Viennese Waltz | Golden Skate

Viennese Waltz

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
The Viennese Waltz and the Paso Doble are the two CD's chosen for the fall events for seniors. The Viennese Waltz was skated at Skate America. and Cup of China. It will be skated this week at Cup of Russia. It was recently announced that the Viennese will be skated at both US and Canadian Nationals.

The iconic waltz is the Strauss Blue Danube Waltz, which is the prototype of the Viennese waltz.

http://www.waltzballs.org/vw.html
Viennese Waltz Ball Room
http://www.waltzballs.org/vw.html#main

A really good Viennese Waltz ball has a magical air about it, a magic that shows in many of the ladies' faces. No other social dance that is within the reach of ordinary people makes one feel so good about oneself and one's partner as the Viennese Waltz. Perhaps that is why it seems so appropriate to dress up for the event.

The ice dance compulsory Viennese Waltz was first demonstrated by Inventors -Eric van der Weyden and Eva Keats at the Streatham Ice Rink in London in 1934. Here's how the ISU description of the dance reads (from ice-dance.com):

"The Viennese Waltz is a light and graceful dance which must be skated at a good pace with strongly curved edges, soft knee action, neat and unobtrusive footwork, elegant carriage and pronounced free leg extension, even on the one-beat steps. Body motion should not be excessive. Evenly controlled flow without obvious effort is desirable. The feeling of waltzing in a grand ballroom must be projected."

It is, of course, skated in 3/4 time, with a tempo of 52 measures of 3 beats per minute, which is 156 beats per minute. The whole dance takes 1:09 minutes.

The Viennese Waltz was skated in seniors in 1999/2000, 1992/1993 as an OSP, 1991/1992, 1987/1988, 1986/1987 as an OSP, 1984/1985, 1981/1982, 1978/1979, and 1975/1976 and 1969/1970.

It was skated in juniors in 2007/2008, 2003/2004, and 2001/2002.

As a result, many seniors have not skated the Viennese in competition with their current partners, but all those who came up from Juniors this year have.

Step chart
http://www.ice-dance.com/reference/compulsories/viennesesteps.gif
Lady's steps
http://www.ice-dance.com/reference/compulsories/vwaltzlady.gif
Man's steps
http://www.ice-dance.com/reference/compulsories/vwaltzman.gif

Here's some videos of some of the great ice dancers of the past performing the Viennese Waltz:

Marina Klimova & Sergei Ponomarenko CD3 Viennese Waltz 1988 Olympics. Dick Button shows the step pattern, and discusses what the dance should look like. Uncle Dick loves the CD's, and I hope he will be around to introduce them at the 2010 Olympics! Marina Klimova has gorgeous, gorgeous waltz posture in this clip, but I do wish their leg line matched a little better here. In 1988, three CD's were skated all in a bunch, and the dancers wore the same costume for all 3. As a result, the costume may or may not be your choice for the dance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FRoiRJ10oE

Jayne Torvill & Christopher Dean 1982 Worlds CD Viennese Waltz. I find this a beautiful, technical waltz, but I like the body language and interaction of K&P better. The perfect timing and unison is beautiful, but it is very 1980's. They also skated 3 CD's in the same costume. In the early 1980's, the costumes tended to be rather minimalist. Also the exaggerated legkicks that seem to be required for current competitors were not done in 1982.

http://www.youtube.com/v/bNxympD1IqA

When Uncle Dick says this a bigger pattern than K&P, what he's telling you is that Bestemianova & Bukin are skating faster than Klimova & Ponomarenko (and as a result, the edges must be deeper, too).

Bestemianova & Bukin 1998 Olympics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1E6S5x_5eOY&feature=related


Anissina and Peizerat 2000 Worlds Viennese Waltz (They won worlds in 2000). They perform a lovely waltz here!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kc-sTw3Qj2k

And for getting the exact Viennese feeling, I love Usova and Zhulin 1992/1993 Season Viennese Waltz OD!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9vvMWiDXwQ&feature=related
And from a different angle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmXhxhujD_g

But watching this again, Rahkamo & Kokko 1993 Worlds Viennese Waltz OD's is my very favorite of them all for conveying the :love: romance of the Viennese Waltz.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfvnB3ZWof8

Any other waltz clips would be very much appreciated! :rock::rock:
 
Last edited:
Top