The foxtrot is an American smooth dance, meaning it is danced with smooth flowing motion.

         The basic foxtrot step consists of four steps and goes like this: The first two steps are forward. The man takes one step forward (slow) with his left leg gently striking his left heel first then the toe. He then takes an immediate right step forward (slow) and gently places his right heel down. The last two steps are to the left with a his left foot to the immediate left with the toe and then closes with the toe and heel on the right foot.

          Every so often you have a major cognition in your life. This is true with dancing, too. I have had two major cognitions in Foxtrot which have completely changed the way I dance it.

          First of all, there is a definite rhythmic settling of the body downward at the end of each four steps. Wayne Abbey pointed this out to Linda and me and it resulted in a number of better understandings of this dance. Previously, I was so worried about keeping the beat and moving that I completely missed this point. There is also a definite settling/stopping that signals to your dance partner that something new is coming.

          The definite rhythmic settling keeps both partners in synchronisation and allows a much better lead. It also allows the forward compression to come from a "bent knee" upward forward movement. Remember, Foxtrot is danced with bent knees.

          After the definite rhythmic settling there is a pulse like forward movement which Virginia Coker called a "forward compression". It's like a bullet shot into water. The bullet moves fast when it hits the water but continually slows down because of the water's resistance. The beginning of each four steps is like a new bullet.

          The definite rhythmic setting along with the forward compression and full forward movement gives your Foxtrot a professional look. It's worth practicing these movements with the basic steps over and over until they become automatic habits. This is something that I would have never been interested in doing when I first started dancing.

          With experience and with some confidence a gentle swaying at the end of each step can be added.

          Foxtrot Musicality       Foxtrot Elements

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