Waltz facts for kids

The Waltz is a beautiful and graceful dance that people often do with a partner. It's also the name of the special music played for this dance. Imagine spinning smoothly around the dance floor – that's the feeling of a waltz!

What is the Waltz?

The waltz is a ballroom dance, which means it's a type of partner dance enjoyed for fun or in competitions. It's known for its flowing, turning movements. Dancers glide across the floor, often in a circular path, making it look very elegant.

The Dance

The waltz is danced to music with a triple meter, which means it has three beats in each measure. You can often count it as "one, two, three; one, two, three." This rhythm gives the waltz its unique feel. The basic step involves a box-like pattern, but dancers also spin and turn a lot.

When the waltz first became popular in the late 1700s and early 1800s, it was quite new and even a bit controversial! Before the waltz, most dances involved groups of people or partners who didn't hold each other closely. The waltz was different because partners held each other around the waist, which was considered very daring at the time. Despite this, its popularity quickly grew, and it became a favorite dance across Europe and eventually the world.

There are different styles of waltz today:

• Viennese Waltz: This is the original, faster style of waltz. It's known for its quick, continuous turns and elegant, sweeping movements.
• International Standard Waltz: This is a slower, more controlled version often seen in ballroom dance competitions. It allows for more complex figures and movements.

The Music

Waltz music is usually written in 3/4 time. This means there are three quarter-note beats in every measure. The first beat of each measure is usually the strongest, giving the music a clear, flowing rhythm. Many famous composers have written beautiful waltz pieces, making it a beloved style of music for concerts and ballets, not just for dancing.

People Named Waltz

Sometimes, "Waltz" can also be a family name, or surname. Here are a few notable people who have this last name:

• Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz: She is a well-known politician from Poland.
• Kenneth Waltz: He was a respected professor who taught at Columbia University.
• Christoph Waltz: He is a very talented actor from Vienna, Austria, who has won many awards for his movie roles.
• Gustavus Waltz: He was an English opera singer from a long time ago.

Images for kids

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  The Waltz, a famous sculpture by Camille Claudel (made in 1905).

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  A man and woman dancing a waltz, captured by Eadweard Muybridge in 1887.

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  A detailed picture from a 1816 book, showing different steps of the waltz. Back then, it was a new and sometimes shocking dance because partners held each other closely.

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  A diagram showing the basic rhythm of the waltz.

See also

In Spanish: Vals para niños