Viennese Dances
Carmel Useted
Viennese waltz (German: Wiener Walzer) is a genre of ballroom dance. At least four different meanings are recognized. In the historically first sense, the name may refer to several versions of the waltz, including the earliest waltzes done in ballroom dancing, danced to the music of Viennese waltz.
What is now called the Viennese waltz is the original form of the waltz. It was the first ballroom dance performed in the closed hold or "waltz" position. The dance that is popularly known as the waltz is actually the English or slow waltz, danced at approximately 90 beats per minute with 3 beats to the bar (the international standard of 30 measures per minute), while the Viennese waltz is danced at about 180 beats (58-60 measures) per minute. To this day however, in Germany, Austria, Scandinavia, and France, the words Walzer (German), vals (Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish), and valse (French) still implicitly refer to the original dance and not the slow waltz.
The Viennese waltz is a rotary dance where the dancers are constantly turning either toward the leader's right (natural) or toward the leader's left (reverse), interspersed with non-rotating change steps to switch between the direction of rotation.
As the waltz evolved, some of the versions that were done at about the original fast tempo came to be called specifically "Viennese waltz" to distinguish them from the slower waltzes. In the modern ballroom dance, two versions of Viennese waltz are recognized: International Style and American Style.
Today the Viennese waltz is a ballroom and partner dance that is part of the International Standard division of contemporary ballroom dance. The Waltz Series is a New York membership society devoted to preserving the pre-World War I tradition of Viennese waltz. It organizes a program of dances.[1]
The Viennese waltz, so called to distinguish it from the waltz and the French waltz, is the oldest of the current ballroom dances. It emerged in the second half of the 18th century from the German dance and the Lndler in Austria and was both popular and subject to criticism. At that time, the waltz, as described in a magazine from 1799, was performed by dancers who held on to their long gowns to prevent them from dragging or being stepped on. The dancers would lift their dresses and hold them high like cloaks, and this would bring both their bodies under one cover. This action also required the dancers' bodies to be very close together, and this closeness attracted moral disparagement. In 1797, Wolf published a pamphlet against the dance entitled "Proof that Waltzing is the Main Source of Weakness of the Body and Mind of our Generation".[2] But even when faced with all this negativity, it became very popular in Vienna. Large dance halls like the Zum Sperl in 1807 and the Apollo in 1808 were opened to provide space for thousands of dancers. The dance reached and spread to England sometime before 1812. It was introduced as the German waltz and became a huge hit. It gained ground through the Congress of Vienna at the beginning of the 19th century and by the famous compositions by Josef Lanner, Johann Strauss I and his son, Johann Strauss II, and since then has been known as the Viennese waltz.
Initially, the waltz was significantly different from its form today. In the first place, the couples did not dance in the closed position as today. The illustrations and descriptions make it clear that the couples danced with arm positions similar to that of the precursor dances, the Lndler and the Allemande.[3][4][5] The hold was at times semi-closed and at times side by side. Arms were intertwined and circling movements were made under raised arms. No couple in Wilson's plate are shown in close embrace, but some are in closed hold facing each other. Another significant difference from the present technique was that the feet were turned out and the rise of foot during the dance was much more pronounced. This can be seen quite clearly in the figure, and such a style imposes its limitations on how the dance can be performed.
The Viennese waltz is a rotary dance where the dancers are constantly turning either in a clockwise ("natural") or counter-clockwise ("reverse") direction interspersed with non-rotating change steps to switch between the direction of rotation. A true Viennese waltz consists only of turns and change steps. Other moves such as the fleckerls, American-style figures and side sway or underarm turns are modern inventions.
International-style Viennese waltz is danced in closed position. The syllabus is limited to natural and reverse turns, closed and open changes, fleckerls, contra check, left whisk, and canter-time pivot turns (canter pivots).
The old 'One, two, three, One, two, three' - Who hasn't danced or at least heard about the Waltz? Though, one of the world's most popular dances wasn't always considered as such. Due to its close-hold and quick rotations, Waltz was once named the "Forbidden dance".
Waltz is the oldest of the current ballroom dances. First waltzes were danced in the location of today's Germany and Austria, back in 13th century. The style was immediately picked up by other nations, who each created it's own form and style of the dance.
