waltz - Origin, Various styles of waltz

A dance in triple time, originating in Austria and S Germany, which supplanted the minuet and the Deutsche (German Dance) to become the most popular ballroom dance in 19th-c Europe - despite the initial shock caused by the requirement that the man should grasp his female partner at the waist. Austrian composer and violinist Joseph Lanner (1801–43) and the Strauss family established the style in Vienna, its most distinctive musical feature being an accompaniment of a low note on the first beat, and a repeated chord in the inner parts on the second and third. The English or Boston waltz (as used by such composers as Eric Coates) carries a more even emphasis on all three beats. The modern waltz uses a slower tempo.

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The waltz (G.: Walzer, It.: Valzer, Fr.: Valse, Sp.: Vals) is a ballroom and folk dance in 3/4 (help·info) time, done primarily in closed position. The most common basic figure of a waltz is a full turn in two measures using three steps per measure.

The waltz first became fashionable in Vienna around the 1780s, spreading to many other countries in the years to follow. The waltz, and especially its closed position, became the example for the creation of many other ballroom dances. Subsequently, new types of waltz have developed, including many folk and several ballroom dances.

Origin

The waltz is assumed by some to be a descendant of the lavolta.

In the 19th and early 20th century, numerous different forms of waltz existed, including versions done in 2/4 or 6/8 (sauteuse), and 5/4 time (5/4 waltz, half and half). In the 1910s a form called the "Hesitation Waltz" incorporated pauses and was danced to fast music.

Various styles of waltz

In contemporary ballroom dance, the fast versions of the waltz are called Viennese Waltz. The American Style Waltz, in contrast to the International Standard Waltz, involves breaking contact almost entirely in some figures. The Cross Step Waltz is a newer style of waltz where the first step is a cross-step into the line of directon. The Mexican Waltz(Vals Mexicano) follows the same basic rhythmic pattern as the standard waltz, but the melodies reflect a strong Spanish influence. Argentine Tango Vals allows the dancers to dance one, two, three, or no steps to any four beats of waltz music; The Venezuelan waltz Country Western Waltz is 99% progressive, moving counter clock wise around the dance floor.

Waltzes were the staple of many American musicals and films, including "Waltz in Swing Time" sung by Fred Astaire.