Viennese Waltz

The enormous popularity of the Viennese Waltz music composed and played by Joseph Lanner, the Strauss family and the famous ballrooms of Vienna through the latter half of the 19th century ensured that, by the century’s end, the Waltz had reached the pinnacle of popularity. The dance enjoyed a great deal of popularity not only in Europe, but also in America, and has been used in many Hollywood productions.

Viennese Waltz is a fast paced version of the slow Waltz since it is danced to fast music at a tempo of just under 60 bars per minute and is simple in its construction. To see a dance floor full of people flowing around the room dancing the Viennese Waltz is a wonderful, heady sight. Thanks to its characteristic rotational movement!

Viennese Waltz is also characterized by progressive and dynamic movement accompanied by a swing in the legs and the body where all steps forward should be rather like walking but the foot should skim the floor when moving to position. Sideways steps will be taken on the ball of the foot or the toes.

It is a pleasure to see couples fly around the floor with style and elegance following a pattern of alternating right and left turning boxes and quick direction changes. Viennese Waltz not only teaches you movement across the floor with balance and control but also trains you on crossing steps. Since Viennese Waltz is almost twice as fast as its more common parent dance, you will find that there is less up and down in Viennese waltz than in standard waltz because of the increase in speed.

At the annual event of Opera Ball in Vienna, Austria; couples assemble every year to take part in the Waltz!