Waltz
A turning dance in triple time from German-speaking Europe.
The waltz is a ballroom and folk dance in triple (3/4) time, performed primarily in closed position, originating from German-speaking regions of Europe in the 18th century. Along with the ländler and allemande, it was sometimes referred to by the generic term German Dance in publications during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
- origin
- German-speaking regions of Europe
- time_signature
- 3/4
- century_of_origin
- 18th century
- also_known_as
- German Dance (late 18th–early 19th centuries)
- related_dances
- ländler, allemande, volta
Lore & Background
There are references to a sliding or gliding dance that would evolve into the waltz dating from 16th-century Europe, including representations by printmaker Hans Sebald Beham. The French philosopher Michel de Montaigne wrote of a dance he saw in 1580 in Augsburg where dancers held each other so closely that their faces touched. Around 1750, the lower classes in Bavaria, Tyrol, and Styria began dancing a couples dance called Walzer. The Ländler, a country dance in 3/4 time, spread from the countryside to the suburbs of the city, and bored noblemen slipped away to the balls of their servants. Shocking many when first introduced, the waltz became fashionable in Vienna around the 1780s, spreading to other countries. It became fashionable in Britain during the Regency period, having been made respectable by the endorsement of Dorothea Lieven, wife of the Russian ambassador.
Reader's Guide
The waltz, especially its closed position, became the example for the creation of many other ballroom dances. In the 19th and early 20th century, numerous different waltz forms existed, including versions performed in 3/4, 3/8 or 6/8, and 5/4 time. In the 1910s, the Hesitation Waltz was introduced by Vernon and Irene Castle. In contemporary ballroom dance, fast versions are called Viennese waltz as opposed to the Slow waltz. International Standard Waltz has only closed figures, while American Style Waltz involves breaking contact almost entirely in some figures. The waltz found a distinctively Irish playing style in the hands of Céilidh musicians, and in folk dance from the Alsace region, waltzes in odd metres such as 5/4, 8/4 and 11/4 are found. The Tsamikos is a popular traditional folk dance of Greece done to music of 3/4 metre.
Did You Know?
- The waltz was sometimes referred to by the generic term German Dance in publications during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
- The French philosopher Michel de Montaigne wrote of a dance he saw in 1580 in Augsburg where dancers held each other so closely that their faces touched.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Waltz?
The waltz is a ballroom and folk dance in triple time that emerged from German-speaking parts of Europe during the 18th century. It is performed in a closed position and remains one of the most instantly recognizable dance forms in Western music.
What are Waltz's powers/role?
The waltz is defined by its 3/4 time signature and its continuous turning motion, which set it apart from other social dances of the era. It is closely related to the ländler and the allemande, and in late-18th- and early-19th-century publications it was sometimes grouped under the generic label "German Dance."
How does Waltz's story end?
The waltz never faded; it evolved into a cornerstone of both social ballroom culture and concert-hall composition. Composers from Mozart through the Strausses and beyond built entire bodies of work around its rotating three-beat pattern, ensuring its presence in music halls well into the modern era.
Why is Waltz important?
The waltz gave 18th- and 19th-century audiences a shared social ritual that blurred class boundaries, making it both celebrated and controversial in its early decades. Its emphasis on a strong downbeat followed by two lighter beats shaped how Western composers think about rhythmic structure for centuries afterward.
Where does Waltz come from?
The waltz traces its roots to rural folk traditions in the German-speaking regions of Central Europe, where it developed alongside dances such as the ländler and the volta. By the late 1700s it had crossed over from village squares into urban ballrooms across the continent.
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