Da Waltz

By Franklin Chen, Fernandez Village

Dancing in 3/4 time was from the days of the Renaissance. And there are records of it being danced in various places across Europe.

"Take calculated risks, that is quite different from being rash."

The peasants of Bavaria, Tyrol, and Styria began dancing a dance called Walzer, a dance for couples, around 1750. Then wide, wild steps of the country people became shorter and more elegant when introduced to higher society. There are several references to a sliding or gliding dance,- a waltz. There were many starts from many places for the Waltz who's time had merely come.

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.The Viennese custom is to slightly anticipate the second beat, which conveys a faster, lighter rhythm, and also breaks of the phrase. While the eighteenth century upper classes continued to dance the minuet, bored noblemen slipped away to the balls of their servants.

 

"The Tennessee Waltz" by Patti Page

The younger Strauss, in the 1840s. 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. Later went into a chasse and the Viennese Waltz can be danced with Samba pattern all the way through.

By the time the Austrian Maximilian took over as Emperor of Mexico, he and his friends imported the Viennese Waltz to Mexican High Society. Fortunately, the Indians had been dancing the three count movement to a three count measure but they had also been dancing a chasse to a faster three count as in Viennese Waltz. But now it became a partner dance and the peasant style remains very popular in most Latin countries.

 

Do they dance Waltz in that territory?

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. 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 remains as some of the most beautiful music and some of the most enjoyable dancing that exists in the world today.

 

"Of the dancers, by the dancers and for the dancers" All the dancers?

Of course not, they do not all want to be involved and we must respect."