Travel through Russia, Austria, Spain and Turkey with Karine Hagen, Executive Vice President at Viking, as she discovers some of the world’s most distinctive dances. Beginning as entertainment for the royal court in the mid-1700s, ballet is now nearly synonymous with Russia, where we will learn about its history and why it remains so celebrated around the globe. At the oldest and most famous dance school in Vienna, Tanzschule Elmayer, learn the basic steps of the iconic Viennese waltz with expert instructor Professor Thomas Schäfer-Elmayer. In Spain, ignite your soul with flamenco and gain an insider’s perspective on what drives the artists to deliver their fiery footwork in this centuries-old tradition. From here, we arrive in Turkey to greet the semazens—whirling dervishes—from the Mevlevi Order, who complete as many as 2,000 turns in a ceremony which UNESCO has named a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.