In Our Time

The Waltz (Archive Episode)

13 snips
Oct 9, 2025
Join Theresa Buckland, a dance history expert, Derek B. Scott, a specialist in 19th-century music, and Susan Jones, an English literature scholar, as they explore the captivating world of the waltz. They delve into how this dance transformed social interactions and influenced literature, from Byron to Woolf. The guests discuss its revolutionary techniques, the cultural anxieties it sparked, and the unique connections it forged across social classes. Discover why the waltz remains a staple in dance and its ongoing evolution amid changing musical trends.
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INSIGHT

Waltz As A Body Paradigm Shift

  • The waltz shifted social bodies by having partners face, hold, and revolve together rather than stand side-by-side in patterns.
  • Theresa Buckland calls this a fundamental 'body paradigm' change that reshaped movement and intimacy in public space.
INSIGHT

Music Reinvented The Dance's Status

  • Johann Strauss and Josef Lanner transformed waltz music, creating a middle ground between folk and 'serious' art music.
  • Derek B. Scott argues their innovations created a new popular music category tied closely to dance culture.
ANECDOTE

Congress Of Vienna: Dancing As Diplomatic Relief

  • Diplomats at the Congress of Vienna used waltzing as evening relief from intense negotiations, spreading the dance through elite networks.
  • Susan Jones notes that the dance carried a lascivious reputation even at court despite royal participation.
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