sources include: Wikipedia, Dance Lovers, CentralHome, DanceFacts, LoveToKnow
The Waltz, now considered a modest, tame dance, was once considered a "shameless, indecent whirling dance... that broke all the bounds of good breeding". It had humble beginnings in rural Germany with peasants, who in 1580 or so were described as "dancing the godless Weller or Spinner", later called the Landler or Schleifer. The Weller refers to turning dances, and many of our familiar waltz tunes can be traced back to their yodeling melodies. The word 'walzer' and 'valtse' have their origin in the Latin 'volvere' which indicates a rotating motion. What was indecent about it? The partners danced face to face (a 'closed' dance position), with the man's arm around the ladies waist, sometimes so close that their faces nearly touched, and possibly their bodies were! While 'polite' society was dancing the Minuet, barely touched hands.
In the 1700's, the waltz, in 3/4 time, spread across Europe in part due to the musical creations of Johann Strauss and Franz Lanner. By the 1800's and early 1900's Waltzes were everywhere, more relaxed and danced closer than ever before.
The Viennese custom evolved to slightly anticipate the second beat of each measure, making it appear the third beat is late and adding a certain buoyancy. An American innovation was the 'hesitation', possibly inspired by the ballet chasse' step, halting on the standing foot for a full measure while sliding or moving the suspended foot. At the end of WW I, the popular Waltz was overshadowed by the Foxtrot craze and other dances.
Today, there are two accepted forms known as the Modern (Slow) Waltz and the Viennese (Quick) Waltz. Key features of the Waltzes are: a 'closed' face to face position, many turns in that position, and the 'slow-and-slow' step timing pattern.
Music:
The Waltz's original and most common timing is 3/4. Variations include 3/4, 3/8 and 6/8 (sauteuse) and 5/4 (5/4 waltz, half and half).
It is counted ONE - two - three. An archetypical waltz is The Blue Danube Waltz (1867) by Johann Strauss II, used in the opening of the movie "2001: A Space Oddessy". Another with an even stronger expression of the waltz rhythm is The Vienna Waltz, also by Johann Strauss II.
Dance Pattern |
Comment |
Music |
Roller Tempo |
Ice Tempo |
Inventors |
When/First Performed |
WALTZES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forward pretty |
Waltz |
120 |
|
Fwd version of Viennese Waltz |
|
|
138 Waltz |
|
Waltz |
138 |
|
|
|
|
Waltz |
- |
198 |
It's like the International Waltz |
|
|
Arenetta Waltz |
|
Waltz |
168/174 |
|
Elsbeth Muller |
|
Easy 3s |
Waltz |
132 |
|
|
|
|
|
Waltz |
138 |
|
|
|
|
Austrian Waltz |
|
Waltz, Viennese |
180 |
|
Susi & Peter Handschmann |
|
Bright Waltz |
|
Waltz |
? |
|
|
|
British Waltz |
Easy 3s border |
Waltz |
|
135 |
|
|
Easy turns |
Waltz |
138 |
|
|
|
|
California Waltz |
|
Waltz |
|
168 |
Harry Doose |
|
|
Waltz, Viennese |
138 |
|
|
|
|
A Carnival Dance |
Old border |
Waltz |
138 |
|
Elspeth Muller |
|
Carolyn Waltz |
|
Waltz |
108 |
|
|
|
|
Waltz |
138 |
|
|
|
|
|
Waltz |
120 |
|
|
|
|
Bronze |
Waltz |
108/120 |
|
Bergin/Umbach/Yarrington |
|
|
|
Waltz |
168 |
198 |
|
|
|
Coronation Waltz |
Bronze |
Waltz 6/8 |
120 |
|
|
|
Border, turns |
Waltz |
|
|
|
|
|
Davis Goodridge Dance[a waltz] |
old |
Waltz |
|
198 |
Collected by Perry B. Rawson |
1942 |
Forward |
Waltz |
138 |
|
David Tassinari |
|
|
Double Three-lobe Waltz |
|
Waltz |
|
198 |
J.B.Warden |
|
Dropped-three
Waltz in 8-form |
|
Waltz |
120 |
|
Collected by Perry B. Rawson |
1942 |
Forward |
Waltz |
138 |
138 |
George Muller |
|
|
Dutch Waltz Variation |
|
Waltz |
|
|
|
|
Eight Step Waltz |
notes |
Waltz |
132 |
138 |
J.G.Blaver & J.Garth |
|
notes |
Waltz |
138 |
138 |
J.G.Blaver & J.Garth |
|
|
old |
Waltz |
? |
|
Collected by Perry B. Rawson |
1942 |
|
Elderado Waltz |
|
Waltz |
|
|
|
|
