Which country does waltz come from

For instance, in early Waltz, the leader's left arm was lowered, and his right arm was wrapped low around the follower's back [27]. This contrasts sharply with the more modern hold illustrated in the "Technique" section above. This change in frame was likely caused by the shift in the role of Waltz on the dancefloor in the early 20th century.

Waltz had become the primary social dance in England by the midth century, and retained this honor until World War I [28]. The first dance to surpass Waltz in popularity was the Foxtrot, which "crept in, like a cat, from America [29] " just before World War I [30]. The Foxtrot was premiered by famous exhibition dancers Vernon and Irene Castle , and boomed in popularity during the War [31].

By , rag music and jazz had both arrived in England from America, and were inspiring new rhythmic dances like the Onestep, the Twostep, Quickstep, and many others [32]. Many of these dances were far more salacious than the Waltz, and quickly displaced it as the social dances of choice [33]. However, unlike many other older dances, Waltz did not disappear. Instead, it moved into more formal settings and into Ballroom competitions. In order to adapt to this changed setting, Waltz became far more regimented and formally defined [34].

During this process, the Waltz frame was developed to have a more regal appearance, reflecting its new position as the primary formal ballroom dance [35]. This remains the place of Waltz to the present day. Over time, waltz has evolved into many differentiated styles. These styles include:. Because Waltz is the oldest modern Ballroom Dance, it is arguably also the dance most closely associated with the Ballroom style of dance [40]. Despite its origins as the most erotic dance of the Victorian era [41] , Waltz today is mainly thought of in the context of ball gowns, manners, and high society [42].

This impression is reinforced by the place of Waltz as one of the most popular First Dances at weddings [43].

Londonhua WIKI. Waltz: Dance. The Arrival of the Waltz in England, Waltz: An Apostrophic Hymn. London: John C. The History of Ballroom Dancing. Dancing and its Relation to Education and Social Life. The simple one-two-three steps weren't always as simple and innocent as they appear. The Waltz had humble beginnings in rural Germany. In the mid 18th century, peasants began to dance something called the landler in Bohemia, Austria, and Bavaria.

At the time, the sophisticated upper class was dancing to the minuet at their balls, but the peasants' dance was so much more fun that noblemen would attend the lower class gatherings just to enjoy it. It eventually became known as the walzer from the Latin volvere , meaning rotate. However, it was not the rotation that gave the waltz its notoriety, it was the position that the dancers took, a "closed" dance position, face to face.

While this seems innocent enough in today's dance world, at the time it horrified many "proper" folk, such as novelist Sophie von La Roche, who described it as the "shameless, indecent whirling-dance of the Germans" that " Scandalous or not, the waltz became immensely popular, spreading from Germany to the dance halls of Paris as soldiers returned from the Napoleonic wars.

By the mid18th century, it had spread to England in spite of, or perhaps because of, its continued notoriety. An entry in the Oxford English Dictionary described the waltz as "riotous and indecent. One of the earliest appearances of the waltz in a play was in the opera Una Cosa Rara by Soler in This set the tempo of the waltz at andante con moto , which is defined as "a walking pace.

However, around the Austrian composers Lanner and Strauss composed a series of of pieces that as an ensemble became known as the Viennese Waltz. This was a very fast music played at about 55 - 60 measures per minute, or to use today's music terminology about beats per minute. Suddenly, the slow and sedate dance moves were wild and frenetic, couples whirling around the dance floor at almost dangerous speeds.

Rather than replacing the original waltz, Viennese style waltzing became a popular alternative, especially among young dancers who wanted to show off their athletic prowess.

As the dance started gaining popularity, it was criticised on moral grounds due to its close-hold stance and fast turning movements. Religious leaders regarded it as vulgar and sinful. The dance was criticised to the point where people were threatened with death from waltzing. Over time, established musicians began recognising the quality and appeal of the Waltz. The dance was getting more and more popular, causing the court to build numerous dance halls to accommodate the craze.

It established itself as a standard accompaniment for noble events in Vienna and is considered as one of the most popular dance styles up until this day. In the dance was introduced into England as 'the German Waltz'.

It caused a huge sensation. When Lord Byron first saw it, he found his lady friend clasped closely by "a huge hussar-looking gentleman, turning round and round to a confounded see-saw, up-down sort of turn like two cockchafers spitted on the same bodkin". Even though Waltz was considered the root of all evil during 17th and 18th century, it made it's way to the elite and is now the most popular of all ballroom dances.

It certainly is a must-do if you're visiting Vienna for New Year's or any other special occasion. Grab your partner close, pre-count the 'One, two, three's' in your head and waltz away!