Waltz Week In Vienna

What to Wear:

General:

  • Vienna is magical in the winter, but it can also be pretty cold. There may be some sunshine, but chances are high for icy winds, rain or even snow.
  • Average temperatures for January: -1°C (30°F) and for February 2°C (36°F). So be prepared to take warm winter clothes with you, especially if you plan to have an extended walk around the city, and don't forget to bring comfortable and warm walking shoes.

Workshop/Classes:

  • Comfortable and practical clothing. You may want to bring a small towel. Deodorant is always appreciated! You may also want to bring a small water bottle and/or light snacks as needed.

  • The right shoes are important: We suggest choosing standard dancing shoes or shoes with leather soles for the waltz classes. Ladies - think about wearing comfortable shoes that are nice to your feet. Please avoid rubber soles and staining black soles during classes.  Please also plan to bring your dance shoes separate from your street shoes (This will help avoid tracking dirt or mud onto the dance floor).  If it's wet out, think about bringing an extra pair of socks to change into in case yours get wet.

Evenings/Practices:

We suggest avoiding jeans and too informal clothing for practices.

Balls:

Each ball posts it's own dress code.  If you are attending one of the four "Waltz Week" balls, please refer to the dress code for that ball on our balls page.  In general, however, we would suggest the following:

Ladies:

  • We suggest wearing a long evening dress.  While certain balls may specifically request  'floor-length', most of the dresses you'll see at the balls will fall below the knees. We also suggest wearing nylons or stockings, as you may not wish to have bare feet under a long evening dress.
  • While the shoes should fit the gown, think about favoring medium-heel shoes that give you a comfortable feeling and are well broken in, as you will be wearing them for several hours while dancing and moving around.   

Gentlemen:

  • If you have a tailcoat and are eager to wear it on a special event - voilà.
  • If you don't - black dinner jacket/tuxedo or tuxedo with bow tie are fine too.
  • Black patent-leather shoes are never wrong.  

Dance Shoes vs. Street Shoes: 

  • If you are concerned about dancing in your street shoes, please feel free to bring a separate pair of dance shoes for your dancing comfort and pleasure.  Of course, it's best if they also match your outfit.   

Rentals, Purchases, Accessories*:

Vienna has numerous shops for tuxedo or gown purchases or rentals, or for buying shoes, gloves, scarves, hats, ties, or other such accessories.  The shopping is wonderful, but please remember to allow yourself plenty of time for any needed tailoring.  Many hotels also offer in-house tailoring, cleaning, polishing or ironing services if needed.  

*Personal Note:  You should be warned that formal attire rentals or purchases can be quite expensive in Vienna.  You will definitely be better served by purchasing new or second hand accouterments in your home town and bringing them with you.