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The Foxtrot: A Dance For Everyone!

The Foxtrot: A Dance For Everyone!. Foxtrot Music. 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

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The Foxtrot: A Dance For Everyone!

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  1. The Foxtrot: A Dance For Everyone!

  2. Foxtrot Music 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 Stay • Frank Sinatra- You Make Me so Happy

  3. 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

  4. You’ll Need… • A Partner • These instructions • Enthusiasm • Patience Back

  5. What is the “Foxtrot”? • 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

  6. First Step: The Starting Position 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 Click me Click me 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

  7. Men’s 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 leftarm 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

  8. Women’s Position 2nd: WOMEN -> Your right arm is extended away from your body and slightly to the side at a 90 degree angle. Your righthand 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 rightupper 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

  9. Second Step: 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) Turn Promenade (Traveling) Back to First Step

  10. Forward Basic (Traveling) 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! Click me Click me Back to 2nd Step

  11. Men’s Forward Basic 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

  12. Women’s Forward Basic Count – style – footwork 1 – Slow – Right foot Back 2 – Slow – Left Foot Back 3 – Quick – Right foot side & slightly back 4 – Quick – Left foot closes to right foot Back to Forward basic

  13. Back Basic Step: 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! Click me Click me Back to Forward basic

  14. Men’s Back Basic 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

  15. Women’s Back Basic Count – style – footwork 1 – Slow – Right foot forward 2 – Slow – Left foot forward 3 – Quick – Right foot side & slightly forward 4 – Quick – Left foot closes to right foot Back to Back basic

  16. Left Box (Reverse) Turn: Men’s Left Box Women’s Left Box CLICK ME! Click me Click me Back to 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

  17. Men’s Left Box 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

  18. Women’s Left Box Turn: Count – style – footwork 1 – Slow – Right foot back 2 – Quick– Left foot side 3 – 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

  19. Promenade (Traveling Step): Men’s Promenade Women’s Promenade CLICK ME! Click me Click me Back to 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, Quick

  20. Men’s Promenade: 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

  21. Women’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

  22. Put it all together… 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

  23. Now, let’s test you’re Foxtrot knowledge!

  24. What is the count for the Foxtrot’s forward basic step? • Quick, Quick, Slow, Quick • Slow, Quick, Slow, Quick • Slow, Slow, Quick, Quick • Quick, Slow, Slow, Quick

  25. Where should the woman’s Left Hand rest while dancing the foxtrot? • Lower Back • Right upper arm • Hand • Back of the neck Back

  26. What is one example of a Traveling step? • Promenade • Forward Basic • Back basic • Dance Positioning Back

  27. Congratulations! Back

  28. Congratulations! Back

  29. Congratulations! Back

  30. Not Quite. 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

  31. Not Quite. See here 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

  32. Not Quite. Promenade = traveling step Forward Basic = traveling step Back

  33. See you on the dance floor! My dad and I dancing the Foxtrot at the Viennese Ball in Eau Claire, WI 2008 Back

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

  35. Resources • 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 Back

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