Dancing Elegantly: Analysis of a 19th Century Waltz

classic nineteenth century Waltz. With heads thrown back and ribbons flowing, their movement seems light and fully of energy, yet the image still portrays a sense of finesse and refinement. The young woman’s hair is neatly pulled back in an updo while the male’s hair is carefully combed and controlled. Additionally, their arms are precisely placed while their legs and motions are in perfect unison. Both thin framed, they illustrate a sense of whimsy and attractiveness. Although the artist was sure to portray the movement of the couple’s clothing, their outfits remain smooth and reserving. Even the distance between the dancers’ heads prevents the dance from seeming too sexually suggestive. By portraying such a composed couple, the artist implies

Allison Bonetti, a dancer in the performance, is quoted, remarking, “I feel dizzy every time we complete the Waltz section, but I don’t feel dirty or scandalous, as I would after, say I maybe danced in a club. I think I speak for many of us when I say that the Waltz feels like a dance my grandmother would do.” In fact, the performance is misleading seeing as it is paired with very formal and controlled dances such as the Pavane and the minuet. In fact, modern historians such as Mark Knowles have compared the Waltz to social hip hop dances of today such as “krumping and grinding” since through the ages social dances have been “manifestations of society’s beliefs, values, attitudes, confusions, and concerns.” If the performance was to correctly convey this notion, it would have beneficial to place the nineteenth century Waltz in the second half of the performance, along with dances like the Quan and the Whip. However, in order to maintain chronological accuracy, the Waltz was placed in the beginning of the performance, overall failing to reveal the true nature of the nineteenth century