Austrian Folk Dancing

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Posted by Your Guide on May 17, 2006 7:28 PM

Dancing is an important part of Austrian life. In fact, events that take place regularly in Austrian towns are balls; and you can’t even attend a ball without at least knowing how to waltz. Volkstanz, Austrian Folk Dance, is honored as part of an Austrian’s heritage and very different from Folkloretänze, folk dances in general. The musical instruments that are typically played with the Austrian folk dance are the Styrian harmonica (an accordion), the fiddle, the harp, the flute, the clarinet, and brass bands. Drums are not used, though contrabass and guitar sometimes are.

Austrian folk dancing is most often used to refer to Waltz, Polka, Schuhplattler, Ländler, and sometimes Zwiefacher and more. Most of these qualify as round dances, involving basic steps that can be used with many different tunes. Austrian folk dances include:

• Boarischer
• Eiswalzer
• Hiatamadl
• Jägermarsch
• Krebspolka
• Kreuzpolka
• Kuckuckspolka
• Landler
• Lunzer Boarischer
• Mazurka
• Neudeutscher
• Polka
• Poschater Zwoaschritt
• Rediwa (Sprachinseltanz)
• Rheinländer
• Schuhplattler
• Siebenschritt
• Studentenpolka
• Waltz
• Zwiefacher

A typical way to celebrate the folk dancing tradition in Austria takes place in folk dance festivals. In a festival, everyone dances the opening round, followed by a welcome speech and particular waltzes. Finally, a goodbye song and special dance will be performed. These Austrian folk dances are only attended by a minority of the people, those who most pride themselves in tradition; still they are carefully organized and take place at extraordinary locations.

Next Page: Austria's Music

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