Foxtrot Steps
If you're looking for elegance, style and history, you can find it all in the dance known as the foxtrot. This ballroom dance has been around since the early twentieth century and for almost one hundred years, it has been gracing American ballrooms while also finding its way abroad. The foxtrot started out as a part of a vaudeville act performed by the legendary actor Harry Fox, but it was quickly taken up famed ballroom dancers Vernon and Irene Castle. They were the ones who brought the famous slow-slow-quick-quick rhythms of foxtrot to a wider audience. When it was first introduced, the foxtrot was danced to ragtime music, and today, it and swing are both danced to big band music.
When thinking about the foxtrot steps the first thing to remember is the rhythm. The instantly recognizable slow-slow-quick-quick rhythm was believed to have been developed by Harry Fox because his dancers couldn't keep up with the quick beats. Remember that the slow steps take 2 counts while the quick ones take one. Once you have master the rhythm, you can start incorporating the steps themselves.
When you are beginning to learn the foxtrot steps, there are a few things to keep in mind. Remember that this ballroom dance should be doe as gracefully as possible and that the long steps will create a rise and fall in your height. Foxtrot is done to 4/4 time and taking into consideration the change the movement of the dance, it may take from one to one and a half measures to finish one full figure on the dance floor.
In the basic foxtrot dance steps, the man's feet start by moving the left foot forward for the first slow count, followed by the right foot for the second. On the first quick beat, the man's foot slides to the left and for the second quick beat, his right foot slides to join it. Essentially, this set of motions will have the man tracing an "L" on the floor. The woman will copy the man, moving her right foot backwards as he moves his left foot forwards, and so on. This is the basic set of foxtrot dance steps to move a couple forward and is mostly used as a place holder of sorts; it is simple and very easy to learn, and it can often be used to separate out other steps.
One important foxtrot step is known as the promenade and is another step that may be used for traveling. In the promenade step, the couple faces each other. The man steps to his left with his left foot on the first slow beat, and then crosses his right foot in front of the left on the second. With the first quick beat, he brings his left foot to its proper place and on the second, he closes with his right. The woman does this step at the same time that the man does while mirroring is movements.
Another easily learned foxtrot step is known s the box step. This move is virtually identical to the box step learned in the waltz, and is quite easy to master. There is very little movement in this step and you will end where you begun. When the figure starts, the man steps forward with his left foot. Then he steps out with his right foot out to the side and then closes with his left. Then the right foot steps back while the left foot is brought to a regular standing position parallel to the right. On the final movement, the right foot comes to close with the left. Often this step is repeated, with the left foot moving forward.
The twinkle step, which is a foxtrot dance step that is often used for movement, is a bit tricky to explain but is considered quite simple. From a closed starting position, the man's left foot moves forward. The right foot is brought slightly ahead of the left foot and planted at forty-five degree angle to the direction had previously been traveled, and then left foot closes to join with the right foot, leaving both feet pointed in the same direction. The right foot is then brought slightly ahead and then the left foot slides forward and plants at an angle again, resuming the original direction that the couple was traveling in. Then the right foot is brought to close with the left foot and the figure often repeats.
When you think about learning the foxtrot, just remember that once you have the rhythm down, you can do a wide variety of steps to it!
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