Foxtrot
Origins and History
Foxtrot is a smooth, progressive dance characterized by long, continuous flowing movements across the dance floor. It was developed in the 1910s, and is named after its inventor, the vaudeville actor Harry Fox Harry Fox. Fox introduced a trot to a ragtime song in the 1913 Ziegfeld Follies, moving around the stage to a 4/4 beat, which became popular as Fox's Trot.
The Foxtrot was the most significant development in all of ballroom dancing. The combination of quick and slow steps permits more flexibility and gives much more dancing pleasure than the monotonous one-step and two-step which it has replaced. There is more variety in the Foxtrot than in any other dance, and in some ways it is the hardest dance to learn!
Characteristics
The dance is similar in its look to waltz, although the rhythm is in a 4/4 time signature instead of 3/4. Developed in the 1910s, the foxtrot reached its height of popularity in the 1930s and remains practiced today. At its inception, the foxtrot was originally danced to ragtime. From the late 1910s through the 1940s, the foxtrot was certainly the most popular fast dance and the vast majority of records issued during these years were foxtrots. The waltz and tango, while popular, never overtook the foxtrot. Even the popularity of the Lindy hop in the 1940s did not affect the foxtrot's popularity, since it could be danced to the same records used to accompany the Lindy hop.
Technique
The Foxtrot is a ballroom dance that is lots of fun and simple to learn, making it an excellent dance for beginners. An interesting thing about the Foxtrot is that it is actually two dances in one. The Foxtrot can be danced at slow, medium, or fast tempos depending on the speed of the jazz or big band music. The Foxtrot is a dance that is synonymous with smoothness and sophistication. Foxtrot music is played by most social dance orchestras and is one of the easiest dances to learn in the American Style.
Variations
There are several different types of Foxtrot dances, including the Slow Foxtrot, also known as the International Foxtrot, the Fast Foxtrot, and the Social Foxtrot, which is also referred to as the Rhythm Foxtrot, the Club Foxtrot or just simply the 'Foxtrot'. Each of these types of Foxtrot dances has its own specific style, rhythm, and tempo.
In Popular Culture
The Foxtrot has appeared in many films, television series, and advertisements. It has been performed by numerous professional dancers and celebrities in televised competition, notably on TV shows such as 'Dancing with the Stars'. The Foxtrot is also a staple in the repertoire of professional ballroom dance competitions.