I'm looking for opinions on learning viennese waltz.... I have an American style dance background wanting to move onto Viennese Waltz. I was wondering if you had to pick between American Viennese and International Viennese - which would you learn ? I assume that learning Viennese as a first dance in international style is a bit ambitious (if not a bit TOO ambitious) - but then why not ? - but if you had the choice which would you do ? How similar/different are they ?

In general, did you learn american and then international style ? Or did you decide to learn international only since you wanted to compete....... What are the reasons you would give to someone for learning the one style over the other ?

I'm interested to know what you meant by "repetitive nature of the dance" ? Is this true just for VW or also true for the other dances ? I think i get the idea that flaws in your technique will be exposed. Do you feel that very few steps can be "boring" (so to say) or do you feel that you can be more creative/expressive ?

You do the same two measure reverse turn combination over and over again down the long wall, do a change step, do the two measure natural turn combination over and over around the short end, do a change and go back to reverses, and so on. That's what makes it highly repetitive - you're either doing one thing, or the other, or in the act of switching between them.

And that pretty much describes international viennese all the way into open. Starting in silver you are allowed to cut into the center, do fleckerels around each other on a spot, and then go back out (and from gold you are allowed to do them rotating both ways) but it's hard enough to get these right that even in high level competitions some couples will decide it's safer just to try to do perfect natural and reverse turns around the perimiter of the floor.

I compete as an amateur in championship American style, and I'm telling you that you should learn standard Viennese.

In my opinion, you'll be studying the solid technique around the basic figures, instead of being rushed into open/fancy steps.

I think Viennese only looks good when you travel softly and have a great topline, and studying the standard version should allow you to concentrate more on these aspects.

Good luck!!!

"Do or do not, there is no try," Yoda, Episode V

Since IS-VW has such a resticted syllabus, you will have to learn the IS figures as the most basic steps in AS-VW. so it probalbly doesn't matter which style you start with as long as you are taught the proper technique.

Porfirio,

Great comment.
I don't think you are a trator.......

Thanks Guys, i knew i could depend on you for some good answers.
I'll be learning IS VW...

Even when danced by people with several years of solid training, American Viennese looks very choppy and hurried due to the nature of the movements used. In constrast, it's possible for those with only a year or so of solid experience to start to get a nice flowing feel in the basic closed hold figures (mandated in international, usefull in American).

So I'd suggest learning international first, and then add the American steps once you have an idea of the characteristic flowing feeling to work towards.

Realistically, I'd suggest this for any of the Smooth/Standard dances - learn their international form first, as while it is easy to do American badly, the technique of international is easier to get right (and true top-notch coaches are much easier to find). Then you can transition your international-fortified knowledge to the special challenges of American style dancing.

The first 4 Viennese Waltzes I ever attempted, I fell flat on my butt each time! I tellya, that was hella embarrassing, but everyone else found it hilarious.
People would actually stop dancing to watch me try to Viennese waltz.

Glad to say, I can make it around the floor fairly well now.

Well, thanks for making me feel a little better. I have had a couple Viennese Waltz lessons about a month ago. I am now in the process of having refresher lessons to reinforce those, and it feels like I'm starting over again, possibly worse off than I was before.

It doesn't help that the popularity of the dance in both the studio and the social dances I have managed to find is low, so it is hard to practice. Of course, I guess it would have helped if I was a little bit more dilligent practicing at home...