Waltz (dance)

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waltz
Technology: Different depending on the style
Type: Couple dance , and group dance , ballroom dancing ,
ballroom dance , folk dance , Tango Argentino
Music: waltz
Time signature : 3 / 4 - 3 / 8 - or 6 / 8 -Stroke
Tempo: 50-60 TPM (150-180 bpm )
Origin: Central Europe
Creation time: 18th century
List of dances
Waltz dancers

The waltz is a couple dance in 3 / 4 - stroke . It is danced in a closed position in quick turns and with a fixed step pattern.

Waltz is a variant of dancing in pairs with three steps per measure; other variants include Mazurek dancing or the historical “Swabian dancing” that was influential in the development of the waltz.

history

The waltz is the oldest of the modern civil ballroom dances. The name is derived from Middle High German from the dance figure "walzen" or the word "walzen", which means "to turn". In 1748, “rolling” is documented in a dance ban imposed by the governor of Upper Austria. However, there are no descriptions of the waltz from this period that could be translated into dance steps. In the text sources that document the “rolling” in the entire German-speaking area, even a time signature cannot yet be determined.

The term waltz was first used by Friedrich Schiller in 1781 in the ballad Eberhard der Greiner for both music and dance in public form. The oldest known waltzes can be found in music manuscripts from around 1790, including a so-called “Wals” in Stockholm in 1785. The first printed edition, a Swabian waltz by Ludwig Abeille , appeared in 1790 as an appendix to Amalia's relaxation hours , edited by Marianne Ehrmann . The term “ Viennese Waltz ” can be traced back to Breslau for the first time in 1797 . The waltz superseded the minuet and had a reputation for being popular and German compared to the aristocratic and French of the minuet. Johann Heinrich Kattfuß published the first known printed choreography in Leipzig in 1800.

For the Viennese area and the period up to the beginning of the 19th century there are indications of very fast tempos, whereby the "Langaus" was a dance performance that could, however, be imposed on the music of many other dances. In a later period after the Congress of Vienna, there are indications of the Viennese waltz leveling off at around one second per measure.

The half as fast version of the dance, the slow waltz , was also first printed in 1806, but was not danced regularly until the end of the 19th century.

Concrete statements can only be made about the agogics and rhythm of the waltz, which are important for the dance movement, from the invention of sound recording. From this, with restrictions, one can infer the traditions associated with the recordings in the time before. Recordings by Johann Strauss (son) and his orchestra allow conclusions to be drawn about the Viennese waltz in the 19th century. For the Viennese waltz and the closely related tradition of Austrian folk dance cultivation, the well-known unequal distribution of the weighting of the beats in the beat with advancement and lengths of the second beats applies; the bass usually only plays on the first beat.

Waltz at a carnival event, painting by Ernst Oppler , 1929

Famous danceable waltzes come from Joseph Lanner , Johann Strauss (father) , his son Johann Strauss (son) (e.g. the Danube Waltz , 1867) and from Pjotr ​​Ilyich Tchaikovsky . Many operas and operettas contain waltz music danced on the stage .

As a folk dance, the waltz was promoted at the beginning of the 1930s, especially in Germany and Austria, initially as part of a popular fashion and later as part of a political program for the exclusion of the “un-German”.

Dance styles

Waltzes come in numerous dance styles. In ballroom dancing there are two variants, in folk dance there are many waltz steps in the circle dances in addition to the couple dance. Less well-known are the diverse figures that are possible in the waltz.

The dance postures are very different. While the standard dances dance very far apart and bent backwards, in other dance styles the dance posture is tighter and looser. In Scandinavia, the heads come very close to one another, while the upper bodies are more distant. The arm setting is very different in folk dance. In order to be able to turn more easily, the man often encloses the woman's body with both arms.

Ballroom dancing

Viennese waltz

The Viennese waltz is the fast waltz in ballroom dancing.

Slow waltz

The slow waltz is the dignified form of the waltz. Figures are also inserted here.

