foxtrot

The foxtrot can be danced to many different musical styles and tempi, however it is commonly danced to a moderate tempo (Bedinghaus). The music is in a simple duple meter in four bar phrases, and the first and third beats are accented more than the second and fourth beats.

Foxtrot has a 4/4 time signature, which is common among all the ballroom and Latin dances with the exception of waltz. The foxtrot would be counted as "1, 2, 3, 4", "1, 2, 3, 4", with the music alternating between down beats and up beats.

The foxtrot is a smooth dance where the dancers travel across the dance floor (Bedinghaus). The long walking movements contribute to the iconic rise and fall motion. The footwork is a combination of slow and quick steps. The slow steps take up two beats of the music, and the quick steps take up one beat.

The music, influenced by ragtime, is in 4/4 time with syncopated rhythm. The speed of the step varies with the music: half notes (minims) require slow steps; and quarter notes (crotchets), fast steps. The fox-trot consists primarily of walking steps, chassés (step side, close step), and quarter turns.

All ballroom dancers are aware that the Slow Foxtrot is the most difficult dance to master in the Ballroom genre. It requires great control of body flight and leg action. Although there is rise and fall, the emphasis is on using the energy horizontally rather than sending it vertically as you do in the Waltz.

Foxtrot has smooth gliding steps with a heel lead, controlled movement and an easygoing look. It has less rise and fall than the Waltz as the emphasis is on progression. The foxtrot is an all-purpose dance that can be performed to many different styles of music.

Named for its creator, vaudeville entertainer Harry Fox, the foxtrot made its debut in 1914. Born Arthur Carrington in 1882, Harry Fox was the classic vaudeville performer. He was a comedian, as well as an actor and dancer who also made some of the earlier “talking pictures” of the late 1920s.

The dancers' rise and fall motions can be mistaken for the waltz; however, the foxtrot is danced in a 4/4 time signature, while the waltz is danced in a 3/4 time signature. Thus, the foxtrot has four steps for each beat of music, with the first and third steps accented.

Named for its creator, vaudeville entertainer Harry Fox, the foxtrot made its debut in 1914. Born Arthur Carrington in 1882, Harry Fox was the classic vaudeville performer. He was a comedian, as well as an actor and dancer who also made some of the earlier “talking pictures” of the late 1920s.

The most common story attributes the name to actor Harry Fox, who used it in his dance show “Harry Fox & the Zigfeld Follies” in the summer of 1914. His show was immensely popular and people began referring to the dance as “Fox's Trot” which quickly gained popularity.

Over time, the foxtrot split into slow and quick versions, referred to as "foxtrot" and "quickstep" respectively.

In Ballroom dance there are two different major styles: American and International. The international Foxtrot is often called the Slow Foxtrot because it is danced at a slower tempo than the American version.