Waltz Chronicle

Author: (French) Rémi Es / Zheng Huihui
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: The waltz is one of the most perfect dance forms in the world. It is the product of generations of dancers refining it and people resisting feudal forces. This book mainly introduces three periods in the development of the waltz: the creation period, the victory period, and the crisis period. These periods construct the history of partner dancing. Additionally, the book also studies and elaborates on the crisis the waltz faces today, as well as the European dance culture and social atmosphere embedded in this romantic, spinning dance. A special feature of the European waltz is its "charm." The physiological state of a waltz dancer is similar to that of an astronaut in space. Its spinning motion allows waltz dancers to enter a state of greed that Europeans have personally experienced for nearly five centuries. This feeling of the waltz not only explains the joy dancers derive from it but also reveals the resistance from social forces emphasizing moral restraint and self-control since the European Reformation in the 16th century. There are various magical dances in the world, and the special aspect of the waltz lies not just in spinning, as Islamic dervishes also have spinning experiences, but in the dance behavior of double rotation. In Europe, the revolution of the waltz began with the establishment of the partner form. The couple becomes immersed in the shared dance magic world of two people.