Evolution of waltz in the European ball culture

Problem statement. One of the most popular dance forms of the past centuries was exquisite, soft and smooth waltz which can be called a bright phenomenon of the world choreographic art. However, the scientific and theoretical part of this choreographic art remains quite unstudied. The purpose of the article is to reveal the sources of formation and evolution of various kinds of waltz in the European program of ballroom dance. The methodology. The methods used in this article are the following: 1) historical methods that allow to place the chosen work into the perspective of ballroom choreography development; 2) classifications and systematizations that allow to conduct the analysis of how various kinds of waltz formed; 3) stylistic methods used for studying the given form of ballroom dance in the context of the choreographic art. The results. The history of waltz formation goes back to those times when dance was not just a great art but also a part of the compulsory program of high life education. Waltz received an immense impulse around 1830 owing to two outstanding composers — Franz Lanner and Johann Strauss. In the modern period of ballroom dance development there are plenty of waltz forms: slow waltz, Viennese waltz, figured waltz, boston, classical waltz and tango-waltz. The modern European program (Standard) of ballroom dance includes two waltzes: slow and Viennese. Slow waltz opens the program for both adults and professionals, this waltz is a sort of visiting card of a couple in ballroom choreography. From the first movements of a couple one can understand the level of their mastery which includes: rhythmicity, musicality, skills of couple holds and constant moving around the floor while performing complex techniques. In Viennese waltz fast pace is added, which requires good physical training from the performers. Despite the essential changes in the structure of waltz vocabulary, nowadays this ballroom dance is positioned as a developed form that functions according to the general form-creating laws of ballroom choreography: the variability of the dancing performance technique, the compositional structure of the pattern, the specific characteristics of the choreographic vocabulary, the peculiarity of the musical structure. Given the development of modern ballroom choreography, waltz is the most spectacular dance of the choreographic art and the integral part of the development of society culture.