The Ländler is a European folk dance that was danced in German and Austria in the 17 hundreds and is often said to be the beginning of the Waltz. Though this has been challenged.
There are many references to sliding or gliding dance, including Volte a particular favourite of Elizabeth 1st that could of volve into the waltz.
Indeed the French philosopher Michel de Montaigne wrote of a dance he saw in 1580 in Augsburg, where the dancers held each other so closely that their faces touched, and about the same time Kunz Haas wrote, "Now they are dancing the godless Weller or Spinner."
https://youtu.be/LXFHcoiKb5I?feature=shared
But it around 1750, the lower classes in the regions of Bavaria, Tyrol, and Styria began dancing a couples dance called Walzer and at the same time the Schleifer also known as the Ländler. These dance have long been regarded the beginning of the waltz we know today.
https://youtu.be/i_Ynd50L1uA?feature=shared
In the UK ballroom seen there are three types of waltz danced the slow or modern waltz, the Viennese Waltz and the classical sequence or old time waltz.
https://youtu.be/NDenZ1rH6GU?feature=shared
in our class we are learning the first of these the Modern or Slow waltz.
It is dance to music in 3/4 time and played at about 30 BPM.
Forward - Side - Close repeated on each foot it slowly travels around the room with the leader moving forwards and the follower backwards.
https://youtu.be/0QXpnqXvn_s?feature=shared
When practicing make sure there is no trip hazards
Come back next week for the Cha cha Cha
