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{{short description|Ballroom and folk dance}}
{{other uses}}
{{redirect|Valzer|the 2007 Italian film|Valzer (film){{!}}''Valzer'' (film)}}
{{redirect|Waltzing|the Luxembourgian trumpeter and composer|Gast Waltzing}}
{{for-multi|the music made to accompany the waltz|Waltz (music)|other uses|Waltz (disambiguation)}}
{{Technical reasons|Waltz #2 (XO)|the song|Waltz 2 (XO)}}
{{Infobox dance
{{Infobox dance
|title = Waltz
|title = Waltz
|image = Pierre-Auguste Renoir 146.jpg
|image = Phenakistoscope 3g07690d.gif
|imagesize =
|alt =
|alt =
|caption = [[Pierre-Auguste Renoir]], ''Bal à [[Bougival]]'', 1883
|caption = A [[phenakistoscope]] animation by [[Eadweard Muybridge]] demonstrating the waltz
|genre = [[Ballroom dance]], [[folk dance]]
|genre = [[Ballroom dance]]
|signature = 3/4
|signature = {{music|time|3|4}}
|country = [[Austria]] and [[Southern Germany]]
}}
}}
[[Image:Waltz1816 72.jpg|thumb|Detail from frontispiece to Thomas Wilson's Correct Method of German and French Waltzing (1816), showing nine positions of the Waltz, clockwise from the left (the musicians are at far left). At that time, the Walz was a relatively new dance in England, and the fact that it was a couples dance (as opposed to the traditional group dances), and that the gentleman actually clasped his arm around the lady's waist, gave it a dubious moral status in the eyes of some.]]
[[Image:Waltz1816 72.jpg|thumb|Detail from [[Book frontispiece|frontispiece]] to Thomas Wilson Correct Method of German and French Waltzing (1816), showing nine positions of the waltz, clockwise from the left (the musicians are at far left). At that time, the waltz was a relatively new dance in England, and the fact that it was a couples dance (as opposed to the traditional group dances), and that the gentleman clasped his arm around the lady's waist, gave it a dubious moral status.]]
[[Image:Phenakistoscope 3g07690b.gif|thumb|An [[Phenakistoscope|early moving picture]] demonstrates the waltz.]]


The '''waltz''' ({{ety|de|Walzer}} {{IPA|de|ˈvalt͡sɐ̯|}}), meaning "to roll or revolve")<ref>[https://www.etymonline.com/word/waltz Etymology Online]</ref> is a [[ballroom dance|ballroom]] and [[folk dance]], in triple ([[3/4 time|{{music|time|3|4}} time]]), performed primarily in [[closed position]]. Along with the [[ländler]] and [[allemande]], the waltz was sometimes referred to by the generic term [[German Dance]] in publications during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.<ref name="Grove">{{Cite encyclopedia|date=2001|author=Cliff Eisen|entry=German Dance (Ger. Deutsche, Deutscher Tanz, Teutsche; Fr. allemande; It. tedesco)|encyclopedia=Grove Music Online|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |doi=10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.10937}}</ref>
The '''waltz''' is a [[ballroom dance|ballroom]] and [[folk dance|folk]] [[dance]] in {{audio|3-4_rhythm_metre_meter_time_measure.ogg|triple}} [[Time signature|time]], performed primarily in [[closed position]].


== History ==
== History ==
[[File:Waltz.oggtheora.ogv|thumb|Waltz]]
There are several references to a sliding or gliding dance,- a waltz, from the 16th century including the representations of the printer H.S. Beheim. The French philosopher [[Montaigne]] wrote of a dance he saw in 1580 in [[Augsburg]], where the dancers held each other so closely that their faces touched. Kunz Haas, of approximately the same period wrote that, "Now they are dancing the godless, ''Weller'' or ''Spinner''."<ref name="Nettl, Paul page 211">Nettl, Paul. Birth of the Waltz, in Dance Index vol 5, no. 9. 1946 New York: Dance Index-Ballet Caravan, Inc. page 211</ref> "The vigorous peasant dancer, following an instinctive knowledge of the weight of fall, utilizes his surplus energy to press all his strength into the proper beat of the measure, thus intensifying his personal enjoyment in dancing".<ref>The Birth of the Waltz. Nettl, Paul. in Dance Index vol 5, no. 9. 1946 New York: Dance Index-Ballet Caravan, Inc. page 211</ref> The wide, wild steps of the country people became shorter and more elegant when introduced to higher society. Hans Sachs wrote of the dance in his 1568 ''Eygentliche Beschreibung aller Stände''(1568).<ref name="Nettl, Paul page 211" />


There are many references to a sliding or gliding dance, including ''[[volte]]'', that would evolve into the waltz that date from 16th-century Europe, including the representations of the [[Printmaking|printmaker]] [[Sebald Beham|Hans Sebald Beham]]. The French philosopher [[Michel de Montaigne]] wrote of a dance he saw in 1580 in [[Augsburg]], where the dancers held each other so closely that their faces touched. Kunz Haas (of approximately the same period) wrote, "Now they are dancing the godless ''Weller'' or ''Spinner''."<ref name="Nettl, Paul page 211">Nettl, Paul. "Birth of the Waltz." In ''Dance Index'' vol 5, no. 9. 1946 New York: Dance Index-Ballet Caravan, Inc. pages 208, 211</ref> "The vigorous peasant dancer, following an instinctive knowledge of the weight of fall, uses his surplus energy to press all his strength into the proper beat of the bar, thus intensifying his personal enjoyment in dancing."<ref name="Nettl, Paul page 211"/> Around 1750, the lower classes in the regions of [[Bavaria]], [[Tyrol]], and [[Styria]] began dancing a couples dance called ''Walzer''.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Wechsberg|first=Joseph|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ci8IAQAAMAAJ&q=%22peasants+of%22|title=The Waltz Emperors: The Life and Times and Music of the Strauss Family|date=1973|publisher=Putnam|isbn=978-0-399-11167-9|pages=49|language=en}}</ref> The ''[[Ländler]]'', also known as the ''Schleifer'', a country dance in {{music|time|3|4}} time, was popular in [[Bohemia]], [[Austria]], and Bavaria, and spread from the countryside to the suburbs of the city. While the eighteenth-century upper classes continued to dance the [[minuets]] (such as those by [[Mozart]], [[Haydn]] and [[Handel]]), bored noblemen slipped away to the balls of their servants.<ref>Sir George Grove, John Alexander Fuller-Maitland, Adela Harriet Sophia (Bagot) Wodehouse. ''A Dictionary of Music and Musicians (A.D. 1450–1880)'' Published 1889. Macmillan</ref>
At the Austrian Court in Vienna in the late 17th century (1698) ladies were conducted around the room to the tune of a 2 beat measure, which then became the 3/4 of the ''Nach Tanz'' (After Dance), upon which couples got into the position for the ''Weller'' and waltzed around the room with gliding steps as in an engraving of the ''Wirtschaft'' (Inn Festival) given for Peter the Great.<ref>Nettl, Paul. Birth of the Waltz, in Dance Index vol 5, no. 9. 1946 New York: Dance Index-Ballet Caravan, Inc. pages 208, 211</ref>


