The Viennese waltz has its origins in the 18th century
with the advent of a bourgeois society. The intricate patterns
of aristocratic dances (i.e. decorous quadrille or minuet)
were superseded by a more intimate form of dancing with a
couple embracing each other and moving jointly over the dance
floor. Quite a scandal in its time!
The dance itself originates from a
traditional Austrian dance: the 'Ländler'. This
dance was popular all over the country and infiltrated the
Austrian capital and high society via inns at the outskirts.
Weekend outings brought the Viennese population to those inns
where social etiquette was less strict than in the capital's
ballrooms. Couples started pairing off and dance to 'Ländler'
tunes in typical three-quarter time. In contrast to the country
side those inns did offer parquet floors and allowed for the
movements to become more elegant and gliding. The dancers
also sped up…
At the beginning of the 19th century
the new dance conquered Vienna's ballrooms with substantial
help by two great Austrian composers and lifelong friends:
Josef Lanner and Johann Strauss Sr.
The Viennese waltz is much faster
than the modern waltz and allows for dashing movements by
changing the direction of rotation mid-dance ('Linkswalzer'
and 'Rechtswalzer').
