Origins of the Foxtrot

The Foxtrot is one of the most deceiving dances as it looks very easy, but is one of the most difficult dances to do. The dance originated in the Victorian era as the “One Step”. It was later introduced as the “Castle Walk” by the American performers, Vernon and Irene Castle. Then, in 1913, a Vaudeville performer by the name of Harry Fox performed a little trot, which appealed to the social dance teachers in New York and thus the Foxtrot was born. It has gone through many changes since that time and is now comprised of more soft fluid movements.

Music

Danced in 4/4 timing, the music has 4 recurring, even beats. There is an accent on the first beat of each bar. The music is smooth, non-jerky and suggests a smooth movement and transfer of weight across the floor.

Characteristics

In its present form, the Foxtrot should be performed with a smooth, continuous undulating movement. The rise and fall should not be as pronounced as the Waltz but still be apparent. Even though there is a progression from a Social Foxtrot that is commonly danced at a faster pace, to a more continuous Foxtrot danced at a slower pace, there should always be a sense of smooth continuous movement around the floor.