Around 1787, Waltz began appearing on the operatic stages of Vienna. As its popularity grew, so did its speed. In the early 1800s, Austrian composers such as Johann Strauss and Franz Lanner increased the number of measures per minute, pushing dancers to develop stronger technique, stamina, and precision.
This faster, more dynamic form of Waltz became known as Viennese Waltz. Like the original Waltz, it faced moral criticism. Miss Celbart, an English author on etiquette, wrote that while a married woman might dance it, the Viennese Waltz was “too loose of character for maidens to perform.”
Despite these reservations, Viennese Waltz became extraordinarily popular throughout Europe and America until the First World War.
Viennese Waltz is danced at roughly twice the speed of Waltz, with more subtle rise & fall and sway. Its elegance, turning action, and continuous flow give it an almost magical, floating quality—one that has made it an iconic ballroom dance for centuries.
Viennese Waltz traditionally travels around the room in a circular or oval line of dance, unlike the more flexible pathways of other Smooth dances.
For this reason, most Viennese Waltz figures begin moving along line of dance, emphasizing rotation, momentum, and controlled travel.