The Foxtrot: A Dance For Everyone!

The Foxtrot: A Dance

For Everyone!

As you learn how to foxtrot, I thought it would be fun to listen to some music you would dance the Foxtrot to. Here are a couple songs you may be interested in:

• Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald• Ella Fitzgerald- Cheek to Cheek • Frank Sinatra- Our Love is Here to S

tay• Frank Sinatra- You Make Me so Hap

py

Foxtrot Music

Dancing, an act everyone can do, but many shy away from because they don’t know the steps. Well, now you do or will, so embrace the music and put on your dancing shoes!

Join me as I explain the basics of the Foxtrot; a simple and easy dance for impressing the ladies or

enjoying a moment with someone special!

Back

1. A Partner2. These instructions3. Enthusiasm4. Patience

Back

You’ll Need…

Created by Harry Fox, a Vaudeville performer.

Couldn’t find a capable dance partner to perform the two-step (found in a lot of folk dancing – polka, Texas Two-Step).

Harry Fox decided to add trotting steps to ragtime music; a slow, slow, quick, quick rhythmic pattern in 4/4 time or 1, 2, 3, 4.

Back

What is the “Foxtrot”?

1st: Face other with shoulders parallel, feet offset from your partners (your right foot pointed in between your partner’s feet).

Men’s position Women’s position

Hint – keep resistance in your arms by keeping shoulders, wrists, & elbows firm. Otherwise it will be difficult to sense which direction to go & what move to do next.

Back

Click me Click me

First Step: The Starting Position

2nd: MEN -> Extend your right arm away from your body, bent at the elbow slightly to the side at a 90 degree angle and place right hand below the woman’s shoulder blade. (HINT: Your right arm is the main support for the woman and allows the man to lead w/control, comfort, & east .)

The left arm is extended from away from your body,

elbow is bent at 90 degree angle and your hand is cupped holding the woman’s right hand.

This is what

it can look

like

Back to First Step

Men’s Position

2nd: WOMEN -> Your right arm is extended away from your body and slightly to the side at a 90 degree angle. Your right hand is slightly cupped w/fingers together and placed in the man’s left hand. (HINT: Allows for the man to lead w/his fingers and the heel of his hand.)

The left arm is extended away from your body slightly to the side and bent at a 90 degree angle and placed on the

man’s right upper arm. Your left hand is slightly cupped and placed just below the man’s shoulder.

This is what

it can look

like

Back to First Step

Women’s Position

The Simple Footwork -Forward walking steps w/ the heel hitting the floor 1st

and the toe lowering as the body moves over it. Backward walking is the opposite, the toe hits the

floor1st w/ the heel lowering as the body moves over it.

The Complicated Footwork - Forward Basic

Backward Basic Left Box (Reverse) TurnPromenade (Traveling)

Back to First Step

Second Step:

A combination of two walks followed by a side step to the

count of 1, 2, 3, 4 or Slow, Slow, Quick, Quick.

Men’s Forward Women’s Forward

CLICK ME!

Back to 2nd

Step

Click me Click me

Forward Basic(Traveling)

Count – style – footwork

1 – Slow – Left foot forward.2 – Slow – Right foot forward.3 – Quick – Left foot side &

slightly forward.4 – Quick – Right foot closes to

left foot.

Back to Forward basic

Men’s Forward Basic

Count – style – footwork 1 – Slow – Right foot Back2 – Slow – Left Foot Back3 – Quick – Right foot side &

slightly back4 – Quick – Left foot closes to

right foot

Back to Forward basic

Women’s Forward Basic

The reverse of the Forward basic; a combination of two walks followed by a side step to the count of 1, 2, 3, 4 or Slow, Slow, Quick, Quick.

(The man is moving backwards and lady forwards.)

Men’s Back Women’s Back

CLICK ME!

Back to Forward basic

Click me Click me

Back Basic Step:

Count – style – footwork

1 – Slow – Left foot forward.2 – Slow – Right foot forward.3 – Quick – Left foot side &

slightly forward.4 – Quick – Right foot closes to

left foot.

Back to Back basic

Men’s Back Basic

Count – style – footwork

1 – Slow – Right foot forward2 – Slow – Left foot forward3 – Quick – Right foot side &

slightly forward4 – Quick – Left foot closes to

right foot

Back to Back basic

Women’s Back Basic

For a little more movement during the dance add a turn. Left Box Turn is

borrowed from the Waltz, but with the subtle rise & fall action of the Foxtrot.

