Welcome to a week of everything you want to know about popular social ballroom dances! From the elegant Foxtrot to the playful Bachata, we’re going to explore the rich history of several dances that we teach here at Dance FX Studios in Mesa, Arizona. Are you excited? Me too! Today, let’s take a look into a timeless and gorgeous ballroom dance also known as the Foxtrot.

First, let me start by painting a picture of what the Foxtrot looks like. Foxtrot has a smooth, “stroll in the park” type feel, similar to the waltz, but without the dramatic rise and fall. It is also in 4/4 time, instead of ¾. One unique factor about the foxtrot is that it introduced the idea of using both quick and slow steps in the same dance. This incredibly fun and beautiful ballroom dance is useful to know for weddings, jazz or big band concerts and songs that correlate to Swing dancing.

Did you know that the Foxtrot was invented just after the turn of the century, when ragtime music was gaining popularity? Now, there is some dispute as to who the inventor of this dance truly is, so I will present several different angles.

Depending on who you ask, some people might tell you that Arthur Carringford is the mastermind behind the foxtrot. Arthur was ‘the black sheep’ of his family and he found himself living on his own around age 15. To support himself, he performed an array of random jobs, including a circus performer and a baseball player. Eventually, work led Carringford to San Francisco, where he was hired by a music publisher to sing in the vaudeville theatres. It was there that he took on the stage name “Harry Fox”, after his grandfather. After the earthquake in San Francisco and the fire of 1906, he decided to head east to New York. There he met Yansci Dolly of the Dolly Sisters, who he later married. It was shortly after their wedding that they were seen dancing this new style, which happened to put everyone in a good mood. People started referring to the dance as “Fox’s Trot” and then eventually, just foxtrot. Interesting stuff!

The next creation story begins with Vernon and Irene Castle, who saw their claim to fame in New York and Paris. The Castles were not just ballroom dancing superstars, but entrepreneurs as well. 1914 was an especially busy year for them. They opened up the restaurant “Sans Souci”, a dancing school named “Castle House”, as well as a dance club called “Castles by the Sea”. During that same year, they starred in the Broadway hit, “Watch Your Step”. Some say that this show in particular saw the creation and refinement of foxtrot. Now, even their story has an alternate ending!! At Castle House, the Castles taught all of the latest dance steps. It was here that they began teaching people the foxtrot. Originally referred to as the “Bunny Hug”, the Castles claimed that they had seen people doing this style of dance for over a decade in colored dance clubs.

We cannot discuss foxtrot without mentioning the creative genius of W.C. Handy, who composed “The Memphis Blues” in September of 1912. In his autobiography, Handy mentions that the foxtrot merged because of this song. Vernon and Irene Castle hired musician James Reese Europe to play regularly at Castles by the Sea. James played blues and ragtime music, including Handy’s “The Memphis Blues”. As the Castles promoted the new dance in their club, this song and foxtrot became synonymous.

Regardless of who created the foxtrot over one hundred years ago, we can still utilize this amazing ballroom dance style just as much today. While most people associate foxtrot with artists like Frank Sinatra, there are plenty of current artists whose music we can dance foxtrot to. Musicians such as Michael Buble, Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz, Sam Smith and even Adele have records out there that provide that light-hearted feel that foxtrot calls for. The foxtrot is a cousin to the Country two step, so it’s also easy to transition between swing and two step music, just as it is between swing and foxtrot music.

Not only do we teach foxtrot for social dancers, but we have also choreographed first dances for weddings to foxtrot routines. Here at Dance FX Studios, we make learning the foxtrot a “walk in the park.”