Viennese Waltz

[blackbowtie]

I'm attending a Viennese ball in 5 weeks, and I don't know how to do the Viennese waltz. My plan is:

1) take private one-on-one lesson once a week (45 mins each lesson) for five weeks
2) supplement that with one practice session during the week (between 30-45 mins) every week.

Is this plan realistic? Will I be able to acquire passable skills in Viennese waltz in time for the ball? Or is someone going to tell me that I have no idea what I'm up against?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[why]

If your partner is good and you can at least box step it won't be too bad. I learned it drunk one night and forgot it by the next morning. Well, I think I learned it.

 

[JohnGalt]

are you attending a ball in vienna or in the us? waltz isn't too hard, don't sweat it.

 

[poorsod]

Originally Posted by blackbowtie

I'm attending a Viennese ball in 5 weeks, and I don't know how to do the Viennese waltz. My plan is:

1) take private one-on-one lesson once a week (45 mins each lesson) for five weeks
2) supplement that with one practice session during the week (between 30-45 mins) every week.

Is this plan realistic? Will I be able to acquire passable skills in Viennese waltz in time for the ball? Or is someone going to tell me that I have no idea what I'm up against?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

I've been to the Viennese Opera ball in NYC but not the Vienna Opera ball or the other balls in Vienna.

If you are going to the one in NYC I can tell you not to sweat it - most other people can't dance and they just get in your way. The V. Waltz is great when everyone knows how to dance and the line of dance flows. But it stinks when people just stand there. Earlier in the evening you need a lot of floor craft to get around the floor and even then there is only so much you can do. It gets better after midnight and the floor clears.

I don't know about the balls in Vienna or elsewhere.

BTW, V. Waltz can be technically difficult if you want to do it right and it is quite a fast dance. I don't know about you, but I used to practice 3-5 hours between private lessons, otherwise I don't make progress.

Originally Posted by why

If your partner is good and you can at least box step it won't be too bad. I learned it drunk one night and forgot it by the next morning. Well, I think I learned it.

The box step is in American Waltz - a different dance with a different tempo. Granted you can think of the L and R turn in the V Waltz as 1/2 of a turning box step with some differences in technique.

 

[blackbowtie]

Originally Posted by poorsod

I've been to the Viennese Opera ball in NYC but not the Vienna Opera ball or the other balls in Vienna.

If you are going to the one in NYC I can tell you not to sweat it - most other people can't dance and they just get in your way. The V. Waltz is great when everyone knows how to dance and the line of dance flows. But it stinks when people just stand there.

Originally Posted by JohnGalt

are you attending a ball in vienna or in the us? waltz isn't too hard, don't sweat it.

I'm only going to one in DC - I can't imagine there being more competent Viennese waltzers in DC than in NYC, but I could be completely wrong. At any rate, I appreciate that it is difficult enough to need a lot of practice and classes, though I'm hoping that 5 weeks (equivalent to 10-15 hours of practice would be enough).

Originally Posted by poorsod

BTW, V. Waltz can be technically difficult if you want to do it right and it is quite a fast dance. I don't know about you, but I used to practice 3-5 hours between private lessons, otherwise I don't make progress.

3-5 hourse between private lessons? That's a lot. How long did it take you before you launched yourself on the dance floor?

Originally Posted by why

If your partner is good and you can at least box step it won't be too bad. I learned it drunk one night and forgot it by the next morning. Well, I think I learned it.

I think you are referring to the slow waltz here, not the Viennese waltz, which I'm fairly certain cannot be learnt in one night, even when sober.

 

[Mark from Plano]

I can tell you that I took private and group ballroom lessons for a couple of years and spent a good bit of time on the waltz, but I never got advanced enough to even begin the Viennese Waltz, which is much more advanced.

Check with an instructor on their opinion. My impression would be that it would be difficult to meet your goal, and that it certainly would take a good bit of practice between lessons.

 

[thinman]

Originally Posted by Mark from Plano

I can tell you that I took private and group ballroom lessons for a couple of years and spent a good bit of time on the waltz, but I never got advanced enough to even begin the Viennese Waltz, which is much more advanced.

Check with an instructor on their opinion. My impression would be that it would be difficult to meet your goal, and that it certainly would take a good bit of practice between lessons.

