Waltz Dance Lessons in Denver, CO

The Best Waltz Classes Near You!

Lets be honest….whenever we hear slow music we hop back to the classic WALTZ. The wedding songs, the romantic ballads, all of it seems to remind us of the princess/prince dances of olde. BUT WAIT…..that’s no waltz! Waltz is a very specific dance style and few modern musicians are writing in that style anymore. So here is what to look for in a waltz: tap your foot to the beat you hear and listen for the “1”. The “1” is like the first word in a sentence to kick it off. If you can count to “8”, that is NOT a waltz. If you get to “6” and it seems to recycle there, then you have yourself a WALTZ my friend!

History of Waltz

Waltz was once known as a dance of rebellion, embraced by teens and frowned upon by parents. Its name comes from walzen— “to turn” in German. By the late 1700s, the dance craze was popular among young people from the wealthy middle classes who were discarding the aristocratic customs of their elders. Conservative critics considered it to be too tactile. Until then, dancers might, at the very most, hold hands while performing choreography. The dance style spread through Europe and eventually made it to the United States following the Civil war. While the style faded in the 20th century, it still proves to be a tasteful and stylish dance for formal events today.