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History and Origin
• The waltz is the oldest of the ballroom dances,
dating from the middle of the Eighteenth Century.
During this time period a dance developed which
was called the “Waltzer”, a word owing its origin
to the French word Volvere, which indicates a
rotating motion. Napoleon’s invading soldiers
spread the waltz from German to Paris; then the
dance glided across the channel to England and
finally made its way to the United States.
•When the waltz was first introduced
into the ballrooms of the world in the
early years of the Nineteenth century,
it was met with outraged indignation,
for it was the first dance where the
couple danced in a modified Closed
position – with the man’s hand
around the waist of the lady.
Development
• Beginning about 1830, the waltz was given a
tremendous boost by two Austrian composers
Lanner and strauss. They set the standard for the
Viennese Waltz, a very fast version played at
about 55-60 measures per minute. The fast
tempo did indeed present problems. Much of the
enjoyment of the new dance was lost in the
continual strain to keep up with the music.
•It is not known exactly when the
Waltz was introduced to the United
States. It was probably brought to
New York and Philadelphia at about
the same time, and by the middle of
the Nineteenth Century was firmly
established in United States society.
During the later part of the Nineteenth
Century Waltzes were being written to a
slower tempo than the original Viennese
rhythm. Around the close of the Nineteenth
Century, two modifications of the waltz
developed in the United states. The first was
the “Boston”, a slower waltz with long gliding
steps; there were fewer and slower turns and
more forward and backward movement than
in the Viennese waltz.
This version eventually stimulated the
development of the English of
International style which continues today.
The American style waltz is similar to the
International style or Boston except the
American style has open dance positions
and dancers legs pass instead of close.
the second modification was the
“Hesitation waltz”, which involves taking
one step to three beats of the measure.
Although the “Hesitation Waltz” is no
longer danced, some of it’s step patterns
are still in use today.
Today both the faster Viennese Waltz,
and the slower American and
International style Waltzes are extremely
popular with dancers of all ages.
Music
Waltz dance music
The three-quarter time signature of waltz has
a distinctive 1-2-3; 1-2-3 feel and rhythm
pattern. Great waltz music can be found in
most music genres, including rock, country,
pop, and classical. Beginners should start
with the tempo of 90-100 beats per minute.
Clothes and accessories used in Waltz
Basic steps
The basic step for waltz is a box step. It's named
after a pattern it creates on the floor (box or
square) and forms the foundation of the dance.
A box step can be divided into two parts - a
forward half box and a backward half box. Each
half box has three steps - a step forward or
backward, a step to the side, and a step to close
the feet together.
• The leader starts with the left foot and executes a
forward half box, followed by a backward half
box. The follower performs the opposite – she
starts with the right foot and executes a backward
half box, followed by a forward half box.
The basic box step pattern uses three counts -
slow, quick, quick, which is repeated twice to
create the box step. Timing is 1,2,3,1,2,3 or
1,2,3,4,5,6.
Instructions & Diagrams:
Men's Steps:
• Step forward with the left foot
• Right foot step sideways to the right
• Bring your left foot next to your right
foot
• Step back with the right foot
• Step back sideways with the left foot
• Bring your right foot next to your left
foot
Lady's Steps:
• Step back with the right foot
• Left foot step sideways to the left
• Bring your right foot next to your left
foot
• Step forward with the left foot
• Step forward sideways with the right
foot
• Bring your left foot next to your right
foot