The turn happens to the Left by the Man over 6 steps; Slow, Quick, Quick, Slow,

Quick, Quick; 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2

CLICK ME!

Men’s Left Box Women’s Left Box

Back to Back basic

Click me Click me

Left Box (Reverse)Turn:

Count – style – footwork

1 – Slow – Left foot forward.2 – Quick– Right foot side.3 – Quick – Left foot closes to Right

foot. (up to 3/8 turn to left between 1-3 count)

4 – Slow– Right foot back.5 – Quick – Left foot side.6 – Quick – Right foot closes to Left

foot. (up to 3/8 turn to left between 4-6 count)

Back to Left Box Turn

Men’s Left Box Turn:

Count – style – footwork

1 – Slow – Right foot back2 – Quick– Left foot side3 – Quick – Right foot closes to

Left foot (up to 3/8 turn to left between 1-3 count).

4 – Slow – Left foot forward.5 – Quick – Right foot side.6 – Quick – Left foot closes to

Right foot (up to 3/8 turn to left between 4-6 count)

Back to Left Box Turn

Women’s Left Box Turn:

Another addition to your basics. The “V” shaped dance position where the man & lady travel in the same direction, toward the open end of the

“V”.

Both man and woman take two walks forward facing the same forward direction to Slow,

Slow. Then turn and face each other in closed position and finish w/ side step to Quick, QuickMen’s Promenade Women’s

Promenade

CLICK ME!

Back to Left Box Turn

Click me Click me

Promenade (Traveling Step):

Count – style – footwork

1 – Slow – Left foot side & slightly forward in promenade position. – Facing diagonal wall, traveling along line of dance (1/8 turn to Left between previous step 1).

2 – Slow– Right foot forward & across in promenade position CBMP? – Facing diagonal wall, traveling along line of dance (begin to turn Right).

3 – Quick – Left foot side – 1/8 turn to Right between 2-3 count.

4 – Quick – Right foot closes to left foot – end in closed position, facing wall.

Back to Promenade

Men’s Promenade:

Count – style – footwork

1 – Slow – Right foot side & slightly forward in promenade position – facing diagonal center, traveling along line of dance (1/8 turn to Right between previous step & 1).

2 – Slow – Left foot forward & across in promenade position and CBMP? – facing diagonal center, traveling along line of dance (begin to turn to Left).

3 – Quick – Right foot side – 1/8 turn to left between 2-3 count.

4 – Quick– Left foot closes to Right foot – end in closed position, facing center.

Back to Promenade

Women’s Promenade:

The Basics have been explained and now practice is in order. Someday, you and your partner may even look like this:

Check it out!

Back to Promenade

Put it all together…

Now, let’s test you’reFoxtrot knowledge!

A. Quick, Quick, Slow, QuickB. Slow, Quick, Slow, QuickC. Slow, Slow, Quick, QuickD. Quick, Slow, Slow, Quick

What is the count for theFoxtrot’s forward basic step?

A. Lower BackB. Right upper arm

C. HandD. Back of the neck

Back

Where should the woman’s LeftHand rest while dancing the foxtrot?

A. PromenadeB. Forward Basic

C. Back basicD. Dance Positioning

Back

What is one example of a Traveling step?

Back

Congratulations!

Back

Congratulations!

Back

Congratulations!

Harry Fox decided to add trotting steps toragtime music; a slow, slow, quick, quickrhythmic pattern in 4/4 time or 1, 2, 3, 4.

Back

Not Quite.

2nd: MEN -> Extend your right arm away from your body, bent at the elbow slightly to the side at a 90 degree angle and place right hand below the woman’s shoulder blade. (HINT: Your right arm is the main support for the woman and allows the man to lead w/control, comfort, & east .)

Back

See here

Not Quite.

Promenade = traveling stepForward Basic = traveling step

Back

Not Quite.

My dad and I dancing the Foxtrot at the Viennese Ball

in Eau Claire, WI 2008

Back

See you on the dance floor!

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HEIf2yP_P8&feature=related

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGNGpSzTLFY&feature=related

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Videos -

• http://www.ballroomdancers.com/Dances/dance_overview.asp?Dance=AFX

• http://www.ballroom-dancing-online.com/learn-how-to-foxtrot/

• http://www.centralhome.com/ballroomcountry/foxtrot_steps.htm

• http://www.dancing4beginners.com/learn-how-to-dance-foxtrot.htm

• http://www.dancetv.com/tutorial/foxtrot/index.html

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