Vals in Tango Argentino

The Vals , also known as the tango waltz, is one of the three dances of the Tango Argentino . It is danced to the tango steps, however, to the 3 / 4 adapted -Stroke.

Folk dance

The dance posture in folk dancing is much looser than in ballroom dancing. Keep your upper body straight and not lean back. The arms are bent so that less space is required. Often the man does not take hold of the woman's right hand with his left hand, but holds the upper body with it, just as he does with his right hand. The woman then places her right hand on the man's upper arm or shoulder. This avoids the V-position of the couple and makes turning easier.

The normal three-quarter waltz

According to the sequence of steps it is danced in the same way as the Viennese waltz .

( 1 2 3) Long - short - short

  • For the Lord: ( 1 2 3) Left- Right-Left | ( 1 2 3) Right- Left-Right
  • For the lady: ( 1 2 3) right- left-right | ( 1 2 3) Left- Right-Left

5-quarter waltz

The asymmetrical waltzes are often danced in France .

Here, a 2-step is added to the 3 waltz steps. (Alternatively, the order is the other way around, first part of 2, then part of waltz.)

( 1 2 3) Long - short - short - (4 5) long - long

  • For the Lord: ( 1 2 3) Left- Right-Left (4) Right (5) Left | ( 1 2 3) right- left-right (4) left (5) right
  • For the queen: ( 1 2 3) right- left-right (4) left (5) right | ( 1 2 3) left- right-left (4) right (5) left

8 quarter waltz

At the 3 waltz steps, 3 waltz steps are danced again and then the 2-step is added.

( 1 2 3) Long - short - short - ( 4 5 6) Long - short - short - (7 8) long - long

  • For the Lord: ( 1 2 3) left- right-left ( 4 5 6) right- left-right (7) left (8) right | ( 1 2 3) left- right-left ( 4 5 6) right- left-right (7) left (8) right
  • For the queen: ( 1 2 3) right- left-right ( 4 5 6) left- right-left (7) right (8) left | ( 1 2 3) right- left-right ( 4 5 6) left- right-left (7) right (8) left

11 quarter waltz

Corresponding to the 5-quarter waltz and the 8-quarter waltz, three waltz parts are combined with a two-part, usually in the following division: waltz-waltz-two-waltz (3-3-2-3).

Scandinavian waltz

Stikwalzer

The right leg is not between the partner's legs, but both are side by side.

Hambo waltz

A variant of the Hambo .

Dance description

Steps and movements

When dancing, the couple rotates once around their axis in two waltz steps, the first time the dancer and the second time the dancer taking a larger step. The dancer gives the rotary movement a stronger impulse and can be supported by the music.

Beginning

In contrast to standard dance, the man in folk dance starts with the left foot backwards. Otherwise all steps are the same.

attitude

Normal round dance posture or basket setting, man and woman face each other. The man's feet are side by side so that the woman's right foot still has space, as does the woman's.

Right waltz

1st bar

Step 1: The man takes a small step backwards with his left foot, the woman a small step forward with her right foot. Afterwards these will be charged. A step forward between the feet of the partner is rather unusual in folk dance.

Step 2: He takes a small step backwards with his right foot, places it about a foot's breadth next to the left and puts weight on it. She takes a small step forward with her left foot, places it with a little space next to the right and puts weight on it.

Step 3: The man places his left foot next to his right, so he closes the gap and puts weight on him. The woman makes the opposite movement.

2nd bar

Step 1: The man takes a small step forward with his right foot and puts weight on it, the woman puts her left foot back and puts weight on it.

Step 2: He takes a small step forward with his left foot, places it about an foot's breadth next to the right and puts weight on it. She takes a small step backwards with the right one, places it with a little space next to the left one and puts weight on it.

Step 3: The man places his right foot next to the left, closing the gap and then putting weight on him. The woman makes the opposite movement. Now the pairs are back in their starting position.

The steps are repeated as explained in the first two bars and continued as long as the music plays.

