Waltz
Social Ballroom · Foundation
- Time signature
- 3/4
Social tempos vary widely; part of the skill is matching the size and style of movement to the music.
Origin
A descendant of the fast Viennese Waltz — slowed in 19th-century America into the Boston, then refined in England into the smooth, rise-and-fall Slow Waltz danced today. The name comes from the German walzen, 'to roll.'
Music
3/4 time, with a gentle rise and fall on every measure.
Character
Swing, sway, and rise & fall that breathe with the melody.
Figures
- 1
Box Step — with and without Turn
- 2
Box with Slow Underarm Turn
- 3
Change Steps Left and Right
- 4
Promenade Twinkle (Simple)
- 5
Balance or Hesitation (four directions)
Elsewhere in Social Ballroom
Want to learn the Waltz?
Every figure on this page is taught in the studio, one lesson at a time.