Waltz
Waltz is a smooth dance, traveling around the
line of dance. It is characterized primarily by its
rise & fall action.
A BRIEF HISTORY
• In the mid 18th century, peasants
began to dance something called
the landler in Bohemia, Austria,
and Bavaria.
Characteris
tics
The Waltz is a smooth dance that travels around
the line of dance. Characterized by its "rise and
fall" action, the Waltz includes a step, slide, and
step in 3/4 time. Dancers should move their
shoulders smoothly, parallel with the floor instead
of up and down, and they must strive to lengthen
each step. On the first beat of the music, a step is
taken forward on the heel, then onto the ball of
the foot with a gradual rise to the toes, continuing
on to the second and third beats of the music. At
the end of the third beat, the heel is lowered to
the floor to the starting position.
• The Waltz had humble beginnings
in rural Germany.
• The dance was to 3/4 time music
and involved couples rotating
around the dance floor.
• 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.
• An entry in the 1825 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 1786. This
set the tempo of the waltz at
andante con moto, which is defined
as "a walking pace.”
1… 2… 3… 1… 2… 3…
The rise and fall is unique to the waltz. If
possible, all the the steps in the waltz should
be long. On the first step forward, the
weight is taken on the heel, then on to the
ball of the foot. A gradual rise to the toes
should be started at the end of the first
beat, and continued to the second and
third beat of each bar of music. Lower to
the normal position at the end of the third
beat by lowering to the heel of the foot
which is carrying the weight.
•
Later the music of Johann Strauss
helped to popularize the Waltz.
•
There were different types of Waltz
through the years; now in modern
ballroom dance, the quicker version
is referred to as the Vienesse Waltz
while slower versions are simply
known of the Waltz.
THE STANDARD AMERICAN WALTZ
•
Box Step
•
Natural Spin Turn
ROUTINE
REPORTERS
•
Closed Changes
•
Whisk
•
Natural turn
•
•
Reverse turn
Chasse
Promenade
Position
Philip Molina
Harvy Picasales
Kaiyou Serra
Angel Avila
Stephanie Avila