The Viennese Waltz
The Viennese Waltz is so called to distinguish it from the traditional English style of Waltz. The slow waltz dances at only 90 beats per minute. Apparently for some dancers in Austria and Germany, this was too mild and slow. So, they developed their own style of the dance, which is danced at as many as 180 beats per minute. Being twice as fast as the regular waltz, the Viennese Waltz took a while to get used to. When it was first introduced in the late 18th century, many were shocked at its audacity, as it appeared to be more suggestive and untamed than any other dances. It is arguably the most historical dance, and it has even been considered a reflection of public sentiment.
The timing in a Viennese waltz is ¾. The harmonies are very simplistic and easy to follow. The pace is generally very slow, with one chord dominating the whole bar. The dance known as the Waltz grew in popularity, and eventually gave birth to a whole musical style. This is funny, since you would expect the opposite to happen – musical style leading to an adjusted type of dancing. Regardless, it all happened, and here we are with intriguing legacies of the art that our ancestors invented. It seems almost natural to be interested in it and want to preserve it through learning and performing it.
The Viennese Waltz has been known to cause motion sickness in the dancers, since it is perhaps the most rotary dependent dance. The participants are rotating a huge percentage of the time, only taking breaks to switch the direction that they are rotating in. The traditional Viennese Waltz only consists of turns. However, over time, it has developed other more complex moves that are used in many situations. These include influences from other styles of dance, which bring in sways and underarm turns to the mix. This leads to a distinction between International Style and American Style, which includes many fine details that you will find out about later.
If you are interested in learning the Viennese Waltz, you can take many different courses of action to do so. All you need is a willing partner, and you can learn the dance through instructional videos, observation of other dancers, or even private lessons from an experienced dancer. It is a popular hobby, and is a great sign of elegance and class.
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