Timing: 3/4 (3 beats per bar)

Tempo: 28-32 Bars per minute

Probably the most famous of all the dances, the waltz is known and danced by millions of people worldwide. The standard dance is often referred to as the 'slow' Waltz or the 'English' Waltz by other cultures that know the faster Viennese Waltz as Waltz. Originating from the Ländler, which was an eighteenth century Austrian folk-dance, the Waltz’s enduring appeal is due to its ability to adapt and change.

In July of 1816 the Prince Regent hosted a ball in London and the Waltz was introduced for the first time to the English court, where it gained in favour and popularity. The editorial in the Times a few days later was far from favourable though:

The ‘obscene’ waltz was looked upon with disapproval by the older generation, and dancing masters saw it as a threat to the profession due to its simplistic nature and, relatively, easy step pattern which contrasted the complexities of the other court dances like the Minuet. It is to be noted that Queen Victoria, who was a keen ballroom dancer had a special love of the Waltz.

The entry for the Waltz in the Oxford English Dictionary had the terms “riotous and indecent” as late as 1825. The romantic grandfather of the ballroom dances took a while to be accepted, and it is easy to see the influence that it had on all the subsequent close hold dances that followed.

The American style waltz often involves breaking contact with your partner and dancing figures that might be more recognisable in some of the latin dance choreography. Exciting in its own way it is described under the category of American Smooth.

Whether starting a new relationship with the evening’s last dance or celebrating a wedding or anniversary, the Waltz remains the only dance whose innate romance links it inextricably with life’s happier moments. Today, the romance of the Waltz is complemented by and danced to some great modern soft rock classics.

The Waltz is one of the five dances danced in International Ballroom competitions and its elegance and beauty can be seen danced on the hit TV shows Strictly Come Dancing in the UK and Dancing with the Stars in the USA. 

Examples of (slow) Waltz Tunes:

If You Don't Know Me by Now - Simply Red


Take It to the Limit - The Eagles


(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman - Aretha Franklin


Moon River - Danny Williams


Love Ain't Here Anymore - Take That


Come Away With Me - Norah Jones


At This Moment - Michael Buble


Not The Girl You Think You Are - Crowded House