Foxtrot Basic
- Basic forward (in closed position): walk, walk, side step (Use follow-through: walk-brush, walk-brush, side-together) When you step to the side, move your whole body. Guys, walk absolutely straight toward the lady – your feet replace hers.
- Basic forward with cross ending: walk, walk, cross through
- Basic forward in continuity: slow, slow, run, run (nearly identical to the country two step)
Sway Step
- Sway, Sway, Side-together
Left Turn
- Rock forward, backup turning, side together.
- You can turn a little (a quarter turn) or a lot (a half turn) when backing up.
- Pattern can be repeated to return to line of dance.
- Left turn with cross ending.
Feather Step (bridge ending)
- Feather step: walk, walk, step forward left and forward right (so that the lady is outside of you and to your right) Rotate your hips toward the lady. Keep the arms toned, and do not move past the lady, but keep her slightly in front of you.
- You can end any pattern using the feather step.
Define Positions:
- Closed basic (LOD and BLOD)
- Open promenade
- Closed promenade
- Side-by-side
Zig Zag patterns:
- Zig Zag in closed position: Face to the side (forward promenade) on slow, slow, then face your partner on quick, quick.
- Zig Zag in open position: Man uses his right hand to hold to hold her left hand. Face each other on the quick quick (Man puts out his left hand to "pattycake" with the lady). Promenade on the slow slow. Always turn toward the lady on the 2nd slow.
- Zig Zag to underarm turn: Guys, with your left take hold of her right, turn her on an outside turn.
- To exit the Zig Zag pattern, catch her hand and lead her into an underarm turn as she is turning, get behind her in the closed basic position.
Promenade
- Promenade in Closed Position. (Both people look at outstretched hands when promenading in closed position.)
- Promenade in side-by-side position
- Offer the hand lead to an underarm exit turn.
- Promenade in Open Position: Both partners can put their free hand on their waist. Use an underarm turn to get into and out of this pattern.
- To exit the promenade pattern, start the Zig Zag, then catch her hand and lead her into an underarm turn as she is turning, get behind her in the closed basic position.
Underarm turns:
- Lady's step: forward, back, side-together. The lady should bring her free arm in and keep her free hand at the same height throughout the turn.
- Man's step: side, step-behind, side-together.
- Promenade with Underarm turn: Basic forward turning (to wall) → Promenade with underarm turn.
- Use an underarm turn to transistion from open to closed position.
- Use an underarm turn to transition from closed to open position.
- After an underarm turn, you can return to closed basic, or return to closed promenade (catch her shoulderblade), or return to open promenade (catch her hand), or return to side-by-side promenade (catch her waist).
- Hands joined throughout underarm turn.
- Apart position turns
- Repeated underarm turns
- While the lady does an underarm turn, the guy does a back break. The mans footwork is similar to a grapevine.
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- Basic Forward Turning to Face Wall: Guys, walk straight at her. On the 2nd step, turn your body to face wall. Always turn the gal by turning your body. Don't let her travel as far. Person going forward into a turn takes a big step. Person going backward in a turn take a little step.
Promenade
- Basic forward turning (to wall) → Promenade (turn as little as possible) → left turn
Promenade Underarm Turn
- Basic forward turning (to wall) → Promenade with underarm turn. Lady's step: forward, back, side-together. The lady should bring her free arm in and keep her free hand at the same height throughout the turn. Guys, lead the lady with both hands
- *** Two Step: Turn and change hands during the turn to get to sweetheart position.
Promenade Pivots
- Basic Forward Turning → Promenade → Promenade Pivots (Guys, step across and turn and keep on going. When the man steps across, the lady steps between his feet.) → Left turn (Try to do two promenade pivots in a row.)
- In every dance pattern, the person going forward in a turn takes a big side step, the person going backward in a turn takes a little step.
Forward and Backward Patterns:
- Basic Forward and Back Turning in Closed:
- On Basic forward turning (to wall) keep lady from traveling. Guys take a big side step.
- Basic back turning (to line of dance). Man takes a small step. Lady takes a big side step. The man should turn his foot inward in the second slow step.
- Repeat… Using a "tacking" similar to sailing.
- Practice using a "square-wave" pattern.
- Forward and Back turning outside of partner (in closed position): Basic back turning with her outside → face partner and wall on side step → Basic forward turning with man outside (don't let frame collapse, push her back) → face partner and wall on side step → repeat… → use the left turn to exit this pattern
- Back-to-back:
Switches from LOD to back LOD.