In the 1771 German novel ''Geschichte des Fräuleins von Sternheim'' by [[Sophie von La Roche]], a high-minded character complains about the newly introduced waltz among aristocrats thus: "But when he put his arm around her, pressed her to his breast, cavorted with her in the shameless, indecent whirling-dance of the Germans and engaged in a familiarity that broke all the bounds of good breeding—then my silent misery turned into burning rage."<ref>''The History of Lady Sophia Sternheim'', trans. Christa Baguss Britt (State University of New York Press, 1991), p. 160.</ref>
The peasants of Bavaria, Tyrol, and Styria began dancing a dance called Walzer, a dance for couples, around 1750. The [[Ländler]], also known as the Schleifer, a country dance in 3/4 time, was popular in Bohemia, Austria, and Bavaria, and spread from the countryside to the suburbs of the city. While the eighteenth century upper classes continued to dance the [[minuet]], bored noblemen slipped away to the balls of their servants.<ref>A Dictionary of Music and Musicians (A.D. 1450–1880) By George Grove, Sir George Grove, John Alexander Fuller-Maitland, Adela Harriet Sophia (Bagot) Wodehouse. Published 1889. Macmillan</ref>


Describing life in [[Vienna]] (dated at either 1776 or 1786<ref name=jacob>{{cite book|last1=Jacob|first1=H.E.|title=Johann Strauss: Father and Son a Century of Light Music|date=2005|isbn=1-4179-9311-1|pages=24–25}}</ref>), Don Curzio wrote, "The people were dancing mad&nbsp;... The ladies of Vienna are particularly celebrated for their grace and movements of waltzing of which they never tire." There is a waltz in the second act finale of the 1786 opera ''Una Cosa Rara'' by [[Martin y Soler]]. Soler's waltz was marked ''andante con moto'', or "at a walking pace with motion", but the flow of the dance was sped-up in Vienna leading to the ''Geschwindwalzer'', and the ''Galloppwalzer''.<ref>Wechsberg. ''The Waltz Emperors.'' 1973. C. Tinling & Company. page 49, 50)</ref><ref>''Grove's Dictionary'', page 385</ref>
In the 1771 German novel ''Geshichte des Fräuleins von Sternheim'' by [[Sophie von La Roche]], a high-minded character complains about the newly introduced waltz among aristocrats thus: "But when he put his arm around her, pressed her to his breast, cavorted with her in the shameless, indecent whirling-dance of the Germans and engaged in a familiarity that broke all the bounds of good breeding—then my silent misery turned into burning rage."<ref>''The History of Lady Sophia Sternheim'', trans. Christa Baguss Britt (State University of New York Press, 1991), p. 160.</ref>


In the 19th century, the word primarily indicated that the dance was a turning one; one would "waltz" in the [[polka]] to indicate rotating rather than going straight forward without turning.
Describing life in Vienna (dated at either 1776 or 1786<ref>Johann Strauss: Father and Son a Century of Light Music By H. E. Jacob. By H. E. Jacob. 2005. page 24 ISBN 1-4179-9311-1</ref>), Don Curzio wrote, " The people were dancing mad [...] The ladies of Vienna are particularly celebrated for their grace and movements of waltzing of which they never tire." There is a waltz in the second act finale of the opera "Una Cosa Rara" written by [[Martin y Soler]] in 1786. Soler's waltz was marked Andante con moto, or "at a walking pace with motion", but the flow of the dance was sped-up in Vienna leading to the Geschwindwalzer, and the Galloppwalzer.<ref>The Waltz Emperors. Wechsberg. 1973. C. Tinling & Company. page 49, 50)</ref><ref>A Dictionary of Music and Musicians (A.D. 1450–1880) By George Grove, Sir George Grove, John Alexander Fuller-Maitland, Adela Harriet Sophia (Bagot) Wodehouse. Published 1889. Macmillan. page 385</ref>


Shocking many when it was first introduced,<ref>{{cite book|last1=Gutman|first1=Robert W.|title=Mozart: A Cultural Biography|date=1999|publisher=Harcourt|pages=44–45}}</ref> the waltz became fashionable in [[Vienna]] around the 1780s, spreading to many other countries in the years to follow. According to contemporary singer Michael Kelly, it reached England in 1791.<ref>Scholes, Percy. ''The Oxford Companion to Music.'' 10th edition, 1991. page 1110</ref> During the [[Napoleonic Wars]], infantry soldiers of the [[King's German Legion]] introduced the dance to the people of Bexhill, Sussex, from 1804.<ref>Sussex ''Weekly Advertiser'', 21 January 1805</ref>
In the transition from country to town, the hopping of the Ländler, a dance known as Langaus, became a sliding step, and gliding rotation replaced stamping rotation.<ref>Johann Strauss: Father and Son a Century of Light Music By H. E. Jacob. By H. E. Jacob. 2005. page 25 ISBN 1-4179-9311-1</ref>


