Waltz

An International or American Style dance which was first developed in Vienna in the mid 1700s and eventually appeared as a fashionable dance in Bohemia, Austria, Bavaria and other parts of Europe in the later 1700s. Danced in European courts the original dance was a fast paced dance to the Strauss music of the time, a dance now known as the Viennese Waltz. The rhythm of the music was gradually slowed down over time as songwriters of ballads and love songs chose to compose in a slower and more comfortable tempo and the dance evolved into the slower version we now know as Waltz, or Slow Waltz. Slow Waltz is characterized by rise and fall and rotational movement. Danced in ¾ timing, the recurring, even beats of music send the dancers whirling around the floor enjoying the thrill of the Waltz movement. Today it is one of the most popular Ballroom dances in the world, and with its easy-to-hear 1-2-3, 1-2-3 rhythm it can be danced to music found in nearly all genres, including rock, country, pop, and classical. In most cases however the music is romantic, dreamy, and sentimental. The Slow Waltz has continued to rise in popularity at anniversaries, graduations, and weddings.