Dances of Austria

"Congress is dancing" said the Prince de Ligne of the Congress of Vienna, and in 1814, when he made his famous quip, dancing was already part and parcel of Austrian life. After 1918, when Austria as a nation found herself again, the old peasant dances were revived, and the gay and lively rhythms of the Schuhplattler and the Steyrischer were heard once more.

Mrs. Breuer, who spent her life collecting and teaching the songs and dances of Austria, gives here a vivid description of the old country customs and festivities, and the dances that go with them. For those who would learn these dances for themselves, a more detailed description, including step notation and music, is given for four types of dance - the Steyrischer, the Schuhplattler, the Shoemaker's Polka and the dance of the herd-girls of Salzburg.

Four colour plates show the traditional peasant costumes worn in these dances, and there is also a list of festivals at which Austrian folk dancing may be seen at its best.