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Dances and classes

What is danced is learnt on the spot

From the first waltz to the Münchner Française: the six dances of the Kocherlball, and three ways to learn them, with or without a class.

The repertoire

Six dances, one morning

The repertoire has barely changed in decades, and that is deliberate. These are dances you can grasp in a few minutes.

Waltz3/4 time

The foundation of every ball, turned at an unhurried pace and usually the first dance of the morning.

BoarischerRound dance

The Bavarian couple dance in even time, down to earth and with plenty of swing.

ZwiefacherMixed metre

Switches mid-piece between Dreher and waltz. The Old Bavarian peculiarity by which the experts recognise one another.

Polka2/4 time

Quick, easy to learn and hard to sit out.

LandlerFolk dance

A calm turning dance from the Alps, and one of the oldest played here.

Münchner FrançaiseGroup dance

The figure dance for the finale, in lines and squares, called from the stage.

Learning to dance

Three ways onto the dance floor

  • At the ball

    Just join in

    The group dances are explained on the morning itself, figure by figure. That is how most people learn, and how it has always been done.

  • Beforehand

    Free dance classes

    Before the Kocherlball the City of Munich's Department of Arts and Culture regularly invites beginners to free dance classes. No registration, no partner needed, and you can join at any session.

  • Year-round

    Open folk-dance circles

    Munich has a thriving folk-dance scene, with open evenings to which beginners are expressly invited. Once you have mastered the Zwiefacher, you do not forget it.

Nobody needs a class. The instruction on the day is enough, and watching with a coffee and a Brezn is a discipline as old as the ball itself.

Questions about the dances

In brief

Can I join in without knowing how to dance?
Yes. The group dances are explained on the spot, step by step. Nobody needs any experience.
Are there dance classes to prepare for the Kocherlball?
Yes. Before the Kocherlball the City of Munich's Department of Arts and Culture regularly runs free dance classes for beginners, led by the dance masters Katharina Mayer and Magnus Kaindl. No registration and no partner needed. All year round you can practise in the open folk-dance circles.
Who leads the dances?
Each year dance leaders call the steps from the stage. The organiser currently names the dance mistress Katharina Mayer and the lead dancer Magnus Kaindl.
What is a Zwiefacher?
An Old Bavarian dance that switches mid-piece between even and odd metre, between Dreher and waltz. It is regarded as the real test. Anyone who loses count is in good company.

Evidence

Sources

  1. muenchen.de, offizielles Stadtportal: Kocherlball am Chinesischen Turm in München.
  2. Kulturreferat der Landeshauptstadt München, Volkskultur in München: Tanzworkshop Bairisch Tanzen zum Kocherlball.
  3. Wikipedia: Kocherlball.
Retrieved on 7 October 2026. The sources are in German. They document the facts given on this page; the bodies named remain the authority.

The rest is practice

And the practice takes place on the third Sunday in July, at six in the morning.

See the date