Viennese Waltz

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Style:  International Style

Category: Modern Standard Ballroom

Rhythm: 3/4 time  (Accent on 1)

Tempo:                          International

             Competition           60            Bars per minute

             Social                 56-60           Bars per minute

            These ‘preferred’ tempos notwithstanding, the basic figures may be danced to any waltz played between 44 and 64 bars per minute.

        The Viennese Waltz is the classic waltz, more often featured in films than the more modern ‘slow Waltz’.  This dance is a quick rotating dance with a subtle rise and fall.  It is considered a very difficult dance to do properly, even in its simplest forms.

Alignments:  The Viennese Waltz is a fast-rotating dance, and therefore some of the alignments given are slightly confusing.  In the Viennese Waltz a figure may begin with a certain alignment, then rotate 1/8’th of a turn before the first step touches the floor.

         The alignments listed are the alignments for the feet when they first touch the floor.

     Phrasing:  8-bar phrases, so do 4 reverse turns, and 4 natural turns in a row