Waltz History
Considered the mother of present day dances, the Waltz began in southern Germany in the seventeenth century. The popularity of the Waltz grew with the music of Johann Strauss and eventually blossomed in the 20th century. It is the basis for many dances and is popular today all over the world.
The Waltz regained its real popularity in the 20th century, blossoming out as the Hesitation Waltz in 1913. Until the development of the hesitation, couples had waltzed in one direction until dizzy and then reversed until ready to drop. The Waltz had degenerated into an endurance contest. The Hesitation resulted in the Waltz as it is done today. The slow Waltz was once known as the Boston Waltz. Today the slow Waltz is the American Waltz, English Waltz or just Waltz, and the faster is the Viennese Waltz. If you are interested in Viennese Waltz dance lessons, you can also find them at our studios where we offer Waltz dance lessons to North York people who want to be able to have confidence in their wedding dance. Lessons can help tremendously!
Characteristics of
The Waltz
The basic components of Waltz dance lessons in North York are walking steps and side steps. Rise and Fall and Body Sway are some of the styling characteristics which make the simplest Waltz patterns elegant and beautiful. Waltz develops balance and control. The basic Waltz steps are the foundation patterns used in most ballroom dances. Correct posture, rise and fall, and flowing movements should be stressed to achieve good styling. The elegant sweeping movement of the Waltz gives dancers a chance to practice balance and to move lightly with ease. In Italy it was the Volta, France has its Volte, Germany the Weller, and Austria had its Landler. These were round dances but at the end of the dance itself there was a short period in which the circle would break up into couples who would whirl madly round and round and finish with a jump in the air. Sign up for our North York Waltz dance lessons to experience firsthand how things have changed.