Waltz History
The waltz is a dance that originated in the Vienesse suburbs and in the Austrian Alpine region. A portion of its story may tell of a scandalous and ambiguous past but its origin can well be traced back along the same history line of other triple-time and folk dances – Walzer, Langus, Ländler.
As early as the seventeenth century, the peasants in Austria and Bavaria were already dancing the weller (turning dances), and the music of waltzes could already be heard playing in the courts of Hapsburg. A number of today’s familiar waltz tunes have their modest beginnings traced back to early peasant yodeling. In the middle of the eighteenth century, the allemande form of the waltz arrived in France. There it was received warmly and became popular with high society. This form was originally danced as one of the figures in the contredanse, and later became an independent dance and was followed by the introduction of the close-hold position by dance partners. Approaching the end of the century, this old Austrian peasant dance had already adapted the three-quarter rhythm.
Although it had come to be that popular, the more conservative older generation expressed much contempt, contending the dance’s outright display of eroticism was contrary to the aristocrats’ stately dances. It was the first dance to have a man’s hand wrapped around the lady partner’s waist; it was uncalled for. Consequently, it was banned in California until after 1834 by Mission Fathers as it was adjudged to be unacceptable and purely immoral. The undeniably closed dance position of the partners against each other as well as the rapid turning and swirling motion hindered its proliferation across the borders, including England. To avoid controversy, a Spanish Waltz was in effect danced thereafter so as to not escalate the perceived scandal and unsettled commotion. Spanish Waltz combines the dancing around the room in closed position with the dance formation of two couples facing each other altogether performing a series of repetitive steps. "Valse a Trois Temps" was deemed to be the earliest waltz step, and the Rye Waltz was favored as a couple dance.
In July of 1816, Prince Regent of England gave a ball held at the English court where it featured the waltz dance. While the dancers were executing their routine, the guests were aghast and were taken back with what seemed to be an indecent display reservedly associated with prostitutes and adulteress. Even the Times of London considered it unfortunate and undeserving of appreciation.
These incidents only fueled the dance’s popularity. The bourgeoisie received it with much enthusiasm, and hundreds of dance halls were put up in Paris. It then successfully made its way into another Western nation, when in 1834 in Boston, the first waltz was danced. In one occasion in Mrs. Otis’ Beacon Hill mansion, a local dancing master named of Lorenzo Papanti gave an exhibition of the dance. The social leaders present at that event were terrified with what had been showcased, and to their horror they hurled insults, calling the dance "an indecorous exhibition." This haunting continued even to this point. By the middle of the nineteenth century, a public acceptance was finally rendered and the waltz found a permanent haven in the United States of America.
By year 1830, the waltz was gaining tremendous fame especially with the influence of two Austrian composers in the persons of Franz Lanner and Johann Strauss. When they set the standard for the Viennese Waltz, they gave the dance a lift higher in its climb up the ladder of fame. Mozart fell in love with it, and Don Giovanni featured the dance numerously in his operas. It can even be seen performed in certain musicales like The Sound of Music. Its advancement simply wouldn’t stop. By the end of the nineteenth century, two modifications of the waltz dance emerged – the Boston Waltz and the Hesitation Waltz.
The Boston Waltz, also known as the American Waltz, is a slower and smoother type of waltz, danced to a beating of three steps per measure. Its fading away after World War I led to the development of the English or International style. The Hesitation Waltz is another variation with a two-step forward and back counting. It got its name from the “pause” or “hesitation” in the music. These variations, now commonly known as the Modern Waltz and the Viennese (Quick) Waltz respectively, continue to inflict upon today’s world an undying sensation.