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Waltz Day
"Endearing waltz—to thy more melting tune,
Bow’d Adam’s sons, and Eve’s fair daughters soon."
~ Lord Byron, The Waltz (1813)
The waltz—a dance of pure elegance and flowing grace! Simple in structure yet notoriously difficult to master, this timeless dance is celebrated on March 4th, a date inspired by its signature 3/4 time. Though now regarded as one of the most refined of couple dances, the waltz was once scandalous, denounced as vulgar and sinful due to its intimate closed hold and lilting rhythm. Its early popularity among the decadent European courts of the late 18th century only fueled the controversy. Yet, by the late 19th century, the waltz had become the most beloved of dances, even influencing fashion as gown styles evolved to enhance its sweeping turns. One of the most iconic waltzes of all time is The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss II, the "Waltz King." Composed in 1866, its soaring melody and rhythmic elegance have made it a symbol of the genre, celebrated across the world. Can you hear the steady 1-2-3 … 1-2-3 echoed in the sett of this beautiful blue tartan? 💙 🤍 💙 🎼🕺 💃
"We who go forth of nights and see without the slightest discomposure our sister and our wife seized on by a strange man and subjected to violent embraces and canterings ... can scarcely realize the horror which greeted the introduction of this wicked dance."
~ Belgravia Magazine, commentary on the scandalous waltz, 1866
Many familiar waltz tunes can be traced back to simple peasant yodeling melodies. The original musical form is believed to have been derived from the German Ländler, a dance in triple meter.
Popularized in the courts of Europe (beginning with the allemande hold but eventually changing to the more modern closed hold), the waltz shocked and titillated by its closer hold and rapid turning movements.
Religious leaders almost unanimously denounced it as vulgar and sinful. Dancing masters also saw the waltz as a threat to the profession. The basic steps of the waltz could be learned in relatively short time, whereas, the minuet and other court dances required considerable practice to learn the many complex figures, but also to develop suitable postures and deportment.
However, continental court circles held out obstinately, and its popularity spread.
The waltz was given a tremendous boost in popularity around 1830 by Austrian composers - Franz Lanner and Johann Strauss. These two composers set the standard for the Viennese Waltz, (a faster version of the waltz). andbBy 1900, a typical dance program was three quarter waltzes and one quarter all other dances combined.
This tartan, designed by Carol A.L. Martin, is made up in groups of lines of three for the characteristic time signature of the waltz.
Its soft blue colours suggest the namesake of one of the most recognized of waltz tunes, "On the Beautiful Blue Danube" by Johann Strauss.
To hear and see this waltz as performed as a ballet accompanied by the Vienna Orchestra, click the waltz painting by Pierre Vidal, 1908, with just a hint of blue.