Aristocrats gathering around Emperor Franz Joseph at a ball in the Hofburg Imperial Palace, painting by Wilhelm Gause (1900).

The first dance is an element in a number of traditions, being an opening of a certain dance function: ball, prom, etc. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Franz Joseph I (in Hungarian I. Ferenc József, in English Francis Joseph I) (August 18, 1830 – November 21, 1916) of the Habsburg Dynasty was Emperor of Austria, Apostolic King of Hungary, King of Bohemia from 1848 until 1916 and a German prince (Deutscher Fürst). ... Hofburg Neue Burg section, seen from Heldenplatz. ... jus like my ass For other uses, see Dance (disambiguation). ... A ball is a formal dance. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Balls

A Texas debutante and her mother at a Debutante Ball

In the context of balls, the term "first dance" has two meanings. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 411 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (686 × 1000 pixel, file size: 357 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A debutante and her mother pose at a cotillion I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 411 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (686 × 1000 pixel, file size: 357 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A debutante and her mother pose at a cotillion I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Official language(s) No Official Language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ...

At various formal balls the first dance was usually performed by a couple which included a person of highest social position in a given context: the Emperor or King, a prince, etc. Their dance was the opening of the ball. Private balls were traditionally opened by the host or hostess. An emperor is a (male) monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. ... A monarch (see sovereignty) is a type of ruler or head of state. ... The term prince, from the Latin root princeps, is used for a member of the highest ranks of the aristocracy or the nobility. ...

Since these times the phrase "to open the ball" has become a figure of speech for initiating an activity which will be subsequently continued by others. Quite often the term has been used in descriptions of battle scenes. ^[1] A figure of speech, sometimes termed a rhetoral, or elocution, is a word or phrase that departs from straightforward, literal language. ...

In 17th-century France, Minuet, "the Queen of Dances", was the first dance. A minuet, sometimes spelled menuet, is a social dance of French origin for two persons, usually in 3/4 time. ...

In the Victorian era of Great Britain the first dance was a quadrille.^[2] Queen Victoria (shown here on the morning of her Ascension to the Throne, 20 June 1837) gave her name to the historic era The Victorian era of the United Kingdom marked the height of the British industrial revolution and the apex of the British Empire. ... for the equestrian form of quadrille, see Quadrille (dressage) Quadrille is a historic dance performed by four couples in a square formation, a precursor to traditional square dancing. ...

In 19th century Russian Empire balls were opened with Polonaise. Anthem God Save the Tsar! The Russian Empire in 1914 Capital Saint Petersburg Language(s) Russian Government Monarchy Emperor  - 1721-1725 Peter the Great (first)  - 1894-1917 Nicholas II (last) History  - Established 22 October, 1721  - February Revolution 2 March, 1917 Area  - 1897 22,400,000 km2 8,648,688 sq... Typical rhythm of a Polonaise For a robe à la polonaise, see Polonaise (clothing). ...

Another meaning is the first occurrence of a young lady in a social gathering. It could have happened either during a usual ball or during a specially arranged debutante ball or cotillion. A debutante ball, or debs, is the Irish equivalent to the USAs proms. ... Cotillion is a formal presentation of young ladies, debutantes, to polite society. ...

Weddings

A couple from a traditional Western-style wedding enjoys the first dance as a couple

The "first dance" of a bride and groom is an important component of the wedding ceremony in modern European traditions. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 270 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (405 × 900 pixel, file size: 124 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 270 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (405 × 900 pixel, file size: 124 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Bride Bride in formal dress North America. ... See also: A groom is a type of officer-servant in the British royal household. ... Nuptial is the adjective of wedding. It is used for example in zoology to denote plumage, coloration, behavior, etc related to or occurring in the mating season. ...

Traditionally, the first dance has been Waltz. In modern times ballroom dancing is no longer a widespread skill, and rehearsing the "first dance" has become a lucrative business for dance studios and independent dance instructors. Alternatively, many couples just do a "slow dance". Today more popular dances include the foxtrot, merengue, and swing. A waltz (German: , Italian: , French: , Catalan: ) is a ballroom and folk dance in   time, done primarily in closed position. ... Ballroom dance is a style of partner dance which originated in the western world and is now enjoyed both socially and competitively around the globe. ... A dance studio is a studio which is established to teach dance. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ...

Other

• At "Studniówka", a kind of prom in Poland, the first dance is usually a polonaise, which students usually have to practice before the ball.

Studniówka (literally, 100 days ahead party) is a traditional ball for final grade high school (liceum or technikum) students (i. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Typical rhythm of a Polonaise For a robe à la polonaise, see Polonaise (clothing). ...

Notable occurrences

• The first dance of Cinderella was the "first dance" in two senses: it was her first dance, and she was asked to open the ball by the prince

Gustave Dorés illustration for Cendrillon For other uses, see Cinderella (disambiguation). ...

See also

• Wedding music

The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ...

References

1. ^ From Rudyard Kipling's "The Drums Of The Fore And Aft": Over that pock-marked ground the Regiment had to pass, and it opened the ball with a general and profound courtesy to the piping pickets; ducking in perfect time, as though it had been brazed on a rod.
2. ^ Thomas E. Hill, "Essential Handbook of Victorian Etiquette" (1994) ISBN 0-912517-12-3 (paperback)

This article is about the British author. ...

External links

• Top 10 First Dance Wedding Songs, based on a poll of 1,300 DJs by uk-disco.co.uk
• "Polling the Pros: First Dance Songs", by Minnesota Bride magazine
• First dance trends, by Sharon Naylor, an author of about 30 wedding books
• Surviving the First Dance - Ten Tips
• Trendsetters in teaching the first dance for wedding couples