Waltz
The Waltz originated in England in the early 19th century and came to the United States in the mid-19th century. It's a smooth, flowing dance in 3/4 time (count 1 2 3, 1 2 3...)
The Hold
The Waltz was the first dance to use what is now the standard ballroom dance hold: the man puts his right hand on the woman's waist and holds up her right hand in his left. The woman puts her left hand on the man's shoulder and her right in the man's left hand.
The Box Step
The first half of the basic box step is performed by the man stepping forward with his left foot on the first beat, to the right with right foot on beat two, and feet together (moving left foot next to right) on beat three. The woman starts by moving her right foot back a step, moving her left foot to the left on beat two and right foot next to the left on beat three. The second half of the box step should bring each back to the starting position, right-left-right for the man and left-right-left for the woman. The man steps back with his right foot, to the left with his left foot and moves the right foot next to the left. The woman steps forward with her left, to the right with her right foot and moves the left next to the right. This should take a total of six beats.
The Next Step
Once the Box Step is learned, the shape can be altered. It is up to the man to lead or guide the woman in the direction he would like to go. The woman has to follow the man. If there is an obstacle or the music is fast, the step can be streamlined to just the first step for three beats or counts. In other words, the man can step forward on one with his left foot and then move the right foot next to it, and the woman would step back with her right foot and move the left foot next to it.
Emphasis
To emphasize the meter of the music and give more style to the Waltz, the dancers may bend their weighted knee slightly on the first and fourth counts of the Box Step.