It became fashionable in [[United Kingdom|Britain]] during the [[British Regency|Regency period]], having been made respectable by the endorsement of [[Dorothea Lieven]], wife of the Russian ambassador.<ref name=hilton>{{cite book|last1=Hilton|first1=Boyd|title=A Mad, Bad, and Dangerous People? England 1783–1846|date=2006|publisher=Oxford University Press}}</ref> Diarist [[Thomas Raikes (dandy)|Thomas Raikes]] later recounted that "No event ever produced so great a sensation in English society as the introduction of the waltz in 1813."<ref name=raikes>{{cite book|last1=Raikes|first1=Thomas|title=A Portion of the Journal Kept by Thomas Raikes from 1831 to 1847: Comprising Reminiscences of Social and Political Life in London and Paris During that Period|date=1856|pages=240–243|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M4JBAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA240 |access-date=20 September 2015|author-link1=Thomas Raikes (dandy)}}</ref> In the same year, a sardonic tribute to the dance by Lord Byron was anonymously published (written the previous autumn).<ref name=readbookonline>{{cite web|title=Introduction to 'The Waltz'|url=https://www.readbookonline.org/read/3146/12629/|website=Readbookonline.org }}</ref><ref name=childers>{{cite journal|last1=Childers|first1=William|title=Byron's "Waltz": The Germans and Their Georges|journal=Keats-Shelley Journal|date=1969|volume=18|pages=81–95|jstor=30212687|publisher=Keats-Shelley Association of America, Inc.}}</ref> Influential dance master and author of instruction manuals, Thomas Wilson published ''A Description of the Correct Method of Waltzing'' in 1816.<ref name=Fullerton>{{cite book|last=Fullerton|first=Susannah|title=A dance with Jane Austen: how a novelist and her characters went to the ball|date=2012|publisher=Frances Lincoln Ltd.|location=London, England|pages=110–111|isbn=978-0-7112-3245-7|edition=1st Frances Lincoln}}</ref> [[Almack's]], the most exclusive club in London, permitted the waltz, though the entry in the ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'' shows that it was considered "riotous and indecent" as late as 1825. In ''[[The Tenant of Wildfell Hall]]'', by [[Anne Brontë]], in a scene set in 1827, the local vicar Reverend Milward tolerates quadrilles and country dances but intervenes decisively when a waltz is called for, declaring "No, no, I don't allow that! Come, it's time to be going home."<ref>Penguin edition 1964, page 42</ref>
In the 19th century the word primarily indicated that the dance was a turning one; one would "waltz" in the [[polka]] to indicate rotating rather than going straight forward without turning.


The waltz, 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.
The Viennese custom is to slightly anticipate the second beat, which conveys a faster, lighter rhythm, and also breaks of the phrase. The younger Strauss would sometimes break up the one-two-three of the melody with a one-two pattern in the accompaniment along with other rhythms, maintaining the 3/4 time while causing the dancers to dance a two-step waltz. The metronome speed for a full bar varies between 60 and 70, with the waltzes of the first Strauss often played faster than those of his sons.<ref>The Waltz Emperors. Wechsberg. 1973. C. Tinling & Company. pages 59–61</ref>


== Variants ==
Shocking many when it was first introduced,<ref>Mozart: A Cultural Biography By Robert W. Gutman. 1999. Harcourt. Pages 44–45</ref> the waltz became fashionable in [[Vienna]] around the 1780s, spreading to many other countries in the years to follow. It became fashionable in [[United Kingdom|Britain]] during the [[British Regency|Regency period]],<ref>Boyd Hilton, ''A Mad, Bad, and Dangerous People? England 1783–1846'' (Oxford U P 2006).</ref> though the entry in the Oxford English Dictionary shows that it was considered "riotous and indecent" as late as 1825. 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.
{{More citations needed section|date=May 2019}}
[[Image:Waltz dance pattern.png|thumb|right|250px|Waltz rhythm<ref name="Blatter">{{cite book|last1=Blatter|first1=Alfred|title=Revisiting music theory: a guide to the practice|url=https://archive.org/details/revisitingmusict00blat|url-access=limited|date=2007|isbn=978-0-415-97440-0|page=[https://archive.org/details/revisitingmusict00blat/page/n42 28]|publisher=Taylor & Francis }}</ref>]]
[[Image:Jazz waltz dance pattern.png|thumb|right|250px|[[Jazz waltz]] rhythm<ref name="Blatter"/>]]
[[File:La Valse.jpg|thumb|''[[The Waltz (Claudel)|The Waltz]]'', by [[Camille Claudel]] (cast in 1905)]]
In the 19th and early 20th century, numerous different waltz forms existed, including versions performed in {{music|time|3|4}}, {{music|time|3|8}} or {{music|time|6|8}} (sauteuse), and {{music|time|5|4}} time ({{music|time|5|4}} waltz, half and half).


In the 1910s, a form called the Hesitation Waltz was introduced by [[Vernon and Irene Castle]].<ref name="hes_waltz">{{cite web|url=http://www.danceintime.com/historyAmerica.htm|title=The History of Ballroom Dance in America|access-date=2010-12-13|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110306113620/http://www.danceintime.com/historyAmerica.htm|archive-date=2011-03-06}}</ref> It incorporated "hesitations" and was danced to fast music. A hesitation is basically a halt on the standing foot during the full waltz bar, with the moving foot suspended in the air or slowly dragged. Similar figures ([[Hesitation Change]], [[Drag Hesitation]], and [[Cross Hesitation]]) are incorporated in the [[International Standard (dance)|International Standard]] Waltz Syllabus.
== Styles ==
[[Image:Waltz dance pattern.png|thumb|right|250px|Waltz [[rhythm]].<ref name="Blatter">Blatter, Alfred (2007). ''Revisiting music theory: a guide to the practice'', p.28. ISBN 0-415-97440-2.</ref>]]
[[Image:Jazz waltz dance pattern.png|thumb|right|250px|Jazz waltz rhythm.<ref name="Blatter"/>]]
In the 19th and early 20th century, numerous different waltz forms existed, including versions performed in 2/4 or 6/8 (sauteuse), and 5/4 time (5/4 waltz, half and half)