The rotation

A right turn, i.e. a turn of the pairs in a clockwise direction ↷, comes about when the gentleman turns his body to the right during the first and second steps and puts the left foot to one side instead of backwards. The same applies to the lady.

The waltz should be danced smoothly. The pairs rotate evenly without changing the speed with the individual steps or between the bars. The upper body and the head are held still, there is no up and down movement, not even the arms, provided you have chosen the usual dance posture. An upright posture is a matter of course, the feet stay close together, the upper body is a little apart. The centrifugal forces that occur when dancing faster are equally absorbed by both dance partners. Every step should be danced out, if the music is at a high tempo, the second step can be blurred.

Left waltz

Only when you have mastered the right waltz should you dare to try the left waltz. When waltzing to the left, the angular momentum must be much greater. The most difficult thing is the transition to the left waltz.

1st bar

Step 1: The man takes a small step backwards with his left foot, turns it counterclockwise ↶ and places it behind his right foot with weight transfer. The woman takes a small step forward with her right foot, turning it counterclockwise ↶ and putting weight on it.

Step 2: He turns his right foot on the ball of the foot counterclockwise ↶ until it is roughly parallel to the left foot and puts weight on it. She turns her left foot counterclockwise ↶ and places it parallel to the right one at a distance.

Step 3: Both of you turn both feet on the ball of the foot counterclockwise ↶ until they are one behind the other, the left foot in front of the right, whereby it loads the left and she the right.

2nd bar

Step 1: The man takes a small step forward with his right foot, turns it counterclockwise ↶ and puts weight on it. His feet are now roughly at right angles with the tips to one another. She does the same with her left foot with her heels facing each other.

Step 2: He makes about half a turn counterclockwise with his left foot and her with his right foot ↶ and puts weight on him. Third beat:

Step 3: The man puts the right foot, she the left. Now both are back in their starting position. If done well, the couple made a full counter-clockwise rotation ↶ in these two bars.

Waltz characters

Numerous varied figures can be incorporated into the waltz, e.g. E.g .: maneuvers, solo, ladies and gentlemen twists, twinkles and crosses.

Remarks

  1. the Polish dance Mazurek is something different from what outside Poland, for example in the Wikipedia entry, is understood as Mazurka
  2. Carl Joseph von Feldtenstein describes the "Swabian dance" in his textbook "Expansion of the Art of Choreography to Dance", published in 1772:

    “Leadership in this dance is free and unrestricted. Every dancer can set his dancer in motion as he likes, through turns and tours [...]. The dancers are only allowed to use one step of three parts, and for the most part form them with quite willing and slack knees, and imitate the tempo in the three parts like the blows of three smith hammer. "

    - Busch Salmen 2014
  3. the mention in the old Viennese folk comedy "The on the new and enthusiastic and animated Bernardon" by Joseph Felix von Kurz Wien, 1754 is one of these mentions of the word "walzen": "... soon walzen umatum, ...", but by no means that first, one finds "walzen" in the sense of dancing, for example, in Taubert's "Rechtschaffener Tanzmeister", or, thorough explanation of the French Tantz art: consisting of three books, the origin of which is progression, improvement, different use ... “(Gottfried Taubert, Raoul Augur Feuillet: Leipzig 1717, p. 106) Link to this on Google books

