Austrian folk dancing (see Austria) is mostly associated with Schuhplattler, Landler, Polka or Waltz. However, there are other dances such as Zwiefacher, Kontratänze and Sprachinseltänze.

Types of dance

In Austria, folk dances in general are known as Folkloretänze, i.e. "folklore dances", whereas the Austrian type of folk dance is known as Volkstanz (literally "folk dance").

Figure dancing is a type of dance where different figures are put together with a certain tune and given a name. Round dancing, which includes the waltz, the polka, Zwiefacher etc, involves basic steps which can be danced to different tunes. In folk dancing, the waltz and the polka are in a slightly different form to standard ballroom dancing.

Sprachinseltänze (literally "language island dances") are those dances which are actually by German-speaking minorities (see German as a Minority Language) living outside Austria, but which originate in Austria, e.g. those of Transylvania. One example of this type of dance is the Rediwa.

List of Austrian folk dances

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

Common misconceptions

There are some misonceptions about Austrian folk tradition:

• The Landler from The Sound of Music is not an Austrian folk dance.
• The Chicken Dance is not an Austrian folk dance.
• The song Edelweiss is not an Austrian folk song.

Folk dance festivals

In Austria, folk dance festivals usually take place as follows: first, everybody gets onto the dance floor and dances the opening round; secondly, a welcoming speech is made, and thirdly, waltzes are danced in blocks, with breaks in between. At the end there is usually a special dance, often with a goodbye song. In Vienna, there are usually four long sets of dances, with long breaks and figure dancing inbetween. In other parts of Austria it is more usual to have a larger number of shorter blocks (three to five dances each) with shorter breaks between them, and more figure dancing.

Some well-known folk dance festivals in Vienna are that of the Alpenverein ; the Autumn Dance at Schloss Belvedere, the Landler Dances, the Kathreintanz and the summer dances which take place every two weeks during the summer holidays.

Musical instruments

Typical instruments for Austrian folk dance are the Styrian harmonica (a type of accordeon), the fiddle, the clarinet, the harp, the flute and brass bands. Dances are often accompanied by the contrabass or the guitar. Unlike modern Austrian folk-pop music, drums are not used.

Clothing

See: Tracht (traditional clothing)

See also

• Folk dancing and Folk dance
• Tracht (traditional clothing)
• Folk music
• German folk dancing
• Music of Austria

External links

• More (mostly Austrian) folk dances (Site in German and English, see the flags)
• English pages of Volkstanz.com
• Basic Austrian folk dances
• http://www.dancilla.com
• Arts: Performing Arts: Dance: Folk Dancing in the Open Directory
• A huge collection of folk songs, in German
• Calendar of events, in German
• Magazine: Der Fröhliche Kreis, in German
• Folk dancing and Schuhplatteln from Austria