The Country Western Waltz is mostly progressive, moving counter clock wise around the dance floor. Both the posture and frame are relaxed, with posture bordering on a slouch. The exaggerated hand and arm gestures of some ballroom styles are not part of this style. Couples may frequently dance in the [[promenade position]], depending on local preferences. Within Country Western waltz, there is the Spanish Waltz and the more modern (for the late 1930s- early 1950s) Pursuit Waltz. At one time it was considered ill treatment for a man to make the woman walk backwards in some locations.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Shaw|first1=Lloyd|title=Cowboy Dances|date=1939|publisher=The Caxton Printers|pages=101–103}}</ref>
In the 1910s, a form called the '''"Hesitation Waltz"''' was introduced by [[Vernon and Irene Castle]].<ref name="hes_waltz">{{cite web |url=http://www.danceintime.com/historyAmerica.htm |title=The History of Ballroom Dance in America |first= |last= |accessdate=2010-12-13}}</ref> It incorporated Hesitations and was danced to fast music. A hesitation is basically a halt on the standing foot during the full waltz measure, with the moving foot suspended in the air or slowly dragged. Similar figures ([[Hesitation Change]], [[Drag Hesitation]], and [[Cross Hesitation]]) are incorporated in the International Standard Waltz Syllabus.


In California, the waltz was banned by Mission priests until 1834 because of the "closed" dance position.<ref name="Early California Days 1950. page 44">{{cite book|last1=Czarnoski|first1=Lucile K|title=Dances of Early California Days|date=1950|publisher=Pacific Books|page=44}}</ref> Thereafter a Spanish Waltz was danced. This Spanish Waltz was a combination of dancing around the room in closed position, and a "formation" dance of two couples facing each other and performing a sequence of steps.<ref name="Early California Days 1950. page 44" /> "Valse a Trois Temps" was the "earliest" waltz step, and the Rye Waltz was preferred as a couple dance.<ref name=czarnoski121>{{cite book|last1=Czarnoski|first1=Lucile K|title=Dances of Early California Days|date=1950|publisher=Pacific Books|page=121}}</ref>
The '''Country Western Waltz''' is mostly progressive, moving counter clock wise around the dance floor. Both the posture and frame are relaxed, with posture bordering on a slouch. The exaggerated hand and arm gestures of some ballroom styles are not part of this style. Couples may frequently dance in the [[promenade position]], depending on local preferences. Within Country Western waltz there are the Spanish Waltz and the more modern (for the late 1930s- early 1950s) Pursuit Waltz. At one time it was considered ill treatment for a man to make the woman walk backwards in some locations.<ref>Cowboy Dances. Lloyd Shaw. 1939-1952. The Caxton Printers. pages 101-103. no ISBN</ref>
* In contemporary [[ballroom dance]], the fast versions of the waltz are called [[Viennese waltz]] as opposed to the [[Slow waltz]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.dancetime.com/waltz-dance-styles-1835/|title=Information on Styles of Waltz include American, International, C&W, Viennese Waltz and others!|date=2012-09-09|work=Dancetime.com|access-date=2017-10-02|language=en-US}}</ref>

* In [[traditional Irish music]], the waltz was taught by travelling dancing masters to those who could afford their lessons during the 19th century. By the end of that century, the dance spread to the middle and lower classes of Irish society and traditional triple-tune tunes and songs were altered to fit the waltz rhythm. During the 20th century, the waltz found a distinctively Irish playing style in the hands of [[Céilidh]] musicians at [[Ceili dance|dances]].<ref name=vallely>{{cite book|last1=Vallely|first1=F.|title=The Companion to Traditional Irish Music|date=1999|publisher=New York University Press|location=New York|pages=431–433}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.irishtune.info/rhythm/ |title=Rhythm Definitions - Irish Traditional Music Tune Index |publisher=Irishtune.info |date=2012-07-11 |access-date=2012-11-07}}</ref>
In California the waltz was banned by Mission fathers until after 1834 because of the "closed" dance position.<ref name="Early California Days 1950. page 44">Dances of Early California Days. Lucile K. Czarnoski. 1950. Pacific Books. page 44.</ref> Thereafter a Spanish Waltz was danced. This Spanish Waltz was a combination of dancing around the room in closed position, and a "formation" dance of two couples facing each other and performing a sequence of steps.<ref name="Early California Days 1950. page 44" /> "Valse a Trois Temps" was the "earliest" waltz step, and the Rye Waltz was favored as a couple dance.<ref>Dances of Early California Days. Lucile K. Czarnoski. 1950. Pacific Books. page 121.</ref>

