One-two-three, one-two-three . . . Couples glide across the floor. They whirl around a ballroom.
The famed balls of Vienna, Austria, started in the 1700s. Hundreds of years later the tradition continues—with a few updates.
These days, YouTube videos help teenagers learn to waltz. Women slip off elbow-length gloves to swipe on smartphones.
More than 450 balls take place each year in Vienna. The main ball season starts November 11. It ends the day before Lent begins. (Some Christians observe Lent as a season of repentance. It covers the 40 days before Easter.) Still, a few balls take place later in the year too.
The average ticket costs more than $400. But some events lowered their prices to 40 euros ($43). Organizers wanted to attract a wider audience.
“To be a part of this for me, as an Austrian person, is like taking part in Viennese culture,” Leander Selmani says. He is 19 years old. “I was watching all these ball openings on YouTube. And I said, ‘I want to be part of that.’”
Teens learn carefully choreographed dances for each ball’s opening ceremony. Besides watching videos, they take lessons at places like the Elmayer Dance School. That school has been training dancers since 1919.
The opening ceremonies can last two to three hours. They feature opera performances, speeches, and the traditional grand opening dance. Guests gather shoulder to shoulder. They are eager to catch a glimpse of the spectacle.
Then comes an announcement: “Let the waltz begin!” The rest of the crowd joins in the dancing. This year, many balls honored Viennese composer Johann Strauss II. 2025 is the 200th anniversary of his birth. He is known as the “waltz king.” You might know one of his most famous waltzes, “The Blue Danube.”
The waltz, the quadrille, and other traditional dances are the heart of the Viennese balls. But modern events now offer a range of music. Most venues feature multiple halls. Guests can dance to various styles, including disco and contemporary music.
But dress codes have stayed strict. Gentlemen are required to wear tailcoats or tuxedos. Ladies don evening gowns.
Let them praise His name with dancing, making melody to Him with tambourine and lyre! — Psalm 149:3
