The foxy!!

[Sagitta]

Ever heard of a couples dance called the foxy? It was mentioned in another thread (http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=1872&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15).

So who does the foxy, AND what is the foxy? I did a quick search on the web and from there learnt that it is a night club dance adapted from the fox trot but with even steps, rather then the slow quick quick or slow slow quick quick of foxy trot. Is that true? I also read in a couple places that it is a good dance if you done't know what else to do and also to quickly get couples out on the dance floor dancing. Even more reasons for me to learn it. [hopeful smiley here]

[ballroomboilergirl]

Yay! Someone else is interested in the Foxy :D

At the end of the semester, after all our comps are over, my dance instructor teaches fun dances until we break for Christmas. One night she asked "What do you guys want me to teach tonight?" and we all replied, somewhat tiredly, "something slow" to which she replied "Alright...I could teach you guys the Foxy!"

The Foxy is, like you said, a slow, nightclub-style couples dance whose basic pattern is derived from the foxtrot. Barb, my coach, likes to call it a "beefed-up" version of the basic slow dance. A lot of couples who are getting married learn the Foxy as their "Wedding Dance". It has a lot of versatility, as it can be danced either on a crowded or spacious dance floor and to pretty much any music, and its easy to add in whatever turns, dips, etc. you desire. I call Foxy my "fallback dance" because if rumba, bolero, nightclub 2-step, etc. don't work with a slow song, I just do Foxy :lol:

I only have about 1.5 hours of Foxy instruction, but I'm sure with Jen's help we could piece together a pretty good list of Foxy instructions...

The hold:
You can either use the basic ballroom hold, or the lady can put her hands on the man's shoulders and he puts his hands on her waist in the traditional "slow dance" hold. I prefer the ballroom hold, but its really up to you.

The basic:
The Foxy basic is really just a side-touch move that is usually counted slow-slow or one-two. Just step to the right on one, and close your left foot to right and just touch your left toe next to your right foot on two. You can do the same with your left foot: left foot side on one, close right foot and touch on two. The basic can also go forwards and backwards (i.e. forward right on one, touch left on two), or you can even make it progressive (i.e. forward left on one, close right on 2; step to the right on 1, close left on 2). You can rotate the basic if you please, or you can just leave it the way it is. If you've got a lot of space, take bigger steps; if the dance floor is cramped, take smaller steps.


Underarm turns:
Guy: just do a basic to the left and then to the right in place. Raise arm to turn the girl on the 1 of the first basic. Girl