* In contemporary [[ballroom dance]], the fast versions of the waltz are called [[Viennese Waltz]].
* [[Waltz (International Standard)|International Standard Waltz]] has only closed figures; that is, the couple never breaks the embrace.
* [[Waltz (International Standard)|International Standard Waltz]] has only closed figures; that is, the couple never breaks the embrace.
* The [[American Style Waltz]], in contrast to the International Standard Waltz, involves breaking contact almost entirely in some figures. For example, the Syncopated Side-by-Side with Spin includes a free spin for both partners. Open rolls are another good example of an [[Ballroom glossary#Open dance figure|open dance figure]], in which the follower alternates between the lead's left and right sides, with the lead's left or right arm (alone) providing the lead. Waltzes were the staple of many American musicals and films, including "Waltz in Swing Time" sung by [[Fred Astaire]].
* The [[American Style Waltz]], part of the [[American Smooth]] ballroom dance syllabus, in contrast to the [[International Standard (dance)|International Standard]] Waltz, involves breaking contact almost entirely in some figures. For example, the Syncopated Side-by-Side with Spin includes a free spin for both partners. Open rolls are another good example of an [[Ballroom glossary#Open dance figure|open dance figure]], in which the follower alternates between the lead's left and right sides, with the lead's left or right arm (alone) providing the lead. Waltzes were the staple of many American musicals and films, including "Waltz in Swing Time" sung by [[Fred Astaire]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2019}}
* The Scandinavian Waltz, performed as a part of [[Scandinavian folk dance]], can be fast or slow, but the dancers are always rotating.{{Citation needed|date=May 2019}}
* The [[Cross Step Waltz]] is a newer style of waltz where the first step is a cross-step into the line of direction. This was popularized in classes at [[Stanford University]] and allows for a much richer assortment of variations.
*The [[Vals (Peruvian)|Peruvian Waltz]] is called and recognised in Peru as ''vals criollo''.{{Citation needed|date=May 2019}}
* The [[Scandinavia]]n Waltz. Performed as a part of [[Scandinavian folk dance]], this can be fast or slow, but the dancers are always rotating.
* The [[Mexican Waltz]] (''vals mexicano'') follows the same basic rhythmic pattern as the standard waltz, but the melodies reflect a strong Spanish influence. Mexico's [[Juventino Rosas]] wrote "[[Sobre las Olas]]" or "Over the Waves".
*The [[Vals (Peruvian)|Peruvian Waltz]] (Called and recognized in Peru as ''vals criollo'').
* The [[Cajun Waltz]] is danced progressively around the floor, and is characterised by the subtle swaying of the hips and step very close to ordinary walking. It is danced entirely in the closed position.{{Citation needed|date=May 2019}}
*The [[Curaçao]]n waltz. The first composer to write Curaçaon waltzes was [[Jan Gerard Palm]] (1831–1906). Like the Strauss family in Austria, the Palm family composed numerous popular Curaçaon waltzes. Well known composers of Curaçaon waltzes of the Palm family are [[Jan Gerard Palm]] (1831–1906), [[Jacobo Palm]] (1887–1982), [[Rudolph Palm]] (1880–1950), [[John Palm]] (1885–1925), Albert Palm (1903–1957), Edgar Palm (1905–1998) and Robert Rojer (1939). Besides the Palm family, Curaçao born composers such as Joseph Sickman Corsen, Chris Ulder, Jacobo Conrad and Wim Statius Muller are well known for their typical Curaçao waltzes.
* The Cuban (or Tropical) Waltz follows the pattern of the standard waltz throughout the song.{{Citation needed|date=May 2019}}
* The [[Mexican Waltz]] (''vals mexicano'') follows the same basic rhythmic pattern as the standard waltz, but the melodies reflect a strong Spanish influence. Mexico's [[Juventino Rosas]] wrote "[[Sobre las Olas]]" or "Over the Waves", commonly known in the U.S. as a circus song played during a trapeze show.
* The [[Venezuelan waltz]] provided a basis for distinctive regional musical composition.{{Citation needed|date=May 2019}}
* The [[Cajun Waltz]] is danced progressively around the floor, and is characterized by the subtle swaying of the hips and step very close to ordinary walking. It is danced entirely in the closed position.
* The Contra Waltz (Freeform Waltz), included in most [[contra dance]] evenings, uses both open and closed positions, and incorporates moves from other dances such as [[swing (dance)|swing]], [[modern jive]] and [[Salsa (dance)|salsa]]. Basically the dancers progress around the dance floor with a waltz step, but with no constraints on what moves they can use.{{Citation needed|date=May 2019}}
* [[Vals (dance)|Tango vals]] allows the dancers to dance one, two, three, or no steps to any three beats of waltz music, and to vary the number of steps per bar throughout the song.
* The [[Bal-musette|Valse Musette]], a form of waltz popular in France, started in the late 19th century.{{Citation needed|date=May 2019}}
*The [[Venezuelan waltz]]
* The [[cross-step waltz]] (French Valse Boston) developed in France in the early 20th century and is popular in social waltz groups today.{{Citation needed|date=May 2019}}
* The Contra Waltz (Freeform Waltz), included in most [[contra dance]] evenings, uses both open and closed positions, and incorporates moves from other dances such as [[swing (dance)|swing]], [[modern jive]] and [[Salsa (dance)|salsa]]. Basically the dancers progress around the dance floor with a waltz step, but with no constraints on what moves they can use.
* In folk dance from the [[Alsace]] region, waltzes in odd metres such as {{music|time|5|4}}, {{music|time|8|4}} and {{music|time|11|4}} are found. In modern [[bal folk]], waltzes in even higher metres are played and danced.
* The [[Bal-musette|Valse Musette]], a form of waltz popular in France starting in the late 19th century
* [[Estonia]]n folk dance [[Labajalavalss]] (flat of the foot waltz) performed in {{music|time|3|4}} time.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Estonian|url=https://www.commongroundonthehill.org/estonian.html|website=Common Ground on the Hill|language=en|access-date=2020-05-17}}</ref>

*[[Sama'i]] (also known as usul semai) is a vocal piece of Ottoman Turkish music composed in 6/8 metres. This form and metre (usul in Turkish) is often confused with the completely different Saz Semaisi, an instrumental form consisting of three to four sections, in 10/8 metre, or usul aksak semai (broken semai in Turkish). Semai is one of the most important forms in Ottoman Turkish Sufi music.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Whirling Dervishes|isbn = 9780791411551|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zz2Qy3BjdVgC&q=semai+waltz&pg=PA135|access-date=30 December 2016|last1 = Friedlander|first1 = Shems|last2 = Uzel|first2 = Nezih|date = January 1992| publisher=SUNY Press }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=AllMusic Review by James Manheim|website=[[AllMusic]]|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-waltz-ecstasy-and-mysticism-mw0000207818|access-date=30 December 2016}}</ref>
== See also==
*The '''Tsamikos''' ({{langx|el|Τσάμικος}}, ''Tsamikos'') or '''Kleftikos''' ({{langx|el|Κλέφτικος}}) is a popular traditional [[folk dance]] of [[Greece]], done to music of [[Triple metre|{{music|time|3|4}}]] metre.<ref>{{cite web|title=yamahamusicsoft|url=https://www.yamahamusicsoft.com/sound-and-expansion-libraries/tsamikos-1|access-date=1 January 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170101163816/https://www.yamahamusicsoft.com/sound-and-expansion-libraries/tsamikos-1|archive-date=1 January 2017}}</ref>
*[[Austrian folk dancing]]
*[[Waltz (music)]]
*[[Schuhplattler]]
*[[Ländler]]
*[[Zwiefacher]]
*[[Mazurka]]
*[[Polska (dance)]]
*[[Fandango]]
*[[Sevillanas]]
*[[Chamarrita]]
*[[Polonaise]]
*[[Bourrée]]
*[[Redowa]]
*[[Usul (music)]]


