To KC Forget the Latin Rhythms when talking Modern, or as it is called now Standard, To count a Feather Step and Reverse Turn as Slow And. Quick Quick. Slow And Quick Quick Slow And Quick Quick and so on. The Slow taking one Beat, and And taking also one beat I find much better than counting 12. 3 4. The main problem with the Foxtrot seems to be that the person moving backwards, that is the lady in the Feather Step, or the man in the Wave, is the golden rule is forgotten, and that is, as the moving foot passes the suporting foot the knee of the supporting foot must flex, or if you like bend towards your partner as the heel touches the floor. This is clearly explained on the John Woods and Anne Lewis tape on the Foxtrot.Also explained, stand on the supporting foot longer.Anyway it was good good to hear your commemts. Happy Dancing. All the way from Australia. Don.

In response to Don-- I'm afraid I have to strenuously disagree with you here Don! To use the word "and" in this fashion is a very bad habit indeed for anyone to get into.

When we (dancers) talk about the timing of music and use the word "and" it is understood the world over that we are inferring a syncopation, or in other words a half beat taken from the prior count. For example to say in Cha Cha "1, 2, 3, 4, and 1" Here the word "and" means that the 4 count is split into two beats, both of which in this case are danced. This is a syncopation. If you were to say to almost any dancer that you dance foxtrot S and QQ...it would be very confusing indeed. I would have to think it meant you were counting 2 beats,1/2 beat, 1/2 beat, 1 beat, 1 beat. Which is 5 steps and of course, not correct at all, and not your intention.

However, while I disagree with your method I applaud your intent. Moving through the 2 count of a slow is a bane of many foxtrot dancers. I have found that many dancers respond well to having one word to say (or to think of) for each beat. It helps them stay on time. For instance, instead of saying...
sl-ow, quick, quick...it works well to say something relevant to the movement such as counting "slow, hold, quick, quick" or "slow, sway, quick, quick" or etc., where the additional word signifies the 2 count of the slow. This satisfies the same aim I think as your use of the word "and" but avoids the confusion with existing terminology.

If your assignment is to find out whether you can learn ballroom dancing strickly from information/instruction available from the web, I'd like to know your conclusions when your are done.

If your assignment is to learn a dance, say foxtrot, without taking a class lesson. Then you can go to any of the dance halls and ask the organizers to introduce you to someone who can help. In the Toronto area there is the Westway, 351 Evans Ave., Etobicoke 416-255-6925, 30 UP, 22 Dorchester, Etobicoke 416-259-1685 and Harmony Club, 231 Milner Ave., Scarborough 416-275-4568, among many others.

I have done foxtrot and i have "trotted the fox". Foxtrot can be boring - somehow i have never heard the same thing said of any other dance - but the secret is to dance with a male or female that LIKES (at least not hates) foxtrot or you like to dance to a specific foxtrot song.

Sorry Don. The principle of using a second word to count the second beat of a slow is fine but the word AND is already defined as meaning half a beat stolen from the previous step, as KC mentioned, and this applies to standard as well as latin.

Phil; the idea of using two syllables when counting Slow is useful because it generally takes no longer to say Slow than it does to say Quick, so it is very easy fro the difference to disappear.

Our preferred alternative is to count slow-ly, quick, quick, or when exasperated by dancers rushing the steps, Slow-er, quick, quick.

Note, I'm sticking with the standard 2,1,1 timing here. Anything else can come in private lessons for advanced dancers.

remind me never to waste one on you

Foxtrot has many different rhythms. In fact most all dances have different rhythms. It is just that there is usually a rhythm taught to beginners that often becomes a standard for them. The rhythm usually taught to beginners is:

slow, slow quick quick (6 beats of music)

Keep in mind that patterns in dance don't necessarily match measures in music. So even though this rhythmic pattern has 6 beats, it still works with music in 4/4.

Another rhythm often used in Foxtrot is:

Slow quick quick

This rhythm is useful when you want to take a waltz pattern and use it in Foxtrot.

Another rhythmic pattern I like is:

quick quick quick quick quick quick slow

The quick steps are all down with side-together steps. (for the leader, this would be to the left) On the slow you step around your partner.

Then you repeat the pattern

quick quick quick quick quick quick slow

-- but this time stepping to the right

Nightclub Two step (NC2S) is another dance that has different rhytmic patterns, although I seldom see anyone doing anything but quick quick slow with Nightclub Two step. One of my favorite NC2S patterns is a leader's walk around with all slow step steps...or a double slow step (step and hold for two beats) to the left followed by a double slow step to the right (with a lot of swaying action).

A lot of this notion of rhytmic variation I owe to Gene Russo who used to teach at the Elegance Ballroom in San Francisco.

hello, i was assigned by my school teacher to learn the foxtrot and said it can learned over the net.. can anyone please answer some questions i have?

-may i know what "CBMP" might mean?
-from the name -foxtrot- it sounds like an upbeat dance. is it?
-related to the second question, what kind of songs might it be ompatible with?

i hope someone will answer.. i have little time left.

thanks in advance!

The word "a" sometimes refers to a time value of a quarter-beat (as in "1-e-&-a..." etc). But it can also refer to a time value of one third of a beat (as in "1-&-a..." etc). This is true of music which is "swung" -- most notably Foxtrot and Swing.

Either way, the "a" count is much closer to the following beat than it is to the previous beat. Mathematically speaking, as "beginner" points out, it is a part of the previous beat. But human beings will tend to percieve it musically as being connected to the following beat.

Regards,
Jonathan

To Phil Samways. If you go to the technic book, International Style, things can get very complicated, that is hard at first to understand. The Feather Step in the Foxtrot, starting on the mans right has four steps. The last step if followed by a Reverse Turn becomes the first of the Reverse. The Reverse starting on the mans left foot has seven steps finishing with a Slow on the left foot. This is usually followed be a three step which starts on the mans right foot and finishes, Yes you've guessed it on the right foot which can also be the first of the Natural Turn.Actually to dance a good foxtrot one does not need to know most of the above. To get to the main issue I think I should explain again. I find it much easier to count a Slow that is two beats. as Slow And. The Slow being one beat, the And being also one beat.But as Shakespeare said. "A Rose by any other name is still a Rose". Call it whatever you like to call it, just make sure a Slow has two beats.I still take my hat off to the writter of the technic book. Hats off to Alex Moore who put it all together in 1936. Some things have altered but the foot work has not. It is still the same today as it was then..