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Foxtrot: An Advanced (Phase V)
Discussion
by Sandi
& Dan Finch
When you were first exposed to foxtrot in a round dance class, most
likely at phase III, you would have learned its “slow, quick, quick”
timing applied to familiar waltz figures. In phase IV, you began to
learn “real” foxtrot steps – feather, three step (instead of forward
and run 2), promenade weave, and half natural (instead of maneuver).
And, as you progress into advanced dancing, you begin to hear about
“footwork” (how you use your feet, not where you put them) and the rise
and fall of foxtrot that is different from waltz.
This is the foxtrot you hear described as elegant, lazy, unhurried,
oily, gliding, moving like a swan on a lake, serene, seemingly moving
without effort.
History --
A strictly American creation, foxtrot in its original form was in fact
like trotting. Some say the dance was created by the dance team of
Vernon and Irene Castle, then popularized by Harry Fox, a vaudeville
dancer who first used the rhythm in a New York stage show in 1914.
“Harry’s trot” was made up of fast trotting steps to ragtime music.
Although most credit Harry Fox for naming the rhythm, other historians
believe it was named for the Missouri Foxtrotter, a horse with a smooth
trot unlike other breeds due to the horse always having one foot on the
ground as it strides.
Others believe the dance was named for the fox which has an unusual
gait among animals, moving with its feet under its body on a single
track, much like always being in CBMP (contra body movement position).
The American Society of Professors of Dancing, in standardizing the
steps in the 1920s, replaced the “trot” action with a slow gliding
stride that would be less tiring for a night of dancing. The faster
version evolved into the peabody in America and the quickstep in
England, which kept the runs, chasses, hops, and skips of Harry’s trot.
Today, the foxtrot comes in three basic styles. The simplest is social
foxtrot, made up of patterns of walks and side closes, usually taught
to beginners in the ballroom franchise studios. More advanced foxtrot
consists of passing feet on almost all steps, either in the American
style with its open work or the international style remaining in
contact with partner.
Tempo & Timing --
Basic slow foxtrot is danced “slow, quick, quick” in 4/4 timing,
meaning three steps in four beats of music. Basic instruction tells you
that the slow step is taken on two beats of music and each quick uses
one beat.
If two couples dance a feather step side by side, one having learned
only the basics and one applying some advanced technique, they will
both dance three forward steps for Man (back for Lady), ending in Banjo.
The difference will be that the first couple will probably step on beat
1, maybe pause as beat 2 goes by, then step at the beginning of the
first quick (beat 3), and take their third step on the second quick
(beat 4). By all accounts, they are dancing the three steps of the
feather SQQ as the book says to do.
The second couple will start by swinging into count 1, stretch out the
slow by rolling through their feet, and continue “in flight” through
the quicks with a smooth flow, eliminating the start-and-stop of
stepping on each beat that gives foxtrot a choppy look. They are
keeping the timing with their bodies, and the feet fall in place under
the body. Below, we'll explore a few concepts to create a natural body
movement of “traveling through” the steps to achieve “that” look.
Beyond that, foxtrot is about musical interpretation. Popular music is
often not performed in strict tempo. The drum or bass may play
consistently even beats, but other instruments and the singing will
vary the timing. You get to pick the part of the music or singing you
want to move with.
Movement --
The progressive, smooth flowing elegance of foxtrot depends on how the
feet are used. Heel leads, while important in other rhythms to generate
power, become imperative in foxtrot. You “roll through your feet,”
meaning a forward step starting a figure usually begins with a heel
lead. As the body moves forward, its weight creates a rolling through
the foot and you leave the stride on the tip of your shoe (creating
your rise). The next forward step will generally land on the toe as the
body continues moving not allowing the heel to touch the floor, then
onto the third step on toe lowering to a flat foot. Going backwards,
think that your feet are shaped like the rockers on a child’s rocking
horse—you reach back with the toe of the moving foot, roll through the
foot lowering the heel only as the feet pass and reach back with the
toe of the free foot. If stopped at this point in the stride, you will
be balanced on the heel of the foot you are leaving (toe off the floor)
and the toe of the foot you are moving onto.
