The Waltz: Scandal and Privilege
[Meg] leaned her forehead on the cool pane, and stood half hidden by the curtains, never minding that her favorite waltz had begun, till some one touched her, and turning, she saw Laurie, looking penitent, as he said, with his very best bow and his hand out, “Please forgive my rudeness, and come and dance with me…” Meg smiled and relented, and whispered as they stood waiting to catch the time…Away they went fleetly and gracefully, and the blithe young couple were a pleasant sight to see, as they twirled merrily round and round. --Little Women, 1867
When Meg, one of the sisters in Louisa May Alcott’s famous novel, is swept away by her suitor, they dance one of the most elegant and romantic dances of the nineteenth or twentieth century — the waltz. Even today, the image of Meg and Laurie twirling around a grand ballroom is enough to mesmerize any starry-eyed young girl. The waltz, a dance that has endured much controversy, was elevated to the heights of elite society and considered a symbol of young love and sophistication. It is now danced in competitions and social balls all around the world. Its basic movements are even prevalent in ballet. And despite many variations, it remains one of our most revered ballroom dances.
Early History: Peasantry to Royalty
Around 1750, two turning dances for couples, the walzer and the ländler, gained popularity among rural Austrian and German peasants. Eventually, these dances spread from the countryside to the suburbs of Vienna where noblemen often slipped into the servant balls and picked up new dances. As dance historian Carrie Stern, PhD, explains, the waltz “came into popularity at a time when people were looking for something new. Like most court dances, it originated as a folk or traditional dance and was formalized in the cities.” The waltz became fashionable in Vienna around 1780 and later spread to many other countries.
Initially, the waltz shocked many in the upper-class and was deemed sinful by religious leaders. Barbara Cohen Stratyner, curator of exhibitions at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, notes, “The waltz was the first dance to be performed entirely in closed position.” At a time when court dances were primarily danced in groups or lines, the waltz paired men and women together, and they maintained close bodily contact throughout the dance. “In the waltz, women relied on their partner for physical support. They would be literally held up in closed position,” says Stratyner.
The waltz was also deemed scandalous because the movement spun at very high speeds. The original Viennese waltz was characterized by swift, gliding turns and was danced at a very fast tempo. Spinning around in circles, in an elaborate ballroom, held close to your partner, “there was a headiness and dizziness. Women would swoon in men’s arms,” comments Stern. “The waltz provided eighteenth century nobles with an escape from reality, a private world of sensuality.”
Later in the nineteenth century, Austrian composer Johann Strauss II was largely responsible for the waltz’s popularity, revolutionizing the music and elevating it from a peasant dance to entertainment fit for the royal court. Known as “The Waltz King,” Strauss wrote hundreds of waltzes during his career. In a typical Strauss waltz, the music includes a slow introduction, which, according to Stratyner, “would give men a chance to find their partner, request the pleasure of her dancing and get into position.” The tempo increased gradually, and eventually dancers were twirling around the ballroom.
High Society in America
In 1834, the waltz crossed the Atlantic and was danced in Boston mansions. Even in the U.S., the waltz continued to raise objection. In the traditional waltz, couples turned clockwise while traveling counterclockwise around the dance floor. In her book “From Ballroom to Hell: Grace and Folly in Nineteenth Century Dance,” Elizabeth Aldrich notes that, “This constant spinning, never reversing, could and did produce a feeling of euphoria — or, worse, vertigo — that could result in a loss of control.” Although social leaders were shocked by this “improper” dance, by the mid-1800s, the waltz was established as part of American society.
Throughout the nineteenth century, the waltz saw several step variations — from a five-step combination to the “glide waltz,” which incorporated bending of the legs. Each of these variations were detailed in dance manuals and taught by dance masters. Despite variations, the waltz maintained its essential qualities and became one of the most popular dances in the Victorian-era society balls.
