One, two, three. One, two, three. Remind you of anything? Well, if you can count to three, you can learn to waltz, the easiest to learn of all the contemporary ballroom dances. Ballroom dance and learning to waltz is not only fun and romantic, but you can also put the skill to good use at parties, weddings, and other celebratory social gatherings. Older folks will feel nostalgic; younger people acquire a competency that is synonymous with elegant manners and grace. With the right instructor, it should be easy, because, for all its flowing movement, this iconic dance has a minimal number of steps to learn.

 

What is the history of the waltz?

Originally a peasant dance, the waltz has been popular since it was invented way back in 13th century Austria and Germany. The current ballroom version, known as the Viennese waltz, has been capturing hearts and scandalizing high society since around the 18th century. Prior to the waltz, most dances were conducted at a distance, with partners rarely touching. Because of the close-hold between partners, the dance continued to have a racy reputation even through the mid-1800s, when Johann Strauss, aka The Waltz King, composed dance music especially for the waltz – including his most famous composition, the unforgettable Danube Waltz.

Strauss’ version of the waltz is the one you’ll see at most ballroom dance competitions – a formal iteration with precise carriage and partnering. It is one of the most beautiful partner dances, especially when the dancers use musicality as part of their movement quality.

 

How to dance the waltz

The waltz is usually taught in two main parts: the first as if contained within a box, and once that is mastered, as a progressive dance that moves across the floor. The waltz is designed to be a traveling dance, performed in big swirling circles by skilled practitioners. However, the steps themselves are very basic: stepping forward and sideways, opening and closing the feet in coordination with the partner. You need to get comfortable with moving in all directions in this pattern, including backward.

Steps don’t change for turning. The box pattern continues with subtle changes in body and foot placement that result in a quarter turn. The hold is the familiar upper body embrace you see in movie depictions of waltzing couples swirling around the ballroom. It can be challenging to hold this position at first, keeping arms up and shoulders down, but this creates the framework for the couple and has cardiovascular benefits to boot. As you get more experienced, this embrace can tilt to enhance the sense of movement.

 

Tips from Dance Pros

Whether you are brand new to ballroom or trying to perfect your waltz technique, the following pro tips might prove helpful (bonus: they also apply to most of the American and international ballroom dance styles):

  • Concentrate on your posture. Get your carriage right and everything else should follow more easily. For the waltz, this means shoulders back, chin and eyes up and hips tucked under. Good posture will give you added power for gliding across the floor, as well as making you and your partner look professional and polished.
  • Understand partnering and work as a team. The ballroom convention involves a leader and a follower and, generally, the man works to showcase the woman. If you and your partner are not on the same page, it will show up in your dancing. Sometimes making and holding eye contact (rather than looking at your feet) can help establish the connection needed to dance intuitively together.
  • Move slowly and deliberately at first while learning the steps. Rushing is never a good idea with dance even for the experienced. Let the music guide you but don’t get ahead of it.
  • Don’t get flustered if you have two left feet at first. Mentally break the dance down into its component parts and practice them over and over, slowly at first and picking up speed when comfortable. You’ll be surprised how quickly what at first feels awkward starts to feel completely natural.

 

After the waltz is mastered

Beginners to dance will discover that there are many dances to learn after mastering the waltz with its forgiving 3/4 time signature and minimal range of steps. Some of the easier ones are the cha cha (a lively Cuban dance) and swing dance (a joyful jazz-oriented dance). These have basic step patterns that can be learned with a bit of repetition and practice. But they also open the door to a world of more complex ballroom dance forms. Once you get the bug, the Latin dances such as rumba and Argentine tango await, as well as the more traditional foxtrot. There is literally a dance type for every preference and personality.

 

Why dance is the best exercise

It’s difficult to overstate the many health benefits of recreational ballroom dance. In addition to being a great cardiovascular exercise, it can also improve flexibility, coordination, and balance. Anyone who dances regularly can tell you it also helps with stress relief, and mental and emotional wellness, fostering a great sense of community and personal empowerment. If you only have time to fit one form of exercise into a busy schedule, make it dance – it offers a lifetime of joyful activity. For beginners, learning to waltz with an experienced teacher at a respected studio is a terrific entry point.

Interested in learning more about the benefits of ballroom dancing? If you’re in the greater Nashville, TN area, check out the roomy studios and experienced teaching pros at either of World Champion Productions’ two studios, one in Hendersonville and the other in Mt. Juliet. Call for more information and class schedules or use the contact form to book your first free lesson.

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