Feathers --
Feathers and three steps are the most basic figures in advanced
foxtrot, and can be the most difficult to master. They seem fairly
simple, each being three forward steps for Man. But they require us to
know something about side leading, swing, and body alignment that
differs from foot alignment.
The feather is part of a family of figures—feather, feather finish,
feather ending, and back feather at phase IV, then curved feather at
phase V (and the phase VI left feather and the unphased four feathers).
The basic feather begins forward R for Man with left side leading into
the second step, allowing him to step outside his partner without
losing contact with her. Lady goes into Banjo on the second step, and
they drift into the third step. The usual fault here is stepping into
banjo without upper body rotation, resulting in a hip-to-hip position.
A Most Peculiar Step --
The three step for Man (or the back three step where Lady goes forward,
as in the second measure of a reverse wave) is most peculiar
because it requires footwork unlike almost any other figure. The
general rule for footwork in moving forward is heel toe, toe, toe heel.
In the three step, the person going forward takes two steps in a row
both leading with the heel: heel flat, heel toe, toe heel.
There is a reason for this: The three step is one of the very few steps
in foxtrot taken with partners dancing forward staying in closed
position (it has a certain amount of shaping, but no CBMP, no banjo, no
feathering). If the man were to step forward on the first step onto a
heel rising to the toe, then onto the toe on the next step, he would
overpower his partner. He is also not in position conducive to forward
swing, as when he moves into banjo through the feather. By taking the
steps heel flat, heel then rising to the toe, onto the toe and then
flat, he can generate power but keep his partner comfortably in front
of him.
Building from the Basics --
Many of the standardized phase V foxtrot figures are also done in waltz
and to some extent quickstep – the picture figures, eros line,
mini-telespin, hover cross, double reverse, quick open reverse, outside
spin, tipple chasse, to name a few. They are done in foxtrot with
little variation except for appropriate foxtrot timing. Many figures
are purely foxtrot, and these fall into place once the feather and
three step are mastered.
Curved Feather: (SQQ) As the name implies, it is three forward steps
like the feather but curving to the right. If done from Banjo or
Semi-closed Position, the first step is straight forward. When done
from closed position, Man’s first step is between partner’s feet. The
third step does most of the curve.
Dance Module: Three step; curved feather; back
feather; feather finish;
Curving Three Step: (SQQ) This is like the three step but curves to the
left staying in closed position throughout. Back curving three step is
the opposite, with Lady going forward and Man backing three steps with
left curving action.
Dance Module: Double reverse spin; curving three
step; back curving three step;
Top Spin: (&;QQQQ;) This figure begins with a left face spin action
(about 1/8th turn) on the ball of the foot on the last step of the
previous figure (in feather ending position). This means the cue has to
come early enough so you can check the last step of the previous figure
and stay on the toes. After the little spin, step back and do a feather
finish. It can be repeated—for a double top spin—to take you back to
where you started.
Dance Module: Full reverse turn;; top spin; telemark
to SCP;
Natural Weave: (SQQ; QQQQ;) Often danced from closed position after a
three step, this begins like a half natural, then back L in Banjo, back
R bringing partner in line, then turn to step L side & forward, and
forward R, ending like a feather finish. Ladies will have a heel turn
on step 2.
Dance Module: Full reverse turn;; three step,
natural weave;; change of direction;
Natural Fallaway Weave: (SQQ; QQQQ;) This begins in semi-closed
position with a right turn to fallaway position, then back for both,
slipping to a feather ending.
Dance Module: Hover telemark; natural fallaway
weave;; three step;
Natural Promenade Zig Zag or just Zig Zag: (SQQ;QQ) The school figure
begins in semi-closed position with a thru step starting a right face
turn and ending in Banjo. In usage however, it can be any number of
steps, with Man starting forward or back, from any position. In common
usage is a reverse (left turning) zig zag (QQQQ), which begins with a
left face turn followed by a zig zag action. From feather ending DLC,
fwd L, sd R trng LF, XLIB; sd R trng RF SCAR DC; (Bk R, cl L heel turn,
XRIF; sd L trng RF).
From clinic notes
prepared for the ICBDA annual convention, 2012,
and
reprinted
in the Dixie Round Dance Council (DRDC)
Newsletter, October 2024. Find a DRDC Finch archive here.
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