This page contains answers to frequently asked questions related to the Viennese waltz lessons by dance instructors Herbert and Carol Traxler that were held at the Embassy of Austria in Washington, DC, in preparation for the Viennese Opera Ball in Washington, at the Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building for the Smithsonian Associates, and at Meridian House for the balls held there. The 1997 Viennese Opera Ball in Washington was held on March 14, 1997, at the National Building Museum. The 1998 Viennese Opera Ball was held on September 25, 1998, at the Washington Hilton Hotel. Other balls with Viennese waltzing are listed at the web site www.traxlers.org/events.Because of the large number of Viennese waltz students (nearly 700 in 1997, and hundreds of students every year since then), we are including answers to frequently asked questions here. If you have additional questions, please send them to me via e-mail at caroltraxler@yahoo.com.
Where can I sign up for the Viennese waltz lessons?
Any current lessons by the Traxlers are listed at http://www.viennesewaltz.org.
In 1997 and 1998, Viennese waltz lessons were held at the Embassy of Austria in conjunction with the Viennese Opera Ball in Washington. Since then, the Traxlers have taught for the Smithsonian and most recently at Meridian House. You may sign up for an email list if you wish to be notified about future balls with waltzing and future Viennese waltz lessons. The mailing list is described at www.viennesewaltz.org. Other information on Washington area events is at www.traxlers.org/events.
Where can I get suitable Viennese waltz music for dancing? What music is used in the lessons?
Commercially available compact discs include many of Viennese waltzes, although most (nearly all) are concert waltzes, often lasting over 10 minutes, with great variations in tempo that make them difficult to dance to. Of the commercially available CDs that are relatively danceable, we are familiar with
Johann Strauss II: Waltzes, An der schoenen blauen Donau with Willi Boskovsky and Rudolf Kempe, Seraphim 7243 5 68535 2 2 (2 CDs), and
Some CDs that are specifically for dancing are harder to locate, and they generally cost a little more, running $25-30 each.
I found these three dance CDs locally through Mr. Richard Mason, Telemark Dance Records, phone 301-445-4366.If you are selecting dance CDs without being able to listen to them first, you may want to note whether the composers include "Waltz King" Johann Strauss (Jr.) and his compatriots for a real Viennese sound. There are ballroom CDs available (such as for competitive ballroom dancing) that contain Viennese waltzes, but many of them do not -- in my opinion -- exude the requisite Viennese charm of the waltzes composed by the Strauss family, Lanner, and Waldteufel.
Where can I find dance shoes?
You can look in the yellow pages for your area under "Dancing Supplies" for stores that carry dance shoes. One popular American brand that runs about $40-45 for "character shoes" for women is Capezio. (Do not confuse these with Capezio's separate fashion line of shoes in regular stores that are not specifically for dance.) Character shoes come in several heel heights and have a strap across the instep to hold the shoe in place. These are the dance shoes typically worn by professional dancers on Broadway. Dance shoes are also available in T-straps and other styles. If you do not find these shoes comfortable, just check your favorite shoe stores for shoes with leather (or suede) soles and a comfortable heel height for dancing. I prefer character shoes with a strap, but you may like dancing in pumps without a strap. The importance of leather or suede soles for dancing the Viennese waltz cannot be overemphasized.
If you have a hard-to-find size or would like to see a great variety of ballroom and folk dance shoes for men and women, you can search the web. I found the Promenade Dance Shoppe's Shoe Department at 800-342-6947 (Seattle area or International 206-242-8138) a reliable source, with many (about 100) styles of dance shoes, sizes 4 to 13 (ladies) and 6 to 14 (men). The shoes have leather or suede soles and are especially for dancing. Many styles are very reasonably priced.
Gentlemen who rent formalwear for the ball will often be able to rent black patent leather shoes (Lackschuhe) along with the tailcoat ("tails") for this white tie occasion. However, many dancers will prefer to wear their own well-fitting, comfortable shoes for dancing. Others will not want to risk being able to rent shoes in their size. Many men will prefer to puchase their own black dance shoes in a style that will take a high polish or will purchase patent leather dance shoes for formal occasions.
Whatever shoes you choose, you should try to break them in at the dance lessons, so they will feel very comfortable at the ball. Remember also to keep them only for dancing, and not for streetwear.
Where can I dance Viennese waltzes in the Washington area?
See my Cultural Events in the Washington Area site at http://www.traxlers.org/events for many Austrian and German dance events. There are always Viennese waltzes and other continental-style (faster than the English waltz) waltzes played at these dances. You can also check the link to the Folklore Society of Greater Washington (http://www.fsgw.org/) here or in my events list. You can also find the FSGW in the telephone white pages (202-546-2228) and call their hotline for last minute information on dancing and dance lessons locally. The people are friendly and the prices reasonable. You may notice that the waltz taught and generally danced at Glen Echo is a "turning waltz" or "country waltz" and not the Viennese waltz, so you may have difficulty dancing with some of the dancers there. It is possible to dance the Viennese waltz to the music typically played at the dances there, as long as your partner will also dance the Viennese waltz. The live music is excellent, the people are friendly, and the wooden dance floor is wonderful! It is not heated or air-conditioned. Bring water to drink. Directions to the Spanish Ballroom. See DC DanceNet at http://www.dcdancenet.com/ for an excellent events list and links to many ballroom dance resources. Sanjaya Hettihewa has a web site Viennese Waltzing in the Washington DC Area. Nelson Bridwell has an international calendar listing balls at his excellent site Viennese Ball. Dr. Csaba Gabor lists black tie Society Balls in New York and throughout the country at his site SocietyBalls.com.
Where are the Viennese Balls in Vienna?
The Vienna Opera Ball site presents music (audio file), dancing (pictures and videos), history, and other information, including even whom to contact for tickets! Events in Vienna (http://info.wien.at/) (in German and English) shows the available list of balls for each month. Look under "events" and then "balls." Wien-Online (English). Another source of several web sites for events in Vienna is maintained by the Austrian Press and Information Service at http://www.austriaculture.net:80/AustrCultEvent2.html (these sites seem to change some of their addresses frequently, so try another site if one seems to disappear). An excellent series of articles by Jack Williams (4/19/00) about going to Viennese balls in Vienna appeared at the usatoday.com site, including Practical advice for a dreamy time, How to feel Viennese for an evening, Calendar of balls, obtaining tickets and several others (linked to these). Additional resources of interest are DC DanceNet's Viennese Waltz in the Washington DC Area, Donald Daniel's Annual Viennese Waltz Balls, and Richard Walter's Viennese Balls Resource Site, and Nelson Bridwell's Viennese Ball.
How should we dress for the Viennese Opera Ball in Washington?
The Viennese Opear Ball is white tie. The young ladies in the Opening Cotillion will wear long white (not off-white) gowns, and the young men will wear tailcoats ("tails"). White tie for gentlemen means white tie, white vest, white gloves, tailcoat, and black patent (or highly polished) shoes. Ladies not in the cotillion may wear long gowns of any color. The Viennese waltz is especially beautiful when danced in ballgowns with long, full skirts, rather than close-fitting gowns with straight skirts. Suitable dresses are available in ladies' formal clothing departments and bridal shops that carry formal wear.
When a ball is described as black tie, gentlemen will wear a black tuxedo, black tie, black cummerbund. Ladies dress as for white tie events.
What is the Handkuss?
The Handkuss is an old-fashioned and very charming way for a gentleman to greet a lady. It still flourishes in Vienna. In the Handkuss the gentleman takes the lady's right hand in his right hand, at about the location where they would shake hands, but turns his palm up so that the back of her hand is on top. He bows over her hand but does not touch her hand with his lips (he merely comes close). He does not raise her hand to his lips, but he bows down coming close to her hand. The Handkuss is usually accompanied with the words "küss' die Hand, gnädige Frau" (which means "I kiss your hand, gracious lady"), "küss' die Hand" or simply "meine Dame" "gnädige Frau" or similar words. Küss' is an abbreviated form of "ich küsse" (I kiss). The gentleman may also click his heels together in attention at the same time he bows and just before he says the accompanying words. If you're not familiar with the heel click, which often accompanies military salutes, the man simply stands with feet relatively parallel and pivots slightly but sharply on the balls of both feet simultaneously so that the inside heels are brought together in a generally audible click when the shoes or boots meet. In some military salutes, I've seen men quickly first pivot on the balls of their feet to bring their heels further apart so that they will make a louder click when brought together. With or without the heel click, the Handkuss is most enjoyable. Try it and watch the smile of delight.
What is a polonaise?
Vienna Opera BallThe polonaise in Austrian and Austrian-American circles today often refers to a stately march in 3/4 time. Both partners of the couple begin on the right foot (for odd-numbered measures -- 1, 3, 5, etc.). Unless the choreography specifically disallows it, the gentleman is on the left, holding his right hand about shoulder height, palm facing up. The lady is on the right, and she places her left hand, palm down, in his right hand. If she is not carrying a Biedermeierstrauss (nosegay, or small floral bouquet) in her right hand, she may hold out her skirt in her right hand, especially if there is no one at her right.
There is generally a leader or some arranged choreography that brings couples down the center of the hall, one couple after (behind) another. When they reach the orchestra, for example, couples will alternate turning left and right to continue walking around the perimeter of dance floor; when they meet at the other end they may walk toward the orchestra four abreast, repeat the "peeling off" with double pairs walking left and right, and then come down the hall eight abreast.
The first row of eight may then lead off to the left, still holding hands but walking half-turned forward in single file, and the man at the left of the second row of eight will then take the hand of the rightmost lady in the first row of eight as she files past him. Each row joins successively, so that all the dancers are in a single line, holding hands.
They may form a spiral, the lead person walking toward the center of the ballroom so that the line of people following the leader make the shape of a large sprial on the floor. Then the leader returns along the line of the spiral to the outside, with all those who follow filing past each other. While still in a single line, they may walk in a large zig-zag pattern that goes from wall to wall.
The lead couple may form an arch with their joined hands held high. Then next couple will walk under the arch and stand immediately next to the first couple, men on left and women on right as you approach the arch, and also make an arch with their arms. Each successive couple goes under the arch and joins in making the arch. Once the first couple go through the long line of arched arms they will begin another figure.
The Fächer Polonaise by Ziehrer is the music most commonly used for the polonaise in Viennese balls. It is also known simply as the Ziehrer Polonaise.
In German, German-American, and Austrian circles, the polonaise, or Grand March, may be marched to 2/4 or 4/4 time music, a polka or march, such as the Radetsky March by Johann Strauss, Sr. It is generally played and marched at a livelier pace than the polonaise described above and may include an energetic sashay (sidestep-close, slide, Rutscher, or Galopp) step in a large line of couples who make a big quickly-moving circle around the dance floor. The sashay is often begun by the lead couple when they have exited the arch (the long line of arches made by the dancers' joined hands, described above). For the sashay, each couple may simply be holding each other's hands or may be in social dance position, looking in the line of dance as they move in that direction.
You can see pictures of balls in Vienna, for which the polonaise is an important part of the opening ceremony, by following links from this page to sites for the balls in Austria. See especially the Vienna Opera Ball (see "Opernball"). Some photos are currently available at the Concordia Ball, Vienna (photo only) and from the Ball des Kaufmännischen Vereines, Linz and Ball der Tanzschule Rueff.
The historical polonaise is danced today in ballet, but not by the public attending balls, in my experience.
Are there videos available of balls in the Washington area?
Margaret Bocek has made a DVD available of the Committee for Western Civilization's Evening of Viennese Waltzing at the OAS Building on February 14, 2004. Send an email to Margaret if you would like a copy of the DVD for $15. Description: "It's here! A beautiful sampler video of the February 14, Western Civiliation Ball at the OAS now on DVD. We've also included the portrait and group stills sent by email. It looks terrific. Digitally mastered and a nice keepsake. Many familiar faces and dancers. For anyone interested having a copy, they are $15 including mailers and postage. May be ordered from me at rbocek@starpower.net "
I have a few copies of the videotape of the 1997 Viennese Opera Ball in Washington. Description: "A professionally edited videotape of the Viennese Opera Ball in Washington 1997 has been prepared from several amateur videotapes made at the ball. It is available $25 plus shipping. It is 55 minutes in length and focuses on the Opening Performance, the opera and ballet interludes, and the dancing. For details about the videotape, available in NTSC (American and Japanese standard) and PAL (European standard), contact Carol Traxler at 5817 Runford Drive, New Carrollton, MD 20784; telephone 301-577-3503 (home); email caroltraxler@yahoo.com "
Viennese Waltz with the Traxlers | Viennese Opera Ball | ... in 1998 | ... in 1997 | Washington Area Cultural Events
Herbert & Carol Traxler, 5817 Runford Drive, New Carrollton, MD 20784. Telephone 301-577-3503.
Copyright © 1997 - 2004
Author: Carol Traxler
(caroltraxler@yahoo.com)
Last update: August 2004
