the
orientation on the dance floor.
Fourth step: on the fourth step, both dancers exchange roles: the one who danced backwards on steps 1
to 3 now takes the active role and dances the same steps that her partner just danced (see above). The
one who dances backwards supports his partner, and it is particularly important that he should adapt
the size of his steps to the size of his partner's steps.
Fifth step: especially on the fifth step, the backwards dancer should not step too far away, as his dancing
partner is about to circle him (see second step). If both dancers maintain a correct posture and reduce
as much as possible the space between them, the backwards dancer will be able to feel the movements
of his partner and thus anticipate the length of her steps.
Sixth step: the sixth and last step completes the circle. It is a closing step - just like the third step - with
again the same temporary balance that enables the dancers to control both their rotation and their
forward movement on the dance floor.
Reference:
https://www.bellaballroom.com/dance-lessons/ballroom-dancing/viennese-waltz/
http://www.walzerkurse.at/waltz-basic-step.html
