When rock and roll first emerged in the early 1950s, record companies were uncertain as to what style of dance would be most applicable to the music. 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. The waltz and tango, while popular, never overtook it. From the late 1910s through the 1940s, the foxtrot was the most popular fast dance, and the vast majority of records issued during these years were foxtrots. Shortly after, they went abroad and, in mid-ocean, sent a wireless to the magazine to change the name of the dance from "Bunny Hug" to "Foxtrot." It was subsequently standardized by Arthur Murray, in whose version it began to imitate the positions of tango.Īt its inception, the foxtrot was originally danced to ragtime.
The Castles introduced what they then called the "Bunny Hug" in a magazine article. The Castles were intrigued by the rhythm, and Jim asked why they didn't create a slow dance to go with it. During breaks from the fast-paced Castle Walk and One-step, Vernon and Irene Castle's music director, James Reese Europe, would slowly play "The Memphis Blues". Handy ("Father of the Blues") notes in his autobiography that his " The Memphis Blues" was the inspiration for the foxtrot. Castle saw the dance, which "had been danced by negroes, to his personal knowledge, for fifteen years, a certain exclusive colored club". Two sources, Vernon Castle and dance teacher Betty Lee, credit African American dancers as the source of the foxtrot. The origin of the name of the dance is unclear, although one theory is that it took its name from its popularizer, the vaudevillian Harry Fox. The dance was premiered in 1914, quickly catching the eye of the husband and wife duo Vernon and Irene Castle, who gave the dance its signature grace and style. Developed in the 1910s, the foxtrot reached its height of popularity in the 1930s and remains practiced today. The dance is similar in its look to waltz, although the rhythm is in a 4Ĥ. It is danced to big band (usually vocal) music. The foxtrot is a smooth, progressive dance characterized by long, continuous flowing movements across the dance floor. JSTOR ( May 2019) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message).Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. His right hand is on her left shoulder blade, her left hand is on his right arm.This article needs additional citations for verification. Face each other, lady puts her right hand in his left. As already mentioned, the music is played in 4/4 timing.įoxtrot is danced in a normal closed position, which means facing your partner and holding them close. The slow steps are long and elegant, and the quick steps are short and energetic. The slow steps use 2 beats of music and the quick steps use one. The basic rhythm is slow, slow, quick, quick.
#Foxtrot and tango how to
If you already know how to waltz, then learning foxtrot will be just a matter of rhythm. The basic box step is also similar to waltz steps – the main difference being timing ( foxtrot is 4/4, waltz is 3/4). The long walking movements also involve a rise & fall action, which is similar to waltz, although more subtle. The basic elements of foxtrot are walking steps and side steps. Popular vocalists for foxtrot include Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin, Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Dinah Shore, and many, many more. From slow and romantic to quick and jazzy. It is highly versatile and can be danced to a variety of musical styles and tempos. People soon referred to his dance as Fox's Trot.įoxtrot includes basic elements found in most other dances, so when you learn it you acquire a good foundation to learn other popular dance forms. Because he was having a hard time finding female dancers capable of performing the difficult two-step, he added trotting steps to ragtime music. It's one of the most beautiful ballroom dances characterized by long, flowing movements.įoxtrot is named after its originator, Harry Fox, who was a Vaudeville performer in New York in the 1910s. Foxtrot is a smooth, elegant, easy to learn dance, very popular at wide variety of social events, including wedding receptions.
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