Waltz (International)

International Waltz — known in competition circles simply as the Slow Waltz — is the foundational dance of the International Standard syllabus, and in many ways the most demanding. Its tempo of 84–90 BPM is deceptively slow: the music gives the dancer time, but that time must be filled with continuous, purposeful movement. There is nowhere to hide in a slow waltz. Every moment of stillness, every lapse in body swing, every break in the rise-and-fall arc is visible to the judge and the audience alike.

The dance's defining characteristic is its relationship with gravity. International Waltz is not about floating above the floor — it is about using the floor as a launching pad and returning to it with control and intention. The rise begins on the second beat of the measure, reaches its apex at the end of beat two or the beginning of beat three, and descends back through beat three and into the next downbeat. This cycle, repeated measure after measure, creates the sweeping, wave-like quality that distinguishes a truly accomplished waltz from a technically correct but emotionally flat one.

The music that serves International Waltz best is music that breathes — that has a clear, unhurried pulse and a melodic line that rises and falls in sympathy with the dancer's body. Johann Strauss II understood this intuitively: 'The Blue Danube' is not just a waltz in time signature; it is a waltz in spirit, its melodic arc perfectly mirroring the physical arc of the dance. This is why it remains the most recognisable waltz in the world more than 150 years after its composition.

The competition tempo for International Waltz is set by the governing bodies at 84–90 BPM, with the NDCA specifying 87 BPM (29 measures per minute) and the WDSF and WDC setting 90 BPM (30 measures per minute). This narrow range reflects the dance's technical demands: at slower tempos, the rise-and-fall action becomes difficult to sustain with the required continuity; at faster tempos, the figures lose their characteristic sweep and begin to feel rushed.

For social dancing and teaching purposes, the usable range extends from about 78 BPM at the slow end — where the dance takes on a more intimate, romantic quality — to about 96 BPM at the faster end, where it begins to approach the territory of the Viennese Waltz. Students learning the dance for the first time benefit from tempos in the 78–84 BPM range, which gives them enough time to think through the footwork and weight transfer before the next beat arrives.

One of the most important skills a waltz teacher can develop is the ability to select music that feels appropriate to the student's level. A beginner dancing to music at 90 BPM will feel rushed and will compensate by shortening their steps, losing the characteristic sweep of the dance. The same student dancing to music at 80 BPM will have time to settle into each step, feel the rise and fall, and begin to develop the body swing that is the hallmark of accomplished waltz dancing. As the student progresses, the tempo can be gradually increased until they are comfortable at competition speed.

The International Waltz repertoire spans more than two centuries of music, from the Viennese classical tradition to contemporary popular song. At its foundation sits the work of the Strauss family — Johann Strauss I, Johann Strauss II, and Josef Lanner — whose compositions defined the waltz as a musical form and whose recordings remain the gold standard for competition and performance use. André Rieu, the Dutch violinist and conductor, has brought this tradition to a new generation of audiences through his spectacular live performances and recordings, and his arrangements of the classic Strauss waltzes are widely used in ballroom studios worldwide.

The mid-twentieth century added a new dimension to the waltz repertoire through the work of composers and arrangers who brought the waltz into the popular music mainstream. Anthony Hopkins — the actor and composer, not to be confused with the Welsh actor of the same name — wrote 'And The Waltz Goes On' in 1964, a piece that sat unperformed for decades before André Rieu recorded it in 2011. The recording became a global hit and introduced the International Waltz to audiences who had never set foot in a ballroom.

Contemporary music has continued to expand the waltz repertoire in unexpected directions. Norah Jones's 'Come Away With Me' (2002) has become one of the most popular social waltz songs of the twenty-first century, its gentle 3/4 groove and intimate lyric making it ideal for a romantic waltz in a social setting. Josh Groban's 'You Raise Me Up' (2003) has a similar quality — its sweeping melodic arc and emotional directness make it a natural vehicle for the International Waltz's characteristic rise and fall. For competitive use, these contemporary pieces are generally too slow and too rubato (tempo-variable) to be practical, but for social dancing and wedding choreography they are excellent choices.

The most important musical concept in International Waltz is body swing — the pendulum-like motion of the body that gives the dance its characteristic sweep and flow. Body swing is not a separate movement added on top of the footwork; it is the natural consequence of moving through space with continuous momentum. When a dancer steps forward on beat one, the body's momentum carries it forward and slightly upward; when the feet come together on beat two, the body reaches its highest point; when the feet separate again on beat three, the body descends back toward the floor.

Understanding body swing as a musical phenomenon — rather than a purely physical one — is the key to developing genuine waltz musicality. The body swing should be driven by the music, not imposed on it. When the music swells, the body swing should amplify; when the music softens, the body swing should become more intimate and controlled. This responsiveness to musical dynamics is what distinguishes a truly musical waltz from a technically proficient but emotionally neutral one.

For teachers, the most effective way to develop body swing in students is to work away from the partner first. Solo exercises — walking in waltz time, swinging the arms in sympathy with the beat, allowing the body to rise and fall naturally — build the physical habit before the complexity of partner work is introduced. Once the student can feel the body swing in their own body, they can begin to share it with their partner, and the dance begins to come alive.

At the highest levels of International Waltz competition, music selection is a strategic decision as well as an artistic one. The music must be at the correct tempo — within the governing body's specified range — and it must have a clear, consistent pulse that allows the judges to evaluate the dancers' timing. Beyond these technical requirements, the best competition waltz music has a quality that musicians describe as 'forward momentum': a sense of rhythmic propulsion that drives the dance forward without rushing it.

The most effective competition waltz recordings tend to be orchestral arrangements with a strong string section, a clear downbeat, and a melodic line that rises and falls in natural sympathy with the dance's physical arc. The banality of strict-tempo recordings — those produced specifically for ballroom competition use — is that they often sacrifice musical interest for rhythmic consistency. The best competition dancers and their coaches spend considerable time finding recordings that are both technically correct and musically inspiring.

For studio owners building a competition music library, the most valuable investment is a diverse collection of recordings at different tempos within the competition range. Having options at 84, 87, and 90 BPM allows teachers to match the music precisely to the student's current level and to the specific demands of the choreography being rehearsed. A recording that is perfect for practising the natural turn may not be ideal for practising the hesitation change, and having the flexibility to choose the right music for the right exercise is a significant pedagogical advantage.