In the U.S., the waltz spread in two ways: “either those who had danced it relocated, or it was taught by dance masters who traveled the country on a circuit,” explains Stratyner. In the 1850s and 1860s, the waltz made its way into society balls in western urban areas. However, these waltzes were learned third- or fourth-hand and resembled something of a “country cousin.” Social occasions were by invitation only, and often dancers would arrive in a new region and find they did not know the dances adequately. As Stratyner describes, “If you were bad at the waltz you were really bad. Not only could you not cover it up, but it would be problematic for the entire group.”
The waltz is usually seen as a high-society dance, but it also became popular in lower-class, immigrant dance halls in the early 1900s. Dance halls in New York’s Lower East Side taught the waltz to groups of German, Irish, Jewish and Italian immigrants. Immigrant families preferred that their children learn more traditional dances, but women began coming to the city alone, and young people wanted to learn Americanized dances. The mixing of cultures and communities in the dance halls outraged older generations. Stern notes, “The police blotter was full of reports of women and men dancing way too close and turning too fast.”
By the 1940s, the waltz was hardly seen outside of upper-class weddings, state dinners or debutante balls. A more traditional version of the waltz is sometimes found in Eastern European and German country dances, but this dance is simpler, lower to the floor and spins faster. “For the most part, the waltz is seen as an elite dance,” says Stern. Today, the waltz is seen as a sign of refined taste. The dance has very specific steps and requires much training, “otherwise it doesn’t work with your partner and is simply incorrect,” notes Stratyner.
Close Relationship: Ballet and the Waltz
As Stern describes, “There is a complex relationship between the waltz and early concert dance.” Ballet grew out of French court dances, and the waltz was the first dance in the modern ballroom canon. Thus, it is no surprise that waltz movements are found in ballet. When ballet dancers balancé, they are creating the basic movement pattern of the waltz. In 1977, George Balanchine choreographed “Vienna Waltzes,” his homage to the evolution of the waltz across society and over the years. With elaborate costumes and changing scenery, “Vienna Waltzes” remains one of Balanchine’s most popular masterpieces.
Many ballroom dancers study ballet, but those with significant ballet training come with advantages and impediments. Toni Redpath, a renowned ballroom coach, explains that, “while ballet training helps with upper-body posture and positioning, there is a constant battle with weight and motion.” The waltz is based on a pendulum swing motion and giving in to gravity — concepts foreign to ballet dancers. Also, ballroom dancers are trained from day one with another person, unlike the individual nature of ballet training. So, while ballet is certainly influenced by the waltz and certain movements appear similar, the fundamentals and training required are quite different.
A Competitive Spirit
While the dance remains essentially the same, the waltz has undergone dramatic changes in style, attire and venue over the past century. On the competitive ballroom circuit, dancers perform two waltzes: International and American. Redpath, a four-time U.S. national champion ballroom dancer, explains that in the “International Waltz,” dancers maintain a “closed-hold” throughout the dance. This version is danced to a quicker tempo and requires perfect precision.
The American version, which is both slower and more expressive, allows dancers to open away from their partner. This style uses a lot of counterweight and relies on centripetal force to create speed and larger lines. When the couple breaks hold, the lady will do a backbend or developé, or dancers will “run around each other until there is enough force that the lady can pull away and suspend above the ground,” says Redpath.
Although Redpath is trained in all ballroom dance styles, she confesses that she “always loved the waltz. It’s the most romantic of the dances. And since I dance with my husband, it’s easy for us to interpret those characters.” Redpath, who danced professionally with her husband Michael Mead for 12 years, describes the emotions conveyed in the waltz as shifting “from hopeful and beautiful to tragic.” In competition, their American style waltz was based on Michael leaving and their “one last dance.”
For 250 years, and across many regions and cultures, the waltz has maintained its aura of prestige and refinement. Its roots as a peasant dance have been all but erased. Whether it is taught to young adults in a cotillion or danced by professionals in international competition (or on television), the waltz is certainly one of our most esteemed social dances.