Elm Swing Waltz |
|
Waltz |
|
|
|
|
European Waltz |
|
Waltz |
120 |
135 |
|
|
forward |
Waltz |
108 |
|
Richard Schleidt |
|
|
Pre-Silver |
Waltz |
108/120 |
|
Frieda Peterson |
|
|
Forty Eight Waltz |
|
Waltz |
144 |
|
Van der Wayden & Keats |
|
Easiest forward |
Waltz |
120/108 |
|
USA uses 108 bpm |
|
|
Golden Skaters' Waltz |
Forward |
Waltz |
138 |
162 |
Fwd version of the Westminster Waltz Use Westminster rhythm & tempo |
|
Golden Waltz |
|
Waltz, Viennese |
- |
186 |
Dubova, Klimova & Ponomarenko |
|
Ice Club Waltz |
|
Waltz |
? |
138 |
S. Vannort Chapman |
|
Icelandia Waltz |
|
Waltz |
|
156 |
Harry Doose |
|
Bronze |
Waltz |
120 |
|
L.W. Goings |
|
|
International Waltz also see American Waltz |
|
Waltz |
168 |
- |
Irwin, Kenny, McLaughlen |
|
Kleiner Waltz |
|
Waltz |
138 |
|
|
|
Lexus Waltz |
Old USA |
Waltz |
|
|
|
|
Forward |
Waltz |
108 |
|
Ethel Pizzullo |
|
|
Lyn Maree Waltz |
|
Waltz |
108 |
|
|
|
Marine Waltz |
Silver? pretty |
Waltz |
108 |
|
Ron Irving |
|
Premier, forward |
Waltz |
138 |
|
|
|
|
Melody Waltz |
|
Waltz |
108 |
|
|
|
Forward |
Waltz |
108 |
|
Ted Hansford |
2012 |
|
Pre-Bronze |
Waltz |
108 |
|
Elsbeth Muller |
|
|
Mohawk
Waltz |
|
Waltz |
108 |
|
Collected by Perry B. Rawson |
1942 |
Niles's Dance |
|
Waltz |
|
198 |
Niles, Oval-shaped dance |
|
Once Around Willow Waltz |
|
Waltz |
|
138 |
George Muller |
|
Forward |
Waltz |
120 |
|
Jean Van Horn |
|
|
Paramount Waltz |
|
Waltz |
|
156-168 |
Hubert Sprott |
|
Parklander |
Old UK |
|
|
|
|
|
Philadelphia Dance |
|
Waltz/March |
|
189/126 |
George Muller |
|
forward |
Waltz |
138 |
|
David Tassinari |
|
|
Old USA |
Waltz |
100 |
112 |
Collected by Perry B. Rawson |
1942 |
|
Ravensburger Waltz |
|
Waltz |
198 |
198/204 |
Angelika & Erik Burk & Betty Calloway |
|
Reverse Waltz |
|
Waltz |
|
135 |
|
|
Old USA |
Waltz |
138 |
|
Perry B. Rawson |
|
|
Old USA |
“An English Rocker Waltz” |
|
138 |
Collected
by Perry B. Rawson |
1942 |
Dance Pattern |
Comment |
Music |
Roller Tempo |
Ice Tempo |
Inventors |
When/First Performed |
WALTZES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Schwedische Dance |
|
Waltz |
|
135 |
|
|
Shannon Shimmey |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sixstep Waltz |
|
Waltz |
|
156 |
George Muller |
|
Springtime Waltz |
|
Waltz |
138 |
|
|
|
Spread Eagle Waltz Style A |
|
Waltz |
92 |
|
Collected by Perry B. Rawson |
1942 |
Spread Eagle Waltz Style B |
Mohawk turns |
Waltz |
93/108 |
|
Collected by Perry B. Rawson |
1942 |
Sprott Waltz |
|
Waltz |
|
108 |
Hubert Sprott |
|
Staircase Waltz |
|
Waltz |
138 |
|
|
|
Star Waltz |
|
Waltz |
|
135 |
George Muller |
|
Starlight Waltz |
|
Waltz |
168 |
174 |
Courtney Jones & Peni Horne |
|
Starlight Waltz |
old |
Waltz |
108 |
|
|
|
Straight
Waltz |
|
Waltz |
108 |
|
Collected by Perry B. Rawson |
1942 |
Style A (Spread Eagle) Waltz |
|
Waltz |
92 |
|
Collected by Perry B. Rawson |
1942 |
Style B (Spread Eagle) Waltz |
|
Waltz |
108 |
|
Collected by Perry B. Rawson |
1942 |
|
Waltz |
120 |
|
135 bpm in UK |
|
|
|
Waltz |
168 |
|
|
|
|
3-turns |
Waltz |
168 |
198 |
Collected by Perry B. Rawson |
1942 |
|
Three Lobe Waltz in 8-form |
|
Waltz |
135 |
|
Elsbeth Muller |
|
Toronto Waltz |
|
Waltz |
? |
|
Sidney V. Soanes |
|
Bronze, turns |
Waltz |
138/144 |
144 |
Ronald Gibbs, Euro 144 |
|
|
Tulips from Amsterdam Waltz |
|
Waltz |
|
156 |
Peter P. Moormann |
|
Valse Adante |
Forward |
Waltz |
155 |
|
David Paden |
|
Gold dance |
Waltz, Viennese |
138 |
144/156 |
George
Muller |
|
|
Old USA |
Waltz & Tango |
|
|
Collected by Perry B. Rawson |
1942 |
|
Western Waltz Step |
|
Waltz |
? |
|
Van der Weyden & Keats |
|
Gold dance |
Waltz |
138 |
162 |
Vanderweyden, Keats |
|
|
Wilkie's New Dance |
|
Waltz |
|
138 |
Ron. J Wilkie |
|
Bronze |
Waltz |
138 |
|
George Muller |
|
|
Gold dance |
Waltz |
138 |
|
Irwin, Miller |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|