==References==
==References==
[[File:Man and woman dancing a waltz (1887).gif|thumb|Man and woman dancing a waltz by [[Eadweard Muybridge]]. 1887]]
{{reflist|2}}
{{reflist|30em}}


== External links ==
== External links ==
{{commons category}}
{{commons category}}
* [https://www.dancing4beginners.com/waltz/ Waltz basic steps]
* [http://learnballroomdancing.org/waltz-dance-steps/ Basic Steps of Waltz Dance]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ7sA1o4zx0 Waltz video example]
* [http://www.howtodancelikestar.com/the-waltz-dance-steps-box-stepping-of-forward-and-backward-partial-box The Waltz Dance Steps & Moves]
* [http://mtcn.free.fr/mtcn-traditional-music-midi-dance-couple.php#valse Music regarding: Waltz within traditional dances of the County of Nice (France)]
* [http://mtcn.free.fr/mtcn-traditional-music-midi-dance-couple.php#valse Music regarding: Waltz within traditional dances of the County of Nice (France)]
* [http://imslp.org/wiki/User:Clark_Kimberling/Historical_Notes_1 Scroll to "Five Step Waltz" for notes about probable 1847 origin and associated music published the same year.]
* [http://imslp.org/wiki/User:Clark_Kimberling/Historical_Notes_1 Scroll to "Five Step Waltz" for notes about probable 1847 origin and associated music published the same year.]
* {{cite book |author=Halman, Johannes and Robert Rojer |title=Jan Gerard Palm Music Scores: Waltzes, Mazurkas, Danzas, Tumbas, Polkas, Marches, Fantasies, Serenades, a Galop and Music Composed for Services in the Synagogue and the Lodge |publisher=Amsterdam: Broekmans and Van Poppel |year=2008}}*[http://www.broekmans.com/nl/product_details.cfm?ArtikelId=720270]
* [http://www.walternelson.com/dr/regency-waltz Thomas Wilson's 1816 Waltz Manual]
* [http://www.walternelson.com/dr/regency-waltz Thomas Wilson's 1816 Waltz Manual]
{{Gutenberg|no=47427|name=The Dance of Death}} (1877 Book critical of the Waltz)
* [http://regencydances.org/paper013.php The Regency Waltz]
* [http://ballibre.org?ld=valse Waltzes under CreativeCommons licence on BalLibre.org]
* [https://www.cocktailband.es/curiosidades/el-vals-waltz/ Wedding Waltz]

{{Dance}}
{{Dance}}
{{Irish dance}}
{{Music of Ireland}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Waltz|*]]
[[Category:Waltz| ]]
[[Category:Austrian folk dances]]
[[Category:Austrian folk dances]]
[[Category:German folk dances]]
[[Category:German folk dances]]
[[Category:Triple time dances]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]
[[Category:Forms of Ottoman classical music]]
[[Category:Greek folk music]]
[[Category:Greek dances]]
[[Category:Dance forms in classical music]]
[[Category:Dance forms in classical music]]
[[Category:Triple time dances]]

[[ar:فالس]]
[[ca:Vals]]
[[cs:Waltz]]
[[da:Vals]]
[[de:Walzer (Tanz)]]
[[et:Valss]]
[[es:Vals]]
[[eo:Valso]]
[[eu:Bals]]
[[fa:والس]]
[[fr:Valse]]
[[fur:Valzer]]
[[ko:왈츠]]
[[hr:Engleski valcer]]
[[io:Valso]]
[[it:Valzer]]
[[he:ואלס]]
[[la:Valsa]]
[[lt:Valsas]]
[[nl:Wals (muziek)]]
[[ja:ワルツ (ダンス)]]
[[no:Vals]]
[[nn:Vals]]
[[pl:Walc]]
[[pt:Valsa]]
[[ru:Вальс]]
[[sk:Anglický valčík]]
[[sr:Валцер]]
[[fi:Valssi]]
[[sv:Vals (dans)]]
[[tl:Balse]]
[[th:วอลซ์]]
[[tr:Vals]]
[[vi:Valse]]
[[zh:圓舞曲]]

Latest revision as of 20:52, 22 October 2024

"Valzer" redirects here. For the 2007 Italian film, see Valzer (film).
"Waltzing" redirects here. For the Luxembourgian trumpeter and composer, see Gast Waltzing.
For the music made to accompany the waltz, see Waltz (music). For other uses, see Waltz (disambiguation).
For technical reasons, "Waltz #2 (XO)" redirects here. For the song, see Waltz 2 (XO).
Waltz
A phenakistoscope animation by Eadweard Muybridge demonstrating the waltz
GenreBallroom dance
Time signature3
4
Detail from frontispiece to Thomas Wilson Correct Method of German and French Waltzing (1816), showing nine positions of the waltz, clockwise from the left (the musicians are at far left). At that time, the waltz was a relatively new dance in England, and the fact that it was a couples dance (as opposed to the traditional group dances), and that the gentleman clasped his arm around the lady's waist, gave it a dubious moral status.

