Waltz : History
===============
   In Austria, peasant dances in 3/4 time, called landlers, existed as far 
back as the Middle Ages. They were popular at weddings, christenings, and folk 
festivals. The landler is still popular as a folk dance in many sections of 
Austria and neighboring countries.
   Prior to the French Revolution, the elaborate dance styles of the French 
court had dominated all of Europe. At the conclusion of the Revolution, 
Austria became the focal point of European musical and literary culture. 
Interest in her native dances increased, and the landler moved from the rural 
areas the drawing rooms of the elite, where it underwent considerable 
refinement and polishing. The name was changed to walzer, signifying sliding 
or gliding, and later the word was shortened to waltz as it became more 
popular throughout Europe.
   The waltz was the first dance to use the closed position for any extended 
period of time, and because of this it was subjected to severe criticism and 
condemnation by both civic and church authorities. In many areas, the waltz 
was banned from public ballrooms for many years. (The storm of protests was 
not unlike the one rock 'n' roll dances encountered at their introduction in 
the early 1960s.)
   The overwhelming popularity of the waltz eventually overcame the protests 
and restrictions placed on it. The closed face-to-face position became 
standard for ballroom dancing and has been used in the majority of dances 
developed since that era.
   In Vienna, as the popularity of the waltz increased, so did its tempo. 
Johann Strauss, Jr. (1825-1899), who succeeded his father as "waltz king of 
Vienna," increased the number of metronome beats per measure, and the Viennese 
waltz, as it came to be known to the world, demanded greater skill and 
endurance that the earlier, slower-tempo version. The Viennese waltz reigned 
supreme in the ballroom until the advent of World War I, when anything 
reflecting Germanic culture became anathema to parts of Europe and the United 
States.
   Among dancers, however, the waltz was too popular to be discarded entirely. 
In the United States, new melodies replaced the Viennese ones, and the tempo 
was again decreased to an even three beats. An attempt was made to change the 
name of the dance to the Boston, but it eventually acquired the title American 
waltz. Exhibition dance teams, such as Irene and Vernon Castle, introduced new 
figures that could not have been performed in the rapidly accelerated tempo of 
the Viennese mode. The American waltz is slower and technically less difficult 
that the Viennese waltz.

Waltz : Music
=============
Waltz music is written in 3/4 time, with three equal beats to the measure. The 
first note of each measure is stressed, or emphasized. Dancers must learn to 
hear the stressed note, which indicates the count of 1 or a "boom".
The three counts of "one two three" may be counted verbally as "boom cha cha".
In the waltz, each count has a related foot movement. Despite the stress, 
however, each note is of equal duration. 

 Slow      25 measures per minute
 Moderate  30 measures per minute
 Fast      35 measures per minute

American Waltz : 34 to 40 mpm
Viennese Waltz : 50 to 60 mpm


Chasse : Slide (French)
Corte  : A stop and change of direction

Down Beat : The first beat of a measure, corresponding to the downward
            movement of a conductor's arm or baton.

Promenade Postion : Guy's right hip and girl's left hip are near or in
                    contact and the opposite sides open out to form a 
                    Compact V.