Waltz

The waltz is a partnered dance in triple meter, characterized by smooth turning and traveling steps. Its flowing motion is commonly organized around a repeating three-beat pattern.

Triple meter: A musical meter in which each measure contains three beats or an equivalent grouping. The waltz’s characteristic step pattern follows three beats per measure.
Ländler: A German-speaking folk dance in triple meter, often performed by couples with turning steps. The waltz developed from related Central European couple dances, including the Ländler.
Johann Strauss I: An Austrian composer and violinist who popularized Viennese waltzes in the nineteenth century. His touring orchestra helped spread the waltz beyond Vienna.
Viennese waltz: A fast ballroom waltz distinguished by continuous turning and a strong three-beat pulse. It is the faster, more continuously rotating style associated with the traditional Viennese waltz.
Waltz step: A basic waltz figure that coordinates three steps with a measure of triple meter. This foundational figure turns the music’s three beats into traveling movement.
Vienna: The capital of Austria and a major European center of music and dance. Viennese dance culture helped establish the waltz in urban ballrooms.
Johann Strauss II: An Austrian composer known for waltzes including “The Blue Danube.” His orchestral waltzes made the dance’s music a lasting concert tradition.
Slow waltz: A ballroom dance in slow triple time, also called the English waltz. Its slower tempo and shaped figures contrast with the rapid rotation of the Viennese style.
Rise and fall: A recurring elevation and lowering of the body used in several ballroom dances. Waltz dancers rise and lower through each measure to shape its smooth movement.
European ballroom dance: A tradition of partnered social dances performed in formal European settings. The waltz became one of ballroom dance’s defining partnered forms.

Linked from 16 pages