I dance American style Foxtrot, and I dont believe I ever do SSqq rhythm. Does anyone know what steps might use that rhythm? In American or Int'l style?

I suppose that an introductory slow before doing a natural right turn might be an example, but that initial S is really a lead-in, not part of the right turn itself. Or a case could be made for 3 slows of a spin turn leading to a couple of quicks, but that's still not a real SSqq followed by another SSqq.

TIA.
Jerry

Jerry,

Perhaps you've been at it too long. LOL!

Time to go back to day 1.

https://www.ballroomdancers.com/Dances/overview.asp?Dance=AFX&StepNum=88

OB

That step is the "Magic Step" taught in one of the chains. I've never used it in my dancing, but I wondered about whether you and other skilled dancers use it. In International style is that much used? Can you compare it to the left turn or the right turn regarding speed and amount of ground covered?

Jerry

Spin turn? Sounds like you are dancing international waltz figures in you american foxtrot.

There are SQQ figures in american foxtrot. A waltz like reverse turn at the basic level. Telemarks, impetus turns, open turns etc at the silver level.

But basic bronze american foxtrot has a pattern very much like the quarter turn & progressive chasse of quickstep, only starting with the man's left foot forward step as a flat slow, then rising on the second slow, side on quick, close and lower on quick. Compared to quickstep the lowering is from the foot closure on the quick, so the following slow is flat rather than lowering.

If I do an int'l waltz figure like the spinturn, will the Foxtrot police catch me?

Seriously, that's how I was taught, and I have never felt that it was inappropriate to the dance. Do you feel it is?

My FT is SQQ (with occasional qqqq). All the silver turns you described. I was just wondering if there were SSQQ steps at an advanced level.

Jerry Blumenthal

Are you sure you're talking about American style? Prep steps, Natural Turns and Spin Turns are not very common to Bronze American Foxtrot.

Bronze American Foxtrot is characterized by rhythmical variety, a mixture of slows and quicks in various combinations such as SQQ, SSQQ, SQQS, and many quicks in a row. It's a little bit more of a walking dance, which is not to say that it doesn't swing at all, but it doesn't have the strong swinging actions of styles with continuous repetetive 3-step patterns such as Waltz, silver American Foxtrot, and Int'l Foxtrot. This gives the dancers more freedom to mix up the rhythms.

My guess is that you're dancing silver American Foxtrot. Where basic syllabus actions are concerned, it's really an entirely different dance than its bronze counterpart.

To see examples of the Bronze American syllabus, take a look at the following page:

https://www.ballroomdancers.com/Dances/featured_steps.asp?Dance=AFX

Regards,
Jonathan Atkinson

Jonathan- I looked at the syllabus. I dont do any of those SSqq steps. I do mostly Sqq, chasses in Sq&q, and yes, sometimes a chasse then a R turn followed by a spinturn followed by qqqq (two lock steps). It takes me 2 left turns to get from DiagCtr to DiagCtr, and I cover a lot of ground LOD doing it. When you say "continuous repetetive 3-step patterns", that probably describes me well. So, then, your guess that I'm dancing Silver American is probably correct. Are there any SSqq steps in silver?

Jerry Blumenthal

That's a rather ecclectic mix of figures... nothing out of character with Foxtrot per se, but not what I would think of as a basic silver group. At any rate, it's well above bronze level, so I'd definitely classify it as more of a continuity style of Foxtrot, even if it's not all 3-step SQQ passing actions.

As for SSQQ rhythm, it's really SQQ with an extra slow. Since continuity Foxtrot is based on a continuous SQQ action, it's not as natural to just stick it in the middle, especially on continuous directional actions. However, in the right context you can do it.

Here are some ideas for SSQQ rhythm that work in continuity Foxtrot:

(1) Forward hesitation & continuity (Feather) finish. Works great in corners, or when avoiding traffic after a Feather or Feather Finish.

(2) Same as above, but treat the forward hesitation as a reverse pivot. This has a more flowing and continuous quality about it.

(3) Side Sway following a Feather step. This one is different, but very interesting. It comes from a particular chain school syllabus which shall remain nameless. After a Feather step, instead of stepping forward LF into a reverse action, you turn 1/4 R (body less) to face DW and dance the two slows of a Side Sway action. Then follow with steps 2-3 of Feather Finish towards diagonal wall. Odd but kinda fun, and very leadable.

(4) Open Natural from PP, followed by Outside Swivel & Feather Finish.

That should give you something to play with.

Keep in mind that dancing any one of the above ideas by itself will put you off phrase, dancing QQS instead of SQQ. So it's best to dance two SSQQ actions back-to-back (or at least, reasonably close together), or do something else that gets you back on phrase (weave action with a couple extra quicks, picture line held for 2 extra beats, drop fallaway cross, etc), so you don't spend a bunch of measures dancing QQS rhythm.

Regards,
Jonathan

Thank you very much. That was very helpful and interesting. I'll see whether I can use the suggestions you made.

Appreciations!!!

Jerry Blumenthal