The waltz (from German Walzer [ˈvalt͡sɐ̯]), meaning "to roll or revolve")[1] is a ballroom and folk dance, in triple (3
4 time), performed primarily in closed position. Along with the ländler and allemande, the waltz was sometimes referred to by the generic term German Dance in publications during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.[2]

History

[edit]
Waltz

There are many references to a sliding or gliding dance, including volte, that would evolve into the waltz that date from 16th-century Europe, including the representations of the printmaker Hans Sebald Beham. The French philosopher Michel de Montaigne wrote of a dance he saw in 1580 in Augsburg, where the dancers held each other so closely that their faces touched. Kunz Haas (of approximately the same period) wrote, "Now they are dancing the godless Weller or Spinner."[3] "The vigorous peasant dancer, following an instinctive knowledge of the weight of fall, uses his surplus energy to press all his strength into the proper beat of the bar, thus intensifying his personal enjoyment in dancing."[3] Around 1750, the lower classes in the regions of Bavaria, Tyrol, and Styria began dancing a couples dance called Walzer.[4] The Ländler, also known as the Schleifer, a country dance in 3
4 time, was popular in Bohemia, Austria, and Bavaria, and spread from the countryside to the suburbs of the city. While the eighteenth-century upper classes continued to dance the minuets (such as those by Mozart, Haydn and Handel), bored noblemen slipped away to the balls of their servants.[5]

In the 1771 German novel Geschichte des Fräuleins von Sternheim by Sophie von La Roche, a high-minded character complains about the newly introduced waltz among aristocrats thus: "But when he put his arm around her, pressed her to his breast, cavorted with her in the shameless, indecent whirling-dance of the Germans and engaged in a familiarity that broke all the bounds of good breeding—then my silent misery turned into burning rage."[6]

Describing life in Vienna (dated at either 1776 or 1786[7]), Don Curzio wrote, "The people were dancing mad ... The ladies of Vienna are particularly celebrated for their grace and movements of waltzing of which they never tire." There is a waltz in the second act finale of the 1786 opera Una Cosa Rara by Martin y Soler. Soler's waltz was marked andante con moto, or "at a walking pace with motion", but the flow of the dance was sped-up in Vienna leading to the Geschwindwalzer, and the Galloppwalzer.[8][9]

In the 19th century, the word primarily indicated that the dance was a turning one; one would "waltz" in the polka to indicate rotating rather than going straight forward without turning.

Shocking many when it was first introduced,[10] the waltz became fashionable in Vienna around the 1780s, spreading to many other countries in the years to follow. According to contemporary singer Michael Kelly, it reached England in 1791.[11] During the Napoleonic Wars, infantry soldiers of the King's German Legion introduced the dance to the people of Bexhill, Sussex, from 1804.[12]

It became fashionable in Britain during the Regency period, having been made respectable by the endorsement of Dorothea Lieven, wife of the Russian ambassador.[13] Diarist Thomas Raikes later recounted that "No event ever produced so great a sensation in English society as the introduction of the waltz in 1813."[14] In the same year, a sardonic tribute to the dance by Lord Byron was anonymously published (written the previous autumn).[15][16] Influential dance master and author of instruction manuals, Thomas Wilson published A Description of the Correct Method of Waltzing in 1816.[17] Almack's, the most exclusive club in London, permitted the waltz, though the entry in the Oxford English Dictionary shows that it was considered "riotous and indecent" as late as 1825. In The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, by Anne Brontë, in a scene set in 1827, the local vicar Reverend Milward tolerates quadrilles and country dances but intervenes decisively when a waltz is called for, declaring "No, no, I don't allow that! Come, it's time to be going home."[18]

The waltz, 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.

Variants

[edit]
Waltz rhythm[19]
Jazz waltz rhythm[19]
The Waltz, by Camille Claudel (cast in 1905)

In the 19th and early 20th century, numerous different waltz forms existed, including versions performed in 3
4, 3
8 or 6
8 (sauteuse), and 5
4 time (5
4 waltz, half and half).

In the 1910s, a form called the Hesitation Waltz was introduced by Vernon and Irene Castle.[20] It incorporated "hesitations" and was danced to fast music. A hesitation is basically a halt on the standing foot during the full waltz bar, with the moving foot suspended in the air or slowly dragged. Similar figures (Hesitation Change, Drag Hesitation, and Cross Hesitation) are incorporated in the International Standard Waltz Syllabus.

The Country Western Waltz is mostly progressive, moving counter clock wise around the dance floor. Both the posture and frame are relaxed, with posture bordering on a slouch. The exaggerated hand and arm gestures of some ballroom styles are not part of this style. Couples may frequently dance in the promenade position, depending on local preferences. Within Country Western waltz, there is the Spanish Waltz and the more modern (for the late 1930s- early 1950s) Pursuit Waltz. At one time it was considered ill treatment for a man to make the woman walk backwards in some locations.[21]

In California, the waltz was banned by Mission priests until 1834 because of the "closed" dance position.[22] Thereafter a Spanish Waltz was danced. This Spanish Waltz was a combination of dancing around the room in closed position, and a "formation" dance of two couples facing each other and performing a sequence of steps.[22] "Valse a Trois Temps" was the "earliest" waltz step, and the Rye Waltz was preferred as a couple dance.[23]

