Posts Tagged ‘ballroom’
Historical Facts About Waltz
July 4th, 2009
Characterized by elegance, fluid and floating movements, waltz is the oldest of all the partnered dances. Today, it’s spread throughout the world and very commonly danced at weddings. In this article we’ll take a look at some historical facts about waltz.
Waltz is a turning dance. That’s where its name came from. The word waltz, which comes from the old German word “walzen”, means to turn, to revolve.
Before making its way into the Hapsburg courts, waltz was a folk dance of Austria and Bavaria. In the 17th century it became very popular among young aristocracy. It was something new and exciting. But because it was a couple dance that allowed close contact, it was quickly deemed immoral and banned in some areas.
This, of course, didn’t stop it. We all know that forbidden fruits are the sweetest. By the end of the 18th century, waltz conquered all of Europe and soon after, the rest of the world. Mozart was a huge fan of it.
Beautiful waltz music composed by Johann Strauss and Franz Lanner gave waltz in the middle of the 19th century an enormous support. Who doesn’t know The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss Jr.
In the 19th century, when waltz was introduced to the United States, a different style emerged. Boston Waltz, also known as American Waltz, was a slower version of the traditional Viennese Waltz. Later on, the slow waltz, as we know it today, evolved from the Boston waltz. Viennese waltz is three times faster than the slow or English waltz.
Today, waltz is one of the most popular partner dances in the world. It’s romantic, elegant and very easy to learn. It clearly stood the test of time.
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Tags: ballroom, dance, dancing, entertainment, fitness, history of waltz, Hobbies, Recreation, sport, waltz, waltzing
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