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Opening the ball5 minutes

Dance along at Alles Walzer: Your first steps as a guest

By Bernhard De LucaUpdated

In short
  • At a traditional ball opening, the call “Let the waltzing begin” opens the dance floor to guests.
  • You wait for an open space instead of squeezing between couples still performing the opening dance.
  • You begin dancing with your partner to the waltz music and use only steps you both know.
  • As a guest, you don’t need to know the opening choreography or follow it during the open dance.

A moment ago, everyone was standing around the edge; suddenly, the whole room is in motion. This transition can feel more hectic than it needs to be for you as a couple: a manageable start is enough.

What you need for your first dance session

  • A partner who can dance this Waltz with you
  • A familiar start with steps you already know
  • Well-fitting shoes you can turn in
  • A spot outside the official opening formation

The call opens the floor, it does not dictate the steps

“Alles Walzer” is the invitation in a traditional ball program for guests to join in after the official opening. “Alles” means the floor is open to all dance guests, not that they should perform a particular figure. Until then, the floor belongs to the announced opening; afterward, couples dance independently. So you don’t need to take a place in a formation or match a shared opening sequence.

The floor being opened and your first dance step are two different moments. After the call, there may still be applause, movement from the opening couples, or a musical transition. What matters is that the floor is actually accessible and you can hear a waltz you can dance to. The call alone doesn’t provide a musical beat.

At balls with these traditions, the music is often a Viennese Waltz. However, the music itself determines which of your familiar moves will fit. For the technical basics, see Steps and Changes in the Viennese Waltz. For the broader context, see Waltzing at a Ball with Familiar Steps. Here, only the transition matters: you leave the role of spectator and begin your own dance, without continuing the opening couples’ performance.

Couples dance Waltz in a palace ballroom
The orchestra can keep playing while the guests are still moving from watching to dancing.

From the sidelines to the Waltz in seven steps

  1. Wait for the go-ahead

    Stay off the performance area during the official opening. Begin the transition only after “Alles Walzer” or an equivalent invitation to the guests; the final chord of the performance alone may simply mark a pause in the program.

  2. Watch how the opening couples move

    Look just in front of you to see whether the formation is breaking up, dancing is continuing, or couples are leaving the floor. You don't need a completely empty floor, but you do need an entrance that no one is currently using as part of the opening.

  3. Confirm the agreed start

    Turn toward your partner and briefly confirm the agreed start. An audible “Our familiar sequence” is enough; both of you should know which move comes first before you take your place among the other guests.

  4. Enter through the open access

    Walk onto the floor together through the nearest open area along the edge. Stay together and position yourselves outside any performance formation that is still in place; switching to social dancing does not require going to the center of the hall.

  5. Take Your Hold and Starting Position

    Get into your usual dance hold and position yourselves for the familiar start. Don't begin turning while one person is still finding their footing or balance; both of you should be ready to move.

  6. Start when the music becomes audible

    Listen for the regular triple meter and begin on a clearly identified first beat with your rehearsed starting move. Applause and shouts are not a beat to follow. If the introduction is not yet danceable, stay still until the music gives you a clear sense of the beat.

  7. Continue the Familiar Beginning

    Dance your familiar sequence first with manageable steps and the usual lead. Once you’re both shifting your weight regularly and staying in time, you’ve made the transition; you don’t need to copy the couples who started first or catch up with their head start.

This keeps the transition clear

This way

  • If the call is unclear, also watch for the signal giving guests the go-ahead
  • Start independently of neighboring couples
  • Begin with the opening sequence you already agreed on
  • If you're unsure, stay together off the dance floor

Not like this

  • Treat a single couple setting off as a safe signal to go
  • Hastily copy the first steps of a neighboring couple
  • Spontaneously try a new starting position on the dance floor
  • Send one person alone between couples setting off

Your checklist for the switch

During the opening

Ready

After being called

Transition

After the first few bars

Starting the dance

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. No, the call is an invitation, not an obligation to start immediately. You can stay at the edge if you’re not ready yet. The crowd right after the floor is opened is no reason to pull your partner along or set off without suitable music.

Start your first waltz together

On udansa, you can find dance partners to practice a familiar waltz opening with before the ball. That way, when you're called onto the floor, you'll already have a move you know together.

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Start your first waltz together

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