  • In contemporary ballroom dance, the fast versions of the waltz are called Viennese waltz as opposed to the Slow waltz.[24]
  • In traditional Irish music, the waltz was taught by travelling dancing masters to those who could afford their lessons during the 19th century. By the end of that century, the dance spread to the middle and lower classes of Irish society and traditional triple-tune tunes and songs were altered to fit the waltz rhythm. During the 20th century, the waltz found a distinctively Irish playing style in the hands of Céilidh musicians at dances.[25][26]
  • International Standard Waltz has only closed figures; that is, the couple never breaks the embrace.
  • The American Style Waltz, part of the American Smooth ballroom dance syllabus, in contrast to the International Standard Waltz, involves breaking contact almost entirely in some figures. For example, the Syncopated Side-by-Side with Spin includes a free spin for both partners. Open rolls are another good example of an open dance figure, in which the follower alternates between the lead's left and right sides, with the lead's left or right arm (alone) providing the lead. Waltzes were the staple of many American musicals and films, including "Waltz in Swing Time" sung by Fred Astaire.[citation needed]
  • The Scandinavian Waltz, performed as a part of Scandinavian folk dance, can be fast or slow, but the dancers are always rotating.[citation needed]
  • The Peruvian Waltz is called and recognised in Peru as vals criollo.[citation needed]
  • The Mexican Waltz (vals mexicano) follows the same basic rhythmic pattern as the standard waltz, but the melodies reflect a strong Spanish influence. Mexico's Juventino Rosas wrote "Sobre las Olas" or "Over the Waves".
  • The Cajun Waltz is danced progressively around the floor, and is characterised by the subtle swaying of the hips and step very close to ordinary walking. It is danced entirely in the closed position.[citation needed]
  • The Cuban (or Tropical) Waltz follows the pattern of the standard waltz throughout the song.[citation needed]
  • The Venezuelan waltz provided a basis for distinctive regional musical composition.[citation needed]
  • The Contra Waltz (Freeform Waltz), included in most contra dance evenings, uses both open and closed positions, and incorporates moves from other dances such as swing, modern jive and salsa. Basically the dancers progress around the dance floor with a waltz step, but with no constraints on what moves they can use.[citation needed]
  • The Valse Musette, a form of waltz popular in France, started in the late 19th century.[citation needed]
  • The cross-step waltz (French Valse Boston) developed in France in the early 20th century and is popular in social waltz groups today.[citation needed]
  • In folk dance from the Alsace region, waltzes in odd metres such as 5
    4    , 8
    4     and 11
    4     are found. In modern bal folk, waltzes in even higher metres are played and danced.
  • Estonian folk dance Labajalavalss (flat of the foot waltz) performed in 3
    4     time.[27]
  • Sama'i (also known as usul semai) is a vocal piece of Ottoman Turkish music composed in 6/8 metres. This form and metre (usul in Turkish) is often confused with the completely different Saz Semaisi, an instrumental form consisting of three to four sections, in 10/8 metre, or usul aksak semai (broken semai in Turkish). Semai is one of the most important forms in Ottoman Turkish Sufi music.[28][29]
  • The Tsamikos (Greek: Τσάμικος, Tsamikos) or Kleftikos (Greek: Κλέφτικος) is a popular traditional folk dance of Greece, done to music of 3
    4     metre.[30]

References

[edit]
Man and woman dancing a waltz by Eadweard Muybridge. 1887
  1. ^ Etymology Online
  2. ^ Cliff Eisen (2001). "German Dance (Ger. Deutsche, Deutscher Tanz, Teutsche; Fr. allemande; It. tedesco)". Grove Music Online. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.10937.
  3. ^ a b Nettl, Paul. "Birth of the Waltz." In Dance Index vol 5, no. 9. 1946 New York: Dance Index-Ballet Caravan, Inc. pages 208, 211
  4. ^ Wechsberg, Joseph (1973). The Waltz Emperors: The Life and Times and Music of the Strauss Family. Putnam. p. 49. ISBN 978-0-399-11167-9.
  5. ^ Sir George Grove, John Alexander Fuller-Maitland, Adela Harriet Sophia (Bagot) Wodehouse. A Dictionary of Music and Musicians (A.D. 1450–1880) Published 1889. Macmillan
  6. ^ The History of Lady Sophia Sternheim, trans. Christa Baguss Britt (State University of New York Press, 1991), p. 160.
  7. ^ Jacob, H.E. (2005). Johann Strauss: Father and Son a Century of Light Music. pp. 24–25. ISBN 1-4179-9311-1.
  8. ^ Wechsberg. The Waltz Emperors. 1973. C. Tinling & Company. page 49, 50)
  9. ^ Grove's Dictionary, page 385
  10. ^ Gutman, Robert W. (1999). Mozart: A Cultural Biography. Harcourt. pp. 44–45.
  11. ^ Scholes, Percy. The Oxford Companion to Music. 10th edition, 1991. page 1110
  12. ^ Sussex Weekly Advertiser, 21 January 1805
  13. ^ Hilton, Boyd (2006). A Mad, Bad, and Dangerous People? England 1783–1846. Oxford University Press.
  14. ^ Raikes, Thomas (1856). A Portion of the Journal Kept by Thomas Raikes from 1831 to 1847: Comprising Reminiscences of Social and Political Life in London and Paris During that Period. pp. 240–243. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
  15. ^ "Introduction to 'The Waltz'". Readbookonline.org.
  16. ^ Childers, William (1969). "Byron's "Waltz": The Germans and Their Georges". Keats-Shelley Journal. 18. Keats-Shelley Association of America, Inc.: 81–95. JSTOR 30212687.
  17. ^ Fullerton, Susannah (2012). A dance with Jane Austen: how a novelist and her characters went to the ball (1st Frances Lincoln ed.). London, England: Frances Lincoln Ltd. pp. 110–111. ISBN 978-0-7112-3245-7.
  18. ^ Penguin edition 1964, page 42
  19. ^ a b Blatter, Alfred (2007). Revisiting music theory: a guide to the practice. Taylor & Francis. p. 28. ISBN 978-0-415-97440-0.
  20. ^ "The History of Ballroom Dance in America". Archived from the original on 2011-03-06. Retrieved 2010-12-13.
  21. ^ Shaw, Lloyd (1939). Cowboy Dances. The Caxton Printers. pp. 101–103.
  22. ^ a b Czarnoski, Lucile K (1950). Dances of Early California Days. Pacific Books. p. 44.
  23. ^ Czarnoski, Lucile K (1950). Dances of Early California Days. Pacific Books. p. 121.
  24. ^ "Information on Styles of Waltz include American, International, C&W, Viennese Waltz and others!". Dancetime.com. 2012-09-09. Retrieved 2017-10-02.
  25. ^ Vallely, F. (1999). The Companion to Traditional Irish Music. New York: New York University Press. pp. 431–433.
  26. ^ "Rhythm Definitions - Irish Traditional Music Tune Index". Irishtune.info. 2012-07-11. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
  27. ^ "Estonian". Common Ground on the Hill. Retrieved 2020-05-17.
  28. ^ Friedlander, Shems; Uzel, Nezih (January 1992). The Whirling Dervishes. SUNY Press. ISBN 9780791411551. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  29. ^ "AllMusic Review by James Manheim". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  30. ^ "yamahamusicsoft". Archived from the original on 1 January 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
[edit]
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