A work composed in October 1824, during Schubert's stay at the Esterházy family's estate in Zseliz. Schubert taught piano to the sisters of this family. While Schubert's dances were originally a practical genre, often danced at Schubertiades, this work, requiring pianistic and delicate technique, may have been composed for the education of his younger sister, Karoline (she owned the autograph manuscript of this work).

The work is divided into two groups: the first in A-flat major and the second in B-flat major, and in both, the first dance of the group is repeated by a da capo.

It was published in May 1931. Additionally, an orchestral arrangement by Webern was published in the same year.