Some History about The Waltz

Here is some interesting information about the History of the Waltz compiled on a website by Bob January.

In 1919, H.L.Menken wrote:

"The waltz never quite goes out of fashion;
it is always just around the corner;
every now and then it returns with a bang . . .
It is sneaking, insidious, disarming, lovely. . . .
The waltz, in fact, is magnificently improper..
the art of tone turned lubricious. . . "

from Bob January's site:

"The name of the waltz is taken from the Italian ‘volver’ - to turn, or revolve. It was an outgrowth of the ländler [see image below], a country dance in three-quarter time, and replaced the heavy hopping and jumping movements with more polished and graceful gliding. . . ."

"The close contact with one's partners body contrasted sharply with the stately dances of the aristocracy - the minuets, polonaises, and quadrilles - in which one kept one's distance. A first-hand account of a village dance in the latter part of the eighteenth century read. The men dancers held up the dresses of their partners very high so that they should not trail and be stepped on, wrapped themselves both tightly in the covering, bringing their bodies as closely together as possible, and thus whirling about went on in the most indecent positions.... "

"Until his death in 1899 kept Europe whirling in blissful abandon. Even in 1919, H.L.Menken wrote: “The waltz never quite goes out of fashion; it is always just around the corner; every now and then it returns with a bang . . . It is sneaking, insidious, disarming, lovely. . . .The waltz, in fact, is magnificently improper-the art of tone turned lubricious. . . . There is something about a waltz that is irresistible. Try it on the fattest and sedatest or even on the thinnest and most acidulous of women, and she will be ready, in ten minutes, for a stealthy smack behind the door-nay, she will forthwith impart the embarrassing news that her husband misunderstands her and drinks too much and is going to Cleveland, O. on a business trip tomorrow.”

"Yes, the waltz is irresistible-and exceptionally durable. In a world where the Mosh and the Monkey are popular social dances, and the macarena, line dances, and the chicken dance sometimes seem to be the only alternatives, the waltz still holds on tenaciously to a small part of our dancing lives, for its lilting strains never fail to evoke three pleasure dearest to the heart of civilized man – wine, women, and song!"

To read the full text go to: http://bobjanuary.com/waltz.htm