The Glide waltz (1870's) held a popularity until the advent of the Hesitation Waltz and Ragtime music. The Hesitation Waltz is a variation of the Boston waltz (a two step count fwd and back waltz) around 1880. The Hesitation Waltz gets its name from the "Pause or Hesitation" in the music. This music along with the Boston or "drop step Boston" formed the Hesitation. Althought he Hesitation originally only had ten variations it did not last long because the dance became too difficult to do as it originally had many backbreaking and leg breaking contortions added to it. Many instructors were creating too many figures (by public demand) and eventually they became to difficult for the average dancer to do. The Hobble Skirt was the dress of choice for the ladies to dance the Hesitation.

    The Hesitation Valse (1880s) is a variety of the true Valse that can very easily be performed once the Valse is known. Defined in a nutshell,

the "Hesitation" is a halt on one foot (with the other foot suspended in the air or a dragging motion) during the whole "1-2-3" of the beat of the music, or during the "2-3" only of every alternate "1-2-3." The ways of performing the "hesitation" are many and varied, and no way can be said to be more orthodox or correct than any other. It's popularity soared into the 1910s and by 1913 was one of the main dances done with the exhibition dance teams of the time and rag-dancing. By 1914 it wa being replaced by a new dance called the Dream Hesitation which won the contest for new dances of the year.

     In 1913 Albert Newman created the Hesitation Boston (One Step per Measure) which merged with the Boston, in which he used a pattern he called the "The Stroll" he states: Gracefully walk backward four steps, starting with the left foot one measure, right foot one measure, left foot one measure and right foot one measure. Now walk forward to the left oblique, having the lady in Yale Position four steps (left foot one measure, right foot one measure, left foot one measure, right foot one measure). Second Part.-- Boston Turning to the right four measures". This is also very similar to the stroll of the 1960s.

     In London the Boston was also called the Berceuse or Cradle Boston which was the form of Boston most popular at the time and reportedly the most difficult dance for the ballroom on account of the simplicity of its composition. It depended entirely upon each individual to create a most graceful dance, from actually only one step to the measure, and to rotate progressively around the room. After a little practice by the beginner it will be noticed that there was not much progression in this movement, and that it was quite difficult to move as quickly around the room as in the old dance (the Waltz and the Two-step); so it was necessary to add a few other movements which will bring about the desired result, Such as the Spanish Boston and the Herring Bone Boston which was taught for several years, closely resembling the Hesitation Waltz which was so popular at the time. The Canter Waltz was basically two steps per measure.

    One of the leading exponents of the Hesitation in the 1910s was Maurice Mouvet who had a Hesitation Waltz song dedicated to him with the Castles following the way. The hesitation waltz merged with the Boston and today is just a variation of the Waltz and is one popular choice of the traditional 'First Dance' songs used in Weddings.

Because of the Hesitation Waltzes popularity many other dances were designed to include Hesitations such as the Hesitation Tango which came shortly after the Hesitation Waltz popularity in the 1910s and the Hesitation Boston, Hesitation One-step and others.

Related Films / Movies

Television

Ballets / Stage

Order "Dances thru time Video" Vol II

1955 - Great Waltz

1908 - A Waltz Dream

1963 - Waltz King

1911 - The Kiss Waltz

LOC - Video Clip (Free)

1921 - The Last Waltz

1897- Bowery Waltz

1937 - Three Waltzes

1911 - Teaching McFadden to Waltz

1912 - Percy Learns to Waltz

1912 - Von Weber's Last Waltz

Instructional Waltz Videos

1918 - Magic Waltz

$ 2001 - Invitation to Dance

1920 - Hesitation Waltz

$ 1993 - You Can Dance Waltz

1928 - Strauss, the Waltz King

$ 1997 - How To Waltz at Your Wedding

1929 - The Dream Waltz

$ 1999 - Bring Back the Romance of Dance

1932 - The Waltz King

1933 - Waltzes from Vienna

1933 - Waltz Time

1934 - Farewell Waltz

Newspaper Publications

1935 - Invitation to the Waltz

1935 - Royal Waltz

11/23/1913 - Washington Post (Hesitaion explained)

1936 - The Last Waltz

1937 - Champagne Waltz

$ 1938 - Great Waltz

1938 - Waltz Melodies

1/13/1914 - Lima Daily News (New Dance - Dream Hesitation Waltz)

1941 - The Old Waltz

10/4/1914 - Decatur (Tango-Itus)

$ 1945 - Tauber Waltz Time

$ 1947 - Emperor's Waltz

1948 - Valse brillante

$ 1948 - Yvonne Printemps: Paris Waltz

1952 - Walzer von Strauss

Magazine Publications

$ 1953 - Bartered Bride / Last Waltz

1953 - Emperor Waltz

$ 1955 - The Great Waltz

$ 1971 - The Mephisto Waltz

$ 1978 - The Last Waltz

Other Related Dances of the time...

Aeroplane Waltz

Maxixe

Schottische

Valse Boston

Gavotte

Mazurka

Tango

Viennese Waltz

Boston, The

Glide Waltz

Turkey Trot

Waltz

Grizzly Bear

One Step

Two-Step

Walzen

Canter Waltz

Polka

Valse

Wedding Waltz

Castle Walk

Lame Duck

Quickstep

Fox-Trot

March

Various Hesitation Dances or Pattern Names ...

Parisienne Kick Hesitation

The Dow Hesitation

Castle Hesitation

Hesitation Waltz

Pivot Hesitation

The Stately Hesitation

Dream Hesitation

Maori Hesitation

Sebastian Hesitation

Half Time Waltz

Maurice Hesitation

Swallow Hesitation

Harvard Hesitation Waltz

Ocean Roll Hesitation

The Dip Hesitation

Hesitation

Open Hesitation

Dancers, Choreographers etc.

Political

A.P. Furman

Nicholas Magallanes

Arthur Murray

Radie Furman (AP's daughter)

Florence Walton

Tanaquil Le Clerq

The Castles

Maurice Mouvet

Books, Magazine Articles on the dance...

Title

Author

Date Published

Publisher

Handbook of Ballroom Dancing

Cartier, P.

1888

DeWitt

The Tango and Other Up to Date Dances

Hopkins, J. S.

1914

Saalfield Pub. Co.

Modern Dancing

Castle, Vernon

1914

World Syndicate Co

Moving Picture Book

Liggett & Myers

1914

n/a

Social dancing of today

Kinney, Margaret

1914

Frederick A. Stokes

The modern dances

Walker, Caroline

1914

Saul brothers

Musicians

Singers

Poets / Writers

Misc. Research Words that may be related ... to help your searches

Other ...

Hesitation Waltz Basic Steps: (c.1888) Men start Left foot forward, Ladies do opposite below:

Main Variation:
do basic waltz then step three times ("1--2-3"), then do a single step ("1") and hesitate ("2-3"). It will be seen that the first step leading to the hesitation is always performed in this variety with the right foot; and that it is the right foot always that is suspended in the air (1880s) during the hesitation. Modern way is step one, bring Left Foot together on two with no weight placed and hold that position for three.
Second Variation:
Take one step forward with the left foot (to the whole beat "1-2.3" of the music), then a similar step forward with the right foot ("1--2-3"), rook backwards ("1--2-3"), rock forwards ("1--2-3), basically a one step waltz for three beats variation, then continue waltzing.
Third Variation: Boston addition: Do the above step twice, then go into the plain Boston for four beats. ' In case any one is not familiar with the Boston, it
is a case of stepping back and forth to the music of one, two, three, but only stepping one two,; one - two forward back, 1-2 forward back, and when you can do that you count the same and pivot around as in a plain waltz.