Stationary Patterns:
- Basic Rocking: Rock shoulders on first two slows → keep shoulders straight on quicks. Count is Rock, 2, stay, straight.
- Hip Lift
Promenade Rock Turn to Left
- Soften the knees, (man:) promenade slow left (towards center of room), slow right, put left foot forward, and rotate counterclockwise (both feet move sideways, always keep left foot forward). rock, 2, 3, 4, slow, slow, quick, quick → then basic forward line of dance.
- To do this pattern in Line-of-Dance, first do a right turn to face wall, then do the Promenade rock turn to left.
Promenade Rock Turn to Right
- Walk to the side or diagonally 1, 2, put right foot forward, (man turns clockwise to face the lady) soften the knees, and rotate clockwise (both feet move sideways). rock, 2, 3, 4, (the pattern is over) slow, slow, quick, quick.
- To do this pattern in Line-of-Dance, first do a right turn to face wall, then do the Promenade rock turn to right.
Twinkle to Rock Turn
- Twinkle to face wall with rock turn
- Twinkle to face wall with rock turn with reverse ending (back, back, side-bridge)
- Twinkle to face wall with full pivot turn to the right.
- Cross-body lead = ¼ left turn with cross ending. (Looks best if you do two in a row)
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Waltz-like Patterns:
- Almost any
Waltz pattern can be used in Foxtrot by simply using "slow, quick, quick" time. Intermediate dancers switch frequently between "slow, slow, quick, quick" and "slow, quick, quick" patterns. Leads can learn how to lead these changes with a little practice.
- Left Turning Box line-of-dance. "Turn, side, together".
- Open left turns (quick, quick, bridge, quick, quick, bridge).
- Closed Twinkle (slow, quick, quick, slow, quick, quick)
- Continuity twinkle: 1, 2, travel, cross, side, together (or bridge ending)
- Back twinkle: Basic forward turning to wall → back, quick, quick → cross side together or bridge ending.
- Triple twinkle
- Side-together ending or bridge ending.
- Spiral
- Spiral with Twinkle Ending
- Spiral and Reverse Spiral
Grapevine Patterns:
- Waltz twinkle → 8-count grapevine → man back right slow, "and-bridge" (quick, quick)
- (No twinkle) → 6-count quickvine → man back right slow, "and-bridge" (quick, quick)
- 6-count, reverse grapevine → walk through full twinkle in continuity.
Tango-like Patterns:
- Twinkle to face wall → triple-fan → and bridge.
Transitions:
- Turning forward to backward in closed: Guy, turn yourself (and the lady) 90º to your right on the second slow. Do a side together (quick quick) facing wall, then finish the turn traveling slow, slow, backwards.
- Backwards to forwards in closed. Guy turn yourself (and the lady) 90 to your left on the second slow. Do a side together (quick quick) facing wall, then finish the turn traveling slow slow forwards.
- Closed basic turning front to back → stay in right parallel position.
- Closed basic turning back to front → stay in left parallel position.
- Show transition from open promenade to closed basic: open promenade → zig zag → underarm turn → get behind her and recapture her in closed basic.
- Show transition from closed Zig Zag to closed basic: immediately after the quick quick turn her so she begins traveling backwards.
- Show transition from closed basic to closed promenade: The guy should just turn both himself and the lady toward the wall on the 2nd slow. Hold out your forward hand in promenade, then start zig zag or forward promenade.
- Show transition from closed promenade to closed basic: turn her after the quick quick.
- Show transition from closed basic to open promenade: The guy should turn both himself and the lady toward the wall on the 2nd slow. Then, the guy lets go with his left, and continues holding on with his right and opens up into open promenade.
- Show transition from closed basic to open promenade. The guy should turn both himself and the lady toward the wall on the 2nd slow. Then, the guy lets go with his left, and continues holding on with his right and opens up into open promenade.
- Transition from side-by-side to closed basic: closed zig zag, after quick quick, lead her into an underarm turn → while she is turning, get behind her in closed basic.
- Transition from open promenade to side-by-side: open promenade → zig zag → underarm turn → capture her in side-by-side position.
- Foxtrot and Country Two-Step are very similar and can share many patterns. Foxtrot and County Two-Step are both progressive dances that travel counterclockwise around the room. Foxtrot is slow, slow, quick, quick. Two-Step is quick, quick, slow, slow. Country Two-Step is about 60% faster than social foxtrot. The dances are both smoother if you pass the feet on the quick quick.
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