Valse Superbe

(Waltz Superbe)

{1909}



General Description

This is an easy Waltz sequence composed by Charles W. Gardner in 1909.

It won first prize at the Annual Conference of the National Association of Teachers of Dancing that year.


The Position

Both facing LOD, holding inside hands.


The Dance

Part I - Extended Rollaway with Back to Back Chassé (4 bars): Waltz halfway outward along LOD to end up back to back (1, 2, 3), chassé twice along LOD (with no weight on the second close), still back to back (4, 6, 7, 9), then take other hands and waltz halfway inward against LOD to face partner (10, 11, 12).

Part II - Face to Face Chassé, Quick Rollaway (4 bars): Taking two hands, chassé twice against LOD (with no weight on the second close) (1, 3, 4, 6), then rollaway with a full outward waltz along LOD (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12).

Part III - Promenade and Sway (4 bars): Side by side, holding inside hands, promenade six steps along LOD (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6).* Then sway along LOD (7), closing second foot without weight (9), and sway against LOD (10), closing first foot without weight (12) and closing up to waltz position.

* Though not explicitly specified, this works nicely as a slight vis à vis: facing slightly away from partner on the first three steps, and slightly facing partner on the second three.

Part IV - Waltz (4 bars): As a couple, waltz two full turns.

Repeat from the beginning.


The Music

"Valse Superbe" by Clement Harris is the original tune, but it can also be danced to any rotary waltz with continual eight-bar phrases.


Sources


© 2018 Nick Enge


For more dance descriptions, see our three books on dancing:
The Book of Mixers: 100 Easy-Teach Dances for Getting Acquainted (2022) by Richard Powers and Nick & Melissa Enge,
Cross-Step Waltz: A Dancer's Guide (2019) by Richard Powers and Nick & Melissa Enge, and
Waltzing: A Manual for Dancing and Living (2013) by Richard Powers and Nick Enge.


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