4. The Waltz at Some Central European Courts

While most of the essays in the collection focus on the round dance traditions of smaller European countries, this chapter looks at some of the main European courts of the period in order to offer a backdrop that unifies the more diverse accounts. By exploring attitudes within high society towards the Waltz specifically, the chapter aims to outline an overall history of how round dances were received. It points out that earlier studies of this reception might have overlooked some class and political factors, and welcomes new perspectives that might provide different answers to certain questions surrounding round dances.