Individual evidence

  1. ^ German dictionary by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm online, entry WALZEN, (verb.)
  2. This evidence is taken from the specialist publication: Herbert Oetke: Der deutsche Volkstanz. Volume I. Berlin 1982 on page 231, published there with a reference to Hans Commenda . In the original wording: “Linzer Regesten B.VII.5 / 4250”, 1748 March 20, Wels The council of the city of Wels deals with a patent from the governor of March 4, “the measured removal of their already forbidden free dance and the willful scuffle, strange Back then, angry dance styles, or so-called rolling ”.
  3. ^ Walburger Litschauer, Walter Deutsch: Schubert and the dance pleasure. Vienna, 1997, p. 81
  4. a b c Norbert Linke : On the early history of the waltz - Symposium report by Thomas Nussbaumer & Franz Gratl - Book review In: New Life - Bulletin of the German Johann Strauss Society , No. 47 (2014/3), ISSN  1438-065X , p. 87 -90.
  5. The assertion of Simon Wascher in Die Walzer einer Westphalian dance collection from 1767. In: Thomas Nussbaumer / Franz Gratl (ed.): Zur Frühgeschichte des Walzers (writings on musical ethnology, volume 3), Innsbruck 2014, p. 56 regarding a dance music manuscript from Dinker in Westphalia with the year 1767 was refuted by Linke. The collection can be dated to 1790 at the earliest. See: Norbert Linke : On the early history of the waltz - Symposium report by Thomas Nussbaumer & Franz Gratl - Book review In: New Life - Bulletin of the German Johann Strauss Society , No. 47 (2014/3), ISSN  1438-065X , p. 87– 90.
  6. Simon Wascher: The waltzes of a Westphalian dance collection from 1767. In: Thomas Nussbaumer / Franz Gratl (ed.): Zur Frühgeschichte des Walzers (writings on musical ethnology, volume 3), Innsbruck 2014, p. 64
  7. ^ In the lexicon article by Tobias Widmaier: Walzer . In: Hans Heinrich Eggebrecht: hand dictionary of musical terminology , vol .: 6, Si – Z, Stuttgart, 2002 reference is made to: Marianne Ehrmann [editor]: Amaliens Erholungsstunden . Volume 1. Stuttgart 1790, sheet music supplement, p. 5
  8. ^ In the lexicon article by Tobias Widmaier: Walzer . In: Hans Heinrich Eggebrecht: Manual dictionary of musical terminology , Bd .: 6, Si – Z, Stuttgart, 2002. Reference is made to: Johann Heinrich Kattfuss' Choregraphie or complete and easily comprehensible instructions on the various types of the most popular social ones today Dances: for dance lovers, pre-dancers and dance masters , Volume 1. Leipzig 1800, as an early choreographic description of the waltz.
  9. Witzmann, Reingard: The landlord in Vienna. A contribution to the history of the development of the Viennese waltz up to the time of the Congress of Vienna. Vienna 1976, p. 51 ff
  10. Compare Rudolf Flotzinger: And roll umatum ... (II). On the morphology of the Viennese waltz. In: Österreichische Musikzeitschrift, Volume 30, 1975, Issue 11, Vienna 1975, p. 573
  11. Waltz figures - dance descriptions

literature

literature

  • Thomas Nußbaumer / Franz Gratl (ed.): On the early history of the waltz (Writings on musical ethnology, Volume 3), Innsbruck 2014
  • Tobias Widmaier: Waltz. In: Hans Heinrich Eggebrecht: Concise Dictionary of Musical Terminology, Vol .: 6, Si - Z, Stuttgart, 2002
  • Rudolf Flotzinger: Waltz. In: Music in Past and Present II. Subject section of the second, revised edition, Vol. IX. Kassel and Stuttgart 1998
  • Walter Salmen: Dance in the 19th Century, Deutscher Verlag für Musik, Leipzig 1989, (Music History in Pictures: Vol. 4), ISBN 3-370-00286-8
  • Herbert Oetke: The German folk dance. Berlin 1982
  • Reingard Witzmann: Carnival in Vienna. Vienna 1978
  • Reingard Witzmann: The country dealer in Vienna. Vienna 1976
  • F. Grasberger: The legend of the "invention" of the waltz. In: Österreichische Musikzeitschrift, vol. 22, issue 1, Vienna 1967.
  • Franz Magnus Böhme: History of the dance in Germany. Leipzig 1886
  • Rudolph Voss: The dance and its history. Berlin 1869
  • Fr. A. Roller: Systematic textbook for the fine art of dance and physical training. Weimar 1843

Web links

Wiktionary: Waltz  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations
Wiktionary: Dance  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations
Commons : Waltz  - collection of images, videos and audio files
Wikibooks: Dancing  - Learning and teaching materials