Modern folk dance with ballroom dance steps and latin dance steps

Foxy furs

Steps: foxtrot

Circle dance, change of partners

Other dances - Contents

Klik til dansk

15

Music notes in pdf format

Melody (violin, accordion)

Mel + 2 voice

Clarinet A

Clarinet B

Mel+a-voice

Topics on this page

Dance-description

Steps and figures

Music

Video-reference

 


Our sailor has been to America and was inspired to use foxtrot in a traditional Danish type folk dance.

We dance for the pleasure so you are free to select a relaxed informal hold etc.

                                                                

Dance description

 

Start: big circle of couples (all the dancers of the ballroom)

 

Short description:

 

After an introduction with a big circle, the dance consists of 2 parts: chain and couple dance with the new partner:

 

intr     big circle clockwise and anti clockwise, walking steps

1        foxtrot couple dance: side steps, basic steps, reverse turn, promenade, natural turn, Lady under arm, brush feet

2        chain with walking steps to a new partner for couple dance

         

 

Description in detail:

 

bar no

1-16              Big circle, holding hands, walking steps: clockwise and anticlockwise, or walking with foxtrot steps.

17                 Couples, close hold: foxtrot, first 3 side steps (”to mark the start”).

18                 Basic foxtrot steps forward (in the line of dance, Gent forward, Lady backwards).

19-20            Basic foxtrot steps turning 90º (1/4 turn) clockwise, and anticlockwise.

21-22            Reverse turn = left turn, full turn.

18-23            Basic foxtrot steps turning 90º clockwise, and anticlockwise.

24-25            Promenade.

26-27            Natural turn = right turn, full turn.

28-29            Basic foxtrot steps turning 90º clockwise, and anticlockwise.

30                 Lady with her right hand in the left hand of Gent: L: full turn clockwise under her right arm.

31                 Brush the feet.

32                 Final steps: G: lf step rf step: ready for the chain (= grand right and left):

1-16              Chain to no 9 = your new partner.

 

In the beginning of learning: bar 17 - 32 couple dance: only basic steps, and necessarily reverse turn in 21- 22 (4/4 bars). Later more dance figures.

                    

Dance steps and dance figures:

 

Foxtrot:

We dance the common foxtrot, "social foxtrot". Many common melodies and songs are fit for foxtrot (eg bar 1-16 "Red River Valley").

 

Foxtrot basic steps:

We count to 3 in a bar: slow slow quick quick, (so 2 quicks on count 3 as it is said, i.e. 2 quicks on beat 5 and 6 in a 6/4 bar).

Gent (G): left foot (lf) forward slow, right foot (rf) forward slow, lf to the left side quick, rf close to lf quick (or rf moves towards lf). Close hold. Lady (L) follows Gent.

G: having turned 90º, with G’s back almost in line of dance (lod) (G facing diagonally to wall against lod), G steps backwards: lf back slow, rf back slow, lf to the left side quick, rf close to lf quick. L follows G. So you can dance zig-zag in lod: G: forward diagonally towards the wall in lod, turning right 90º, backwards diagonally from the wall in lod turning left 90º, etc.

 

Promenade:

Close hold but open enough for G and L to walk both forward side by side: forward walk G lf L rf slow, forward walk G rf L lf slow. Turn face to face: Step to the side in lod, G lf L rf quick, and close quick. Then G and L can open again to walk more promenade. Or: after slow slow L turns in front of G face G with quick quick.

 

Natural turn = right turn (pivot turn, rock turn):

Fast clockwise turn. Close hold. Basic steps walk walk with 90º right turn, step to the side (= lod) quick, close quick. G lf back in lod, turning rock (=slow), rf forward between L feet rock turning now facing lod, step to the side quick, close quick. Rock figuring can instead be used 2 times to give a less fast turn.

 

Reverse turn = left turn:

Close hold. Turning left = anticlockwise: G lf forward slow, rf to its right (= lod) quick, lf close to rf quick; lf back in lod walk, rf to its right quick, lf close to rf quick. L follows G. This fits with the 2 bars in 4/4 bar 21-22.

 

Lady turns under arm:

L right hand (rh) in G’s left hand (lh): L turns 1 round clockwise under arm. G lf walks to the left slow, rf cross over to the left slow, and now together with L in close hold lf to the left quick, rf close quick. L turning under arm: rf to her right slow, lf slow, rf quick, lf close quick.

 

Side steps:

Close hold. Count 6 quicks. G: lf to the left quick, rf closes to lf without weight ”tap” quick, rf to the right quick, lf closes to rf without weight ”tap” quick, lf to the left quick, rf closes to lf now with weight  quick. L follows G.

 

Brush feet (rock brush):

Close hold. Count 6 quicks. G: lf forward quick, rf closes to lf without weight (”tap” or brush) quick, rf back quick, lf closes to rf without weight ”tap” brush quick, lf to the left quick, rf closes to lf now with weight  quick. L follows G.

 

 

Music

Foxtrot music is usually in 4/4 alla breve. But I have chosen to make it 6/4 for foxtrot in bar 17 - 32 because the foxtrot dance is 6/4, except in bar 21 - 22 with the left turn dancing in 4/4. The melody fits note by note with the dance steps.

Accordion: beats pr bar: 3 + 3 in 6/4, and 2 + 2 in 4/4.

 

 

Video

These foxtrot figures can be seen and nicely explained (in English) by

Ian & Ruth Walker on Instep dance video: Social Foxtrot (video Copenhagen Main Library)

Vicki Regan & Ron de Vito: You can dance foxtrot, 1989 (USA DVD Copenhagen Main Library)