Waltz?

"It is one of the most elegant dances, isn't it?" Nora suggested, with her hand in the air. Well, it really was. And she wanted to add 'dreamy' to the description, but she kept that to herself. Maybe she was the only dreamy one there. Hehe.

Jonathan who was sitting on the sides finally had a question that he can answer. He has learned waltz and ballroom dances the most. But he was more interested on those dances the other students had mentioned. They seemed really nice to learn perhaps.

He raised his hand "Waltz is a ballroom dance performed by partners. It is a very famous dance back then. I did read about them being first created by the rural lads and lasses--" well, he read it together with his uncle at the time. He was 7 so he barely understood much, so that's why his uncle explained most of it. "--But then the aristocrats couldn't quite bare that the lower classes have all the fun so in due time they adapted the waltz as well." he smiled. Amused about the thought of upper class men being jealous.

Jonathan looked at Mr. Stryker. Are they learning waltz today?

Eep! Catch up time!! :O
 

Orchid raised her hand hesitantly at Mr. Stryker's question. "I have some dancing experience sir. Nothing professional or trained, but back in New York when I visit my dad, I get together with a bunch of friends that are a crew and we dance at competitions and everything. It's a mix of different dances really, Popping, Locking, Hip Hop, Jazz, Freestyle, a little bit of Contemporary, even some Finger Tutting, Stepping, Break Dancing, Capoeira, and Parkour." She blushed realizing how extensive the list was.

"It's as easy as breathing. It's like when you hear the music, it goes into your ears and through your whole body; every step you take changes every move you'll make after that. It's a cycle, and no matter where you go, there's always a beat, always a rhythm. If you listen close enough, you can hear your heart making the beat, each breathe you take sets the pace, and each step you take makes the movement." Orchid said with that look of pure awe in her eyes. "Before you know it - you're dancing." She said with a smile.

Orchid smiled when she heard that her friend danced as well. Tribal? I'm gonna have to learn that one from her. She thought. Spoken like someone that dances from the soul. She smiled at her friend.

"The Waltz is the oldest ballroom dance there is Mr. Stryker." Orchid stated. "Many people thought it was absurd when it first started because the man had to touch the lady's waist, which back then, of course, was unheard of." She smirked at how different things were back then compared to some of the things people so willingly do now. "It became more popular when a couple made a faster version of it entitled 'The Viennese Waltz'." That was pretty much all she knew on the topic, but she thought she did fairly well, seen as it was totally out of her genre.

Janice thought for a while, then her hand shot to the air.
"Is waltz somekind of a slow ballroom dance, which requires 2 people to dance -usually a boy and a girl. They dance to some slow classical music, right?" She answered slash asked.

The waltz, thought Daisy. Wasn't that just people spinning round in circles? Because that's what it looked like.
She had only ever done tap dance, which she was ok at considering she taught herself. But she wasn't going to tell the professor that. Nu uh. Daisy did not want to be up the front dancing. Instead she shrunk back into the mass of the class thinking.
Maybe she did know a bit about waltzing. Slowly, she raised her hand.
'Is a Waltz a ballroom dance, usually peformed by a man and a woman to music in 3/4.' said Daisy, impressed by her own musical knowlege.

As she'd been told she got two points for simply mention ing that most dance made people look graceful, or at least she'd brough tup the word, Stella had smiled a bit bigger, before listening as everyone started listing off types of dance. All interesting, and she'd sent a bit of a side-long glance at Matt as he'd seemed to bring up swing dancing. Interesting, she couldn't help but think, not really having thought it of him before, and then wondering if his answer had instigated Mr. Stryker's subsequent question about the two forms of swing dancing.

But then they'd gone on to the waltz, and she'd raised her hand again. "The first written reference to a dance similar to what we know as the waltz was seen in 1568, detailing a dance done by peasants that was originally considered godless because the couples were dancing so close together, but then adapted into aristocratic society before the eighteenth century. It also slowed down considerably by that point. Traditional waltz is slower, while the Viennese waltz is faster," she offered, not realy wanting to go too much into the history and such. Especially as she wasn't exactly sure what the groundskeeper was after.

Goodness, how time flew by when one could only try glaring a hole right through someone's head. Blinking finally, Evelyn turned her gaze elsewhere instead of the girl who snagged her boyfriend, and focused on what was being taught.

Or actually...what questions Mr. Stryker was asking.

