Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1905-08-30
BIRTH OF THE,WALTZ
TIE DANCE HAD IT'S ORIGIN EITHER
M FRANCE OR GERMANY.

It's Introduction Into England Caused
Great Scandal In That Country
and For a Time Had Fashionable
society In nm UprOar.
No exact date can be ascribed to the
/ Introduction Of the waltz into England
from France. In 1900 Gilray published
n caricature OF couple waltzing.
with the note that "this was intended
Tor quiz upon the then foreign dance.
waltzing" Again in 1910 the same art
/ list published another sketch. entitled
LA Walse. lie Bon GcnrS." with the
note, Tho walse was at this time new
in England and just coming into fash
/ ion"
The fame. or. rather. notoriety. of the
new dance had. however. reached
England some years previously. DIR.
Burrey had seen it danced in Paris in
1870 and was moved 20 write How
uneasy an English mother would feel
10 see her daughter 50 unfamiliarly
I treated and stin more 10 note the
/ Obliging manner in which the free
dom is returned by the females"
RaikeS in his journal declares that
/ mo event ever produced so great n
/ sensation in English society as the IN
/ PRODUCTION OF the German waltz. 3"
which he attributes TO Baron Neu-
mann ana others about the year ISL
He relates how the mornings. which
had hitherto been dedicated to loung-
ing in the park, were now absorbed at
home in pvacticing the figures Of 4
/ French Quadrille or whirling n chair
round the room TO learn the step and
measure Of the German waltz.
1t was danced at Almack's by 4 few
very bold spirits. notably Lord Palmer
ston. Nine. dc Lievcn. Princess Ester
hazy and Baron Neumann. and thus
became a matter OF exhibition. the
whole company standing on benches to
view the performance.
However. the antiwaltzing party took
the alarm and cried II down. Mothers
/ forbade IL, and every ballroom became
I 4 scene Of feud and contention. How
/ profound was its unpopularity In GER
I tain quarters is proved by the pasQui-
/ nades lcvclod against it. The famous
seven lines commencing
What The girl adore by another en-
b-accd."
are commonly attributed TO Byron.
though they were published anony-
mOusly In 1872. and some authorities
give Thomas Moore as the author. An
impromptu purporting 10 be addressed
/ 10y an indignant lover TO his bctrothcd
and her partner echoes Byron's feel
/ inGs:
You've brushed tho bloom from the
peach.
From the rose its soft hue;
What you've touched you may take.
Pretty Walter. adieu.
Another poet delivered himself OF the
following diatribc:
How arts improve in this Inspiring aget
Peers mount the box. and horses tread tho
stage.
While Waiting females. with unblushing
face.
Disdain TO dance but in mans en-
brace.
''The waltz, however" continues
Raikes. struggled successfully through
all its difficulties. Flaurhault who was
Ia nour Gu pOis' IN Paris, came over
and with n host of others drove the
/ prudes into their intrenchments. And
when the Emperor Alexander was seen
Waiting around the roof ut Almack's,
with his tight uniform and numerous
/ decorations, they surrendered at dIscre-
ton"
II is moot point whether the waltz
originated IN France or Germany,
whether it came from the French Ia
Volta or the German national dance,
the lander" According to French
authorities, Ia Volta was simply the
waltz q trois temps. Provence was It's
birthplace. and 1t was first introduced
at the court Of Henry III. at Fontaine-
bleau in 1905 by the Comic dc Saulte,
who Is said TO have 4nvented II. for
many called ii Ia Volta dc Saulte. and
the name is suitable both because Of
the etymology Of the word and the
character Of the dance.
Il enjoyed a great run throughout
France and even penetrated to Scot
land, where il met with furious opposi-
ton, one writer avcrrlng that its i'm
pOrtaiOn into France had been effect
ed by the power OF witches. Mary Stu
art once exhibited her agility IN this
dance, but she was careful not TO re-
peat the experiment, and this was
about the last heard of il.
The case for Germany is that the
first waltz tune appeared in 1910 in n
popular song called 90 du Meber Au-
gustin." From Germany the dance
made its way TO Vienna and was intro
duced into the opera, while by and by
1t found its way TO France. whence it
came 10 England-"the insidious waltz.
this imp of Germany, brought UP in
France"
The waltz when first danced in Lon
don was slow movement Il trolls
temps, and the early English waltz
compositions were very poor. Strauss
came to London IN 1897 TO play at Al
mack's, and his waltz music created n
perfect furore. 1t killed the old trolls
temps waltz, and the deux temps
usurped its place. Now that the fasci-
nation Of the waltz is all powerful, it IS
difficult 10 realize the commotion its in
PRODUCTION caused.-LOndon Globe.
SidetrRcked.