The form we know today was born in the suburbs of Vienna and Austria's mountain regions. During the 17th century it was played and danced in ballrooms of the Habsburg court. By the end of eighteenth century this once Austrian peasant dance had been accepted by high class.
Despite its popularity, the dance was not completely accepted throughout the nation. Many dancing masters considered the Waltz as a threat to the profession. Its basic steps could be learned in no time, as opposed to other court dances like minuet, which took a fair amount of time to learn and master.
Before the Waltz, people danced around each other with little or no contact at all. As the dance started gaining popularity, it was criticised on moral grounds due to its close-hold stance and fast turning movements. Religious leaders regarded it as vulgar and sinful. The dance was criticised to the point where people were threatened with death from waltzing.
In 1812 the dance was introduced into England as 'the German Waltz'. It caused a huge sensation. When Lord Byron first saw it, he found his lady friend clasped closely by "a huge hussar-looking gentleman, turning round and round to a confounded see-saw, up-down sort of turn like two cockchafers spitted on the same bodkin".
Even though Waltz was considered the root of all evil during 17th and 18th century, it made it's way to the elite and is now the most popular of all ballroom dances. It certainly is a must-do if you're visiting Vienna for New Year's or any other special occasion. Grab your partner close, pre-count the 'One, two, three's' in your head and waltz away!
The Viennese waltz emerged in the second half of the 18th century from a German dance called the Volta (or Lavolta) and later the Lndler in Austria. The Volta was danced by members of affluent society and became scandalous because of its closeness and technique, causing it to eventually fade from existence. But the high society connection developed a focus on posture and elegance that remain key characteristics today, along with the rotational emphasis of the figures.
The Lndler, in contrast, was danced by farmers and common people, even while sharing the same music and many of the same technical characteristics. The Viennese Waltz gained ground through the Congress of Vienna at the beginning of the 19th century and by the famous compositions by Josef Lanner, Johann Strauss I and his son, Johann Strauss II.
Until the Volta, men and women did not dance as couples. Dances had always been sequence dances, in the style of line dancing, where couples would dance the same steps side by side in groups. With the Volta and the Lndler, that all changed. These dances featured men and women dancing mostly as individual couples.
While the figures would sometimes be danced side by side or in shadow position, the rotational sequences required the couple to face toward each other. Because of the speed of the rotation, couples soon realized that the closer the partners were to each other, the more efficiently they could turn as a couple.
Large dance halls like the Zum Sperl in 1807 and the Apollo in 1808 were opened to provide space for thousands of dancers. The dance reached and spread to England sometime before 1812. It was introduced as the German Waltz and became a huge hit.
The Tivoli Pleasure Gardens, which opened in September of 1830, was another popular spot for waltzing. The gardens contained a spectacular colonnaded dancing pavilion that overlooked all of Vienna. One of the added attractions at the Tivoli was a toboggan-like chute with four tracks that allowed sixteen carriage-type cars mounted on sledges to speed excited patrons up and down.
Before turning pro, George achieved impressive results as an amateur competitor, holding the Senior (30+) Latin championship in BC, Canada for 7 consecutive years with his wife Wendy. The couple twice achieved a top-3 Canadian ranking in Senior Latin as well as a 3rd place Canadian ranking in 30+ Ten Dance. Today, George and Wendy are professional teachers with a vision of growing a strong dance community in Delta near Vancouver, BC.
Delta Dance exists to motivate, encourage and support ballroom dancing, primarily serving the communities of Delta, Surrey, Langley, New Westminster, Richmond and Burnaby. Ballroom dance group classes, private lessons and Wedding First Dance choreography and lessons. Classes are taught by professional dance instructors George and Wendy Pytlik, 7-time undefeated BC Senior Latin champions and ranked among Canada's top three competitive 10-Dance ballroom dance couples.
Held every year during winter quarter, the Viennese Ball is a formal event for which attendees dress up and participate in dances including waltz, swing, cha cha, salsa, tango and polka. Two separate ballrooms, one for classical waltz and the other for tango and salsa, cater to different dance styles and musical tastes, and attendees can move between the rooms throughout the night.
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