Time to raise her hand. Sorta. "It was a dance that only really became rather popular when it started to become a fast paced dance in the earlier days." she started. Like, way...way way earlier. "But since everyone grew tired of trying to keep up with the music, that's when it started to slow down and become more of the waltz dance we know today. On the other hand, there are numerous versions of the dance today, some including the more close contact that we know while others require more open dance positions."

General...stuff.

Waltz? Freya remembered her mother told her about it when she was a little and she as lucky enough to learn it even though she's not very good at it like her perfect sister. Focus Freya!

She raised her hand "Is the oldest of the ballroom dances from the middle of the Eighteenth Century, sir. The name itself is taken from the Latin word Volvere which mean a rotating motion." she said.

Daphne knew what the Waltz was, obviously...but background info? She's wasn't so sure. But..she thought she'd try. The girl raised her hand. "It's a form of ballroom dancing that was introduced maybe..in the fifteenth or sixteenth century.." The girl frowned for a moment and continued, "It is also fast paced, isn't it?" That's all she knew.

Anyway, she was really looking forward to the practical part of the lesson. Theory was..boring.

Hugo, who had been lying low for a bit because he generally didn't want to embarrass himself by giving answers, noticed everyone else was doing it. So he raised his hand. "The Waltz is a ballroom or folk dance which originated from folk music from Germany and Austria, I think and it originated from the 1700's, if I am correct," he said, not quite sure whether he had said the right things.

Rose raised her hand. 'I don't know why, but does the rhythm go quick, quick, slow slow, quick, quick, slow? Like two quick steps, two slow steps, two quick steps, one slow?' Rose asked. She didn't know background info, only how to do it! 'OOH! And it goes Oom-pa-pa!' Rose chuckled. 'Why would a dad be in a dance?' she laughed, knowing it meant the rhythm sort of thing.

Why was everyones answer perfect or copied she liked to herself but you don't have to explain every little detail it's a dance just a dance there's an answer

''The waltz is a ballroom dance I don't think anyone answered that yet!

Catching up...

All the dances that Nessie knew of had been said already. She tried to think of another one and luckily she got one. " I think theres the Boogey" she said. She thought it was ballroom but she wasn't too sure.

----
The walts...hmmm. The walts was one of Nessies least favourite dances. She didn't really like the slow stuff she was more into the fast and vibey dances. She raised her hand trying to remember what she knew about the walts "The waltz came from a German dance called the Lander. It became famous in Austria when it was first danced in the opera Una Cosa Rara." Nessie was just glad she had read alot about dancing because if she hadn't she wouldn't have been able to answer.

Aaaah, moving so quickly
 

Aurora nodded, "Um, well I've had a tutor for as long as I can remember and..." How to explain it... "I have to dance at um... like... my Mother's parties and stuff... Otherwise it'd be embarrassing that everyone else's kids can..." Ugh, it sounded so shallow! "So I guess dancing can be a sort of... status indicator..?"


WALTZ! YES! The easiest of all the dances! "A waltz is danced to a piece of music in 3/4 where most dances are in 4/4 or a variation on that. A waltz - as a piece of music - is usually written for a small string group or conservatoire band rather than a single instrument or a whole orchestra. I guess that's because you can fit them in a dance hall..." She didn't know much about the actual dance... but music was her forte...

:claw:

Harvey was taken by surprise on how much Minnie knew about the waltz. When the professor came to him all he could say was "Er...... well sir I dont anything about the waltz " he looked at Minnie "but I think she said more than enough for the both of us sir." Harvey said smiling at Minnie and he held her hand. He didnt know she was going to be here, he was here as he wanted to learn all this dancing for her. Now it seemed to him that he had made the right decision as she loved dancing. He was going to really pay attention in this class for her, his Minnie.

Why was Muggle Studies all about dance, a subject Nathan had no interest in and knew almost nothong about. He tried to take some notes but could not force himself to concentrate finding the material far too buring. He then heard something about a waltz, he remembered his parents danced that dance together the night his father proposed, his mother told him so much about this dance cause it had always been her favorite and the fact that his father learned tovdance it just for hervmeant the world to her. Now what did she say about the dance itself. Oh, right. "I believe the waltz originated arround the early 1600s and it came from Frenchmen whom had learned the steps to country dance and slowing it down to make an elegant dance with similar steps and the dance slowly spread throughout the Western world as people traveled and books were made about the dance.".

WHOA.

Lots of dance knowledge flying around.

Er, waltz? It was funny timed and people always mentioned it when talking about formal events. Bridget said it was the easiest one out of all them. Then again, Bridget's dancing skills were insane so she might not be the best indicator.

