The landler is a slow, waltz-like folk dance from the Landl region of Austria which was popular in Austria, south Germany and German Switzerland in the 18th century and still danced in 19th century Viennese ballrooms. The beautiful slow opening waltz in Johann Strauss Jr.’s “Tales from the Vienna Woods” Waltz is a landler. The most famous landler in pop culture, however, is the one danced by Captain Von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) and Maria (Julie Andrews) in “The Sound of Music” – surely one of the most romantic dance scenes in movie history!
In this workshop we’ll teach a slightly simplified version of this beautiful landler choreography. While both the music (by Richard Rogers) and the choreography are modern (1959), the steps and arm movements are authentic and can be fun variations for ballroom waltzers. Most of the choreography is done in “open” waltz position and is easy and pleasant to dance.
For a preview of the Landler choreography, check out this romantic Youtube video.
Age Suitability: Adults and Teens. No partners needed. We’ll have “ringers” in the class and will change partners frequently
Cathleen Myers is the Dance Mistress of the San Francisco Dickens Fair and the Artistic Director of PEERS (the Period Events & Entertainment Re-Creation Society), which produces full-scale historical costume balls almost every First Saturday (for more information about PEERS and its upcoming balls and dance classes, see her website at http://www.peersdance.org). With her husband James Eric Myers and frequent teaching partners Cassandra Vlahos and Christopher Mobley, Cathleen teaches a weekly vintage ballroom dance class on Sunday afternoons at the Alameda Elks Lodge and has dance-mastered at a wide variety of Bay Area period balls, charity balls, and science fiction/fantasy conventions. An experienced historical dance choreographer, she has choreographed a number of stage shows in the Bay Area and performs with her own group, the PEERS Flying CirCUS, a historical music, dance and theater performing ensemble most notorious for their recurring Peerless Music Hall and Theater of the Vampires. For more information about the annual Dickens Christmas Fair, particularly the all-day Fezziwig’s Victorian dance party, please see www.dickensfair.com.