Foxtrot Basics
Foxtrot is a smooth dance, traveling around the line of dance. The long walking movements involve a subtle rise & fall action. Turning movements are similar to Waltz, but with a more moderate rise and fall, and more length-wise action.
International Foxtrot syllabus has only closed dance position but in American Foxtrot, both open and closed dance positions are allowed. The Foxtrot originally started with slow and quick steps but soon evolved to include twinkles and chasses.
The Foxtrot is danced to music written in 4/4 time with the first and third beats of each measure more heavily accented. It is danced in combinations of slow and quick steps, with each slow step taking two beats and each quick step one beat of music.
Therefore, a dance basic figure in slow, slow, quick, quick rhythm takes one and a half measures, while a dance figure in slow, quick, quick rhythm takes one measure.
Foxtrot is extremely versatile and can be danced to a variety of musical styles and tempi. Foxtrot music has a tempo of 29 to 34 measures per minute.
Foxtrot is danced in a closed ballroom dance position hold. In closed position, the man and lady stand in front of each other, slightly offset to the left.
The lady's right hand and man's left hand are joined in an upper-hand clasp at approximately the lady's shoulder level.
The man's right hand is placed on the lady's shoulder blade, with the lady's left arm resting on his right.
Foxtrot Basic Forward
How to Dance a Basic Forward Step
Rhythm - Slow, slow, quick, quick. Foxtrot music is 4/4 timing which means there are 4 beats to 1 bar of music. A slow is 2 beats and a quick is 1 beat.
Men
Men start facing line of dance. (Hint: Face slightly toward the right wall of the room, or you'll eventually hit the left wall.)
- Start with feet together and weight on right foot
- With left foot take 1 walking step forward (slow)
- Step forward with right foot (slow)
- Step sideways with left foot (quick)
- Close right foot to left foot (quick)
- You'll end with your weight on right foot, ready to 'rinse, repeat' with left foot.
Man's foot position
Rhythm - Slow, slow, quick, quick.
Ladies
- Start with feet together and weight on left foot
- With right foot take 1 walking step backward (slow)
- Step back with left foot (slow)
- Step sideways with right foot (quick)
- Close left foot to right foot (quick)
- You'll end with your weight on left foot, ready to 'rinse, repeat' with right foot.
Foxtrot Basic Backward
Man's foot position
Start position
Rhythm - Slow, slow, quick, quick.
Foxtrot Rock Left Turn
Man's foot position
Rhythm - Slow, slow, quick, quick.
Foxtrot Forward progressive
Man's foot position
Rhythm - Slow, slow, quick, quick.
Foxtrot Promenade Step
Man's and lady's foot position
Start
Rhythm - Slow, slow, quick, quick
Next in Steps: Foxtrot Steps 2
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