France (Paris), early 20th century
JAVA
The cheeky waltz of the Parisian suburbs
Java was born in the guinguettes and musette balls of working-class Paris in the early 20th century, as a popular reaction against the bourgeois musette Waltz. Faster, tighter, and cheekier, it is danced with the couple held very close, hand in low hand, and a characteristic swaying of the hips.
Accompanied by the accordion of Saturday night balls, it defined the golden age of Parisian working-class neighborhoods from the 1920s to the 1960s, before becoming today a nostalgic symbol of old Paname, regularly revived at musette balls and retro parties.
How it's danced
Technique & figures
Java is danced as a couple, in very close position, to fast three-beat music (around 60 bars per minute). The basic step is made of small lateral steps rather than large traveling movements.
Styles and fundamentals
The couple stays tight together, the hips mark the bounce of each bar, and the turn happens on the spot rather than progressing around the floor, unlike the Waltz.
Main figures
- 01
Basic step
Three small lateral steps with a swaying hip movement, on each three-beat bar.
- 02
Turn on the spot
The couple turns tightly on the spot, without traveling, marking the bounce.
Reading the music
Parisian musette ball, accordion (Yvette Horner, Aimable, Jo Privat).