The waltz is a movement which is made up of several groups in which members are engaged in the same cultural activities. They have the same goals but their paths lead to two different ends. For example, a ballet or a music hall may be a waltz for the dancers, but a rock concert or a theatre performance may lead to a waltz for the audience.
There are several reasons behind this. First of all, each group has its own needs, such as music, theatre, and dance, so it does well to be united in that area. Second, music, theatre, and dance should be part of a community. The waltz is a way in which people from different cultural traditions meet each other.
The waltz is, of course, only one of several types of dance. Other dance options exist and include the swing, the waltz, and the hip-hop dance. The dance may be taught by one of the other dance groups or by people outside the group itself.
The Waltz in History
Waltzing has existed for centuries, even though the word “waltz” appears in English about as often as there are cats and dogs. The first reference to the song that has grown up with the word “waltz” is said to date from 1545. In a speech at a royal banquet at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, the king was given permission to sing the song, using only those words: “In all my walks through the forest,” “The dance of the night,” and “The waltz of the birds.” The king did not, however, finish. The king continued to sing the song in his palace, where the Queen of Scots was heard to say, “The nightingale sings sweetly.”
Although Queen Elizabeth I was the first English monarch to dance around her throne, she did not begin singing the song until 1837. The words of the lyrics are unknown, but they were undoubtedly inspired by the “waltz of the birds,” in which people from different cultures make a similar, though different, dance together.
A variation on the original song of the king’s dancing is the version heard during the Civil War in the North, where the words were changed to the words “the dancing of the nigger.” This was done so as to prevent any confusion.
By Michael O’Toole, Editor of Mises.org
The state of Utah has
french social dances, center for social dance lansing mi obituaries archive, social dance essay, what is social dances in africa, origin and history of social dances types