| The Viennese Waltz is a dance performed to music | | | | their partner to the other. In this waltz, the man |
| with three beats to the bar. This means that the | | | | assists his partner in the big step by lifting her as she |
| dance steps can be very difficult for starters | | | | takes the step therefore accommodating gracefully |
| because when a step is taken on each beat, then | | | | the difference in leg length between partners. When |
| the next bar will have to start on the opposite foot. | | | | this lift is incorporated in the Volta, the couple was |
| However, when this technique is mastered, the | | | | required to hold each other in a very tight embrace. |
| dancer acquires an enchanting and romantic rhythm. | | | | The level of intimacy produced was deemed immoral |
| The first dance of a three-fourth beat on record | | | | by Louis XIII and banned the action from court on |
| was danced to folk music called the Volta. The dance | | | | this account. |
| was a peasant folk dance from a provincial area in | | | | The Volta evolved from a three-time and became a |
| France in 1559. The Volta, however, is also claimed to | | | | five-time. One of the first dances in three-time that |
| be a folk dance from Italy during this time. The word | | | | were published was the "Hole in the Wall" in 1695. |
| "Volta" is an Italian word that means "the turn". This | | | | The first music played for the actual "Waltzen" was |
| shows that even in its earliest form, the waltz | | | | in Germany in 1754. However, any link between the |
| involves a couple turning while dancing. The Volta | | | | Volta ad the Waltzen is unclear, although the word |
| became well-known in the royal courts of Western | | | | "Waltzen" also means "to revolve" in German. |
| Europe during the 16th century. It was described as | | | | The Waltzen, as written by Arndt in 1799, is |
| similar to the Galliard, which is a dance performed to | | | | performed by dancers who held on to their long |
| music with a 3/2 beat, but instead danced to a | | | | gowns to prevent them from dragging or being |
| slower 6/4 beat. They are similar because both | | | | stepped on. The dancers would lift their dresses and |
| dances make five steps to six beats, therefore the | | | | hold them high like cloaks and this would bring both |
| dancers need to alternate feet in alternate measures. | | | | their bodies under one cover. This action also required |
| The partners in the Volta are in a closed position but | | | | the dancers' bodies to be very close together and |
| the lady is positioned at the left of the man and is | | | | this closeness also attracted moral disparagement. |
| held by the waist. The lady places her right arm on | | | | Wolf published a pamphlet against the dance entitled |
| her partner's shoulder and holds her skirt with her left | | | | "Proof that Waltzing is the Main Source of Weakness |
| hand. Holding the skirt is an important part of the | | | | of the Body and Mind of our Generation" in 1797. But |
| dance because the frequent turning and lifting may | | | | even when faced with all this negativity, it became |
| cause the skirt to fly up. The lifting was done by the | | | | very popular in Vienna. Large dance halls like the Zum |
| man using his left thigh which is positioned under the | | | | Sperl in 1807 and the Apollo in 1808 were opened to |
| lady's right thigh. This lift is demonstrated in the | | | | provide space for thousands of dancers. The dance |
| famous painting where Elizabeth I of England is | | | | reached England in 1812 and was introduced as the |
| dancing the Volta and is lifted by the Earl of | | | | German Waltz and became a huge hit. Throughout |
| Lancaster. | | | | the 19th century, the dance gained further fame with |
| There is also a contemporary Norwegian Waltz which | | | | the music of Josef and Johann Strauss. |
| is a folk dance similar to the Volta because it is also a | | | | Nowadays, the Viennese Waltz is danced to music |
| turning dance. Although, in this dance, the couple is | | | | with a tempo of about 180 beats a minute. However, |
| required to do a step around their partner and doing | | | | it has a restricted range of figures which are the |
| this would mean that each would have to take large | | | | Change Steps, Passing Changes, Hesitations, Hovers, |
| steps to be able to get around from one side of | | | | the Contra check and the Natural and Reverse Turns. |