+1 on everything.

I do waltz moderately well and have had a class or two in Viennese Waltz, which is much faster and more difficult, to the extent that it would take significant effort for me to become competent. In general, for any traveling dance, focus on learning three things first (1) the progressive step, so you can move across the floor, (2) how to turn a corner, so you don't dance straight into a wall, and (3) a hesitation step, so you don't dance straight into another couple. IIRC, turning a corner is straightforward in Viennese Waltz and I was moving so fast that a hesitation step seemed problematic.

 

[why]

Originally Posted by blackbowtie

I think you are referring to the slow waltz here, not the Viennese waltz, which I'm fairly certain cannot be learnt in one night, even when sober.

It was at an Italian wedding and my partner was a tipsy nonna. Conne would've creamed his pants.

 

[Mark from Plano]

Oh...and be sure whatever program you are on, that your partner is on the same one. Getting to the dance with some skill will not be useful if your partner can't keep up with you...and you CERTAINLY won't be skilled enough to compensate for an unskilled partner. Following is actually much harder than leading, so if the lady doesn't know the steps all your hard work will have been for nothing.

 

[blackbowtie]

All right, here's the update. Went for my first private lesson last night. Explained everything to the instructor and her prognosis is: after five weeks I would be able to "survive" on the dance floor. In other words, I won't look like a professional dancer, but neither will I look like a buffoon with three left legs. With the program I'm envisioning, she says I should be confident enough after five weeks to ask lots of ladies to the dancefloor at the ball.

Did the left-turn progression and the hesitation last night. Made me dizzy. Man, I've got a lot to practice.

 

[Mark from Plano]

Originally Posted by blackbowtie

All right, here's the update. Went for my first private lesson last night. Explained everything to the instructor and her prognosis is: after five weeks I would be able to "survive" on the dance floor. In other words, I won't look like a professional dancer, but neither will I look like a buffoon with three left legs. With the program I'm envisioning, she says I should be confident enough after five weeks to ask lots of ladies to the dancefloor at the ball.

Did the left-turn progression and the hesitation last night. Made me dizzy. Man, I've got a lot to practice.

 

[brokencycle]

I can do the waltz decently enough, but the viennese waltz is far more difficult.

 

[romafan]

some old weiner guy has hired, errrr, asked lindsay lohan to be his date!

 

[poorsod]

Originally Posted by blackbowtie

All right, here's the update. Went for my first private lesson last night. Explained everything to the instructor and her prognosis is: after five weeks I would be able to "survive" on the dance floor. In other words, I won't look like a professional dancer, but neither will I look like a buffoon with three left legs. With the program I'm envisioning, she says I should be confident enough after five weeks to ask lots of ladies to the dancefloor at the ball.

Did the left-turn progression and the hesitation last night. Made me dizzy. Man, I've got a lot to practice.

As the leader you are thinking all the time about music, partnership, floor craft and technique. I've had to practice a lot between lessons otherwise I just redo what I've done in the prior lesson.

You can be taught how to spot during your turns so you don't get dizzy. L turn down the long wall with R turns around the corners and short wall is usually easiest. If the floor is small you can do R turns only. I've seen pros L turn around a corner but it's hard. BTW V Waltz really builds your stamina.

You are not bringing your own date?

 

[blackbowtie]

Originally Posted by poorsod

As the leader you are thinking all the time about music, partnership, floor craft and technique. I've had to practice a lot between lessons otherwise I just redo what I've done in the prior lesson.

You can be taught how to spot during your turns so you don't get dizzy. L turn down the long wall with R turns around the corners and short wall is usually easiest. If the floor is small you can do R turns only. I've seen pros L turn around a corner but it's hard. BTW V Waltz really builds your stamina.

You are not bringing your own date?

My instructor told me to look for the wall I'm supposed to be facing as quickly as possible to avoid dizziness. So far this tip has not helped. I think I will learn the right turn at the next class. As things stand I'm supposed to use the hesitation as a mechanism to turn around corners.

My date refuses to pay for private lessons, and when I offered to pay for her, she accused me of male chauvinism. You can't win either way. Sigh.

But we will be practicing together with a Viennese waltz social group in between (my) private lessons. I hope she can keep up. Women can be difficult sometimes.