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How to Fox Trot

The fox trot can be anything from an elegant showcase for Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers to a simple step for beginning dancers. Its basic steps are straightforward, but you can combine them into an intricate routine. Because of the rhythm of the fox trot's steps, you can only dance it to a piece of music in 4/4 time. However, the fox trot uses a pattern of two slow steps and two quick steps rather than four even steps, meaning that you count the pattern in a way that may seem counter-intuitive at first.

Instructions

  1. Man's Part

    • 1

      Place your right hand behind your partner's left shoulder. Hold her right hand in your left.

    • 2

      Count the rhythm of the music. Because the music is in 4/4 time, you should be able to break it into a count of four: "One-two-three-four. One-two-three-four. One-two-three-four." Keep counting in the same rhythm, but count to six instead of four. Instead of counting to four three times over 12 beats, you count to six twice: "One-two-three-four-five-six. One-two-three-four-five-six."

    • 3

      Step forward with your left foot on "one." Step forward with your right foot on "three."

    • 4

      Step to your left with your left foot on "five," still facing forward. Step to your left with your right foot on "six," bringing your feet together.

    • 5

      Repeat Steps 3 and 4 to continue moving forward. Step forward with two slow steps on "one" and "three" and sideways with two quick steps on "five" and "six."

    • 6

      Move backward by stepping back with your left foot on "one" and with your right foot on "three." Step left with your left foot on "five" and your right foot on "six" as usual.

    • 7

      Turn by stepping forward with your left foot on "one." Bring your right foot next to your left foot on "two," but do not rest weight on it. Step backward with your right foot on "three." Bring your left foot back toward your right foot on "five," turning it to the left instead of facing forward. Rotate and place your right foot next to your left foot on "six." You should now be a quarter turn to the left of where you started.

    Lady's Part

    • 8

      Place your left hand on your partner's upper right arm. Hold his left hand in your right.

    • 9

      Count the rhythm of the music. Because the beat is in 4/4 time, you should be able to break it into a count of four with the same counting method as in Step 2 for men.

    • 10

      Step backward with your right foot on "one." Step back with your left foot on "three."

    • 11

      Step right with your right foot on "five," still facing forward. Step right with your left foot on "six," bringing your feet together.

    • 12

      Repeat Steps 3 and 4 to continue moving forward. Step backward with two slow steps on "one" and "three" and sideways with two quick steps on "five" and "six."

    • 13

      Move forward when your partner cues. Step forward with your right foot on "one" and with your left foot on "three." Step right with your right foot on "five" and your left foot on "six" as usual.

    • 14

      Turn by stepping backward with your right foot on "one." Bring your left foot next to your right foot on "two," but don't weight on it. Step forward with your left foot on "three." Bring your right foot up toward your left foot on "five," turning it to the right instead of facing forward. Rotate and place your left foot next to your left foot on "six." You should now be a quarter turn to the right of where you started.

Dancing Basics

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