Waltz is a song and dance that originated in Germany and Austria. The waltz dance is characterized by the turns that the couples perform during the movement: the term actually derives from the German concept walzen, which translates as “turn around”.
The origin of the waltz dates back to the 12th century. Among its main characteristics is the slow rhythm, with phrase music made up of sixteen bars. : Over the years different variants of the waltz have been developed according to the geographical region Viennese waltz, English waltz, French waltz, etc.
In the international-style waltz, the partners never let go: the two dancers are constantly linked as they perform different figures. The American waltz, on the other hand, allows the dancers to distance themselves in certain passages of the dance. In Latin America, folk dances with different peculiarities emerged, but linked to the traditional waltz. The Mexican waltz, the Venezuelan waltz, the Peruvian waltz, the Colombian waltz and the (Argentine) tango are some of them. If we focus on the best-known classical composers who created waltzes, we can name Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (or Tchaikovsky), Johann Strauss (h) and Fréderic Chopin. Specifically, we can underline that among the most outstanding or well-known waltzes are some like these:
– “Minute Waltz”. It was composed by Frédéric Chopin and dates back to 1846. It was also known as “Doggy Waltz” and it is believed that he created it inspired by the feeling of loneliness he felt during his stay in the Nohat area.
– “Waltz of the flowers”. The great Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was the one who carried out the creation of this other composition that has become one of the most important in history. It dates from 1892 and is one of the most important musical pieces of the ballet entitled “Nutcracker”. In addition to these examples, we cannot forget other very popular ones such as the following:
– “On the waves”. This is a waltz composed in 1888 by the Mexican musician Juventino Rosas Cadena. It was also known as “Next to Spring”.
– “The waltz of the butterflies”. The Asturian composer Danny Daniel is the author of this work, which became a real success in Spain during the 70s. Likewise, we cannot forget that there is also a Korean television series that uses the word in hand in its title. We refer to “El Vals de Primavera”, which was broadcast in 2006 and revolves around several young people trying to find true love. However, to achieve this, they will have to open their hearts and reveal their secrets. Finally, Vals is the name that identifies several locations. In Switzerland, Vals is a municipality of less than 1,000 inhabitants located in the district of Surselva and belonging to the canton of Graubünden. Also in France there is a municipality called Vals, which is located in the district of Pamiers (canton of Mirepoix).