"Er... it's in pairs?" she said, shrugging a little. True, obvious answer. But it was correct at any rate.

Hera & Nixy & anyone else!
 

Professor Roslund had slipped in at the back of the big group of assembled student's. When the dance class officially began he edged himself closer to Professor Bentley and Healer Brooks to observe the proceedings. The tall, brown haired swede had done a bit of dancing in his time, but he didn't consider himself a professional at all since he hadn't danced in years.

"Good day, Professor Bentley and Healer Brooks! Nice weather for dancing isn't it?" Edvard greeted them both with bright smiles as he sat down on the grass next to them. Listening to the student's and Mr Stryker he waited to see what dance they were going to try and learn.

Latey Lara catching up again. *blames tryouts* :D
 

The Gryffindor boy was looking out and around for a certain she-snake since this was a dance class and he had ideas in mind however some unexpected force pulled him down and forced him sit on something soft in a sudden, and when he looked at the source of the sudden movement, he could only find Cassie smiling at him. ''Um...hi'' He had thought their business with him was over when he actually did wear the heels, walked in DADA classroom and won a detention because of it. But the Hufflepuff's smile was kind of stating the otherwise. Eh.

When Professor Bentley greeted him back. Josh smiled and waved at her. But ready to dance on? What kind of a question that was? Well...he had no idea since he did not know how to dance except the bits of ballroom one Evelyn had taught him last term. So, he did not know if he was ready. How could he be ready for something he did not know anything about? He opened his mouth to answer the Herbology professor anyway yet got completely distracted when another lady had walked in his eyesight. He could remember seeing her at the Staff Table but he was not sure who she was. Maybe he could find out himself. In order to do so, Josh attempted to wave at her as well yet...

...being poked suddenly by Cassie completely prevented him from doing that. What? Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat!? Marilyn was here too? Oh great so the team of feminine evilness was complete. And in seconds the bot did not know what to glare at; at being poked, at Cassie for the words about him dancing or at Marilyn for the words about him deciding go completely fem. ''I don't know how to dance, actually. And i do not try to be feminine. Happy with my current state. Thank you.''

Then when Rafe, Jai and Caroline appeared out of nowhere, some kind of...convo had started between those and Josh was forgotten for that minutes which he took the advantage of looking for his girlfriend.

Could he sneak away and join his beloved she-snake while those guys were distracted with each other? Maybe.



Since he knew nothing of the topic; neither the names of different dance styles nor how to perform them, Josh decided to do something he rarely did during the classed and remained silent just...sitting there on the soft thing where Cassie had pulled him onto. He was busy anyway...with looking for his girlfriend and no...he had no idea about waltz either. What background idea was the man talking about?

There she was........!!!

The lion boy realised Evelyn and her whereabouts in the area when she spoke up with her angelic voice. Wow! She knew....things about waltz. He should not have been surprised though. Because he already knew with her perfectness she knew about everything...yes...everything. Still staring at her, Josh knew it was the time to try to reach and approach her when she stopped talking. So, trying not to take much attention on himself and not knowing if that was possible, the Gryffindor started to...kind of...crawl towards her.

Eddie's arrival was a little unexpected, making Seren jump slightly as he sat beside her. He was so formal. Were they really necessary? Seren didn't think so.
"Eddie, you made it," she said smiling brightly. Turning her head to the skies she supposed it was a nice day for dancing. "Will you be dancing?" she asked curiously. The more the merrier in her opinion. She could hardly wait to see what Chad had planned for them all... though she was a little nervous about dancing, and dancing with a partner in particular. Toes would be broken for sure.

Penny had been doing some research on dancing for her aunt's wedding.... so she kinda knew a little information....

"Mr Stryker, There was a French Philosopher who wrote about people dancing in 1580, the dancers held each other very close and their steps were wild..A very early version of a Waltz.. I think it was peasants dancing and then when the 'dance' was introduced to aristocrats and royals it became more pretty and graceful."

Justin listened intently to everthing that was being said. Finally, he threw his hand up and said, " Mr. Styker, Isn't it the music that decides what the dance will be? My piano teacher told me that music Tells what the emotion of the artist or dancer feels. The emotion of the music is realized in the dance giving the emotion a visual interpretation. Each dance ; a mood depicted."

"Mr. Stryker?" Cove asked. "Does it count if you can play a waltz on like the violin?" She said shyly. Cove could play almost any piece of music on the violin. Hers was sitting right behind her. Somewhat hiding from everyone. She felt behind her to make sure it was still there. That wasn't what he was looking for, but she wanted to know.