National Dance the Waltz Day

National Dance Waltz Day, March 4 of each year, is an occasion to celebrate the waltz dance and its special development.

Ten facts about the waltz you may not know

1. The first waltzes were danced by German peasants in the 13th century.

2. In the 16th century, a similar dance called the Weller was popular in Vienna, while France had its own version called the Nizzarda.

3. The waltz was first danced in England at Prince Regent's grand ball in 1816.

4. Before the waltz, polite couples never touched each other while dancing - so when it first became popular, the waltz was considered quite scandalous. For example, the Times of London observed: "As long as this erotic performance was limited to prostitutes and adulterous women, we do not think it deserves attention; but now it is attempted to force the respectable classes of society into the civil examples of our superiors, we feel it is our duty to warn every parent not to let their daughter contract such a fatal infectious disease.”

5. The Hampshire Chronicle of 1800 reports that a couple in Harborg were struck by lightning while dancing the waltz, implying that God Himself did not approve enough to descend upon them for it.

6. Lord Byron is not a fan. He wrote an anti-Waltz Waltz poem, An Apostrophic Hymn, in 1812, which was published anonymously.

7. Emotions about the dance were so high that it was even reported that, in the same year, the two men were actually dueling each other. General Thornton praised the dance, and Mr. Hook criticized it. The controversy escalated to pistols at dawn - but in the end, the argument was resolved amicably.

8. In California, waltz was banned by Missionary priests until 1834 because the dance location was "closed".

9. They are the most famous waltz tunes composed by father and son Johann Strauss. The younger Johann Strauss wrote The Blue Danube, Chopin and Brahms waltzes for piano. Tchaikovsky's Waltz of the Flowers and Ravel's La Valse are orchestral dances.

10. In contemporary dance, the version of the waltz is called the Viennese Waltz.

History of National Dance the Waltz Day

National Dance Waltz Day is a time to celebrate the waltz dance which was first performed by German peasants in the 13th century. The fast versions of the waltz, named Viennese Waltz, is different from slow waltz. Father and son Johann Strauss are the author of the most famous waltz tunes.

What do you do in National Dance the Waltz Day

No other dance gives the person time to feel happy. It is when music and light, color and passionate dancers, floor and perfume, rhythm and four winds and seven seas and eternal hills, and youth and hope, glory and wishes, and pride and beauty and joys to be remembered, are all united in one singing, sliding, throbbing tune of the pink mist, and one has forgotten time and death and taxes of the King, that one realizes what life is like and what the waltz is like.

Therefore, let's celebrate National Dance the Waltz Day with the waltz dance. Why do not invite your relatives and friends to gather and hold a party for waltz dance? It seems to be very interesting for all of us. Then, do not forget sharing your celebration on the social media with the hashtag #NationalDancetheWaltzDay to spread and encourage people to take part in.