Today’s American Waltz, also known as the American Box Step or the American Slow Waltz, got its name because of its slower tempo. “The dance was much slower than the prevailing standard waltz of the 19th century, the rotary or circular waltz and the Viennese Waltz, being danced at merely 28-30 measures per minute, rather than the Viennese or Quick Waltz's 54-58 measures per minute” (OSLHP). The slower rhythm allowed dancers to add new flourishes to the movement like the rise and fall associated with the waltz that most Americans today would recognize. Other movements Americans added included “a dip, and was danced with the partners holding their hands on each others’ hips” and “extra syncopated beats, some with slow ‘picture’ steps. These give the dance light and shade, and make it more interesting to perform and to watch” (Herbison-Evans). Another unique aspect of the American Waltz was that the feet are held in straight, front to back parallel position rather than turned out as one would hold one’s foot when doing a ballet.

  Currently people still dance the waltz in country and ballroom dance settings. There was a time when every child was taught to dance the waltz before attending a wedding to which they had been invited or prior to a prom or winter formal. That way, when they danced with their partner at arm’s length, doing the waltz, nothing mistaken for improper would take place, the exact opposite sentiment as when the dance first became popular. The 1970s disco craze took elements of the waltz—dipping, spinning, and twirling—to a whole different level. Today, dance partners think nothing of impropriety when touching each other during a dance. Even with the so-called “dirty dancing” that often makes the news when a school dance is cancelled because of it, dance is still seen as an art form, a wonderful mode of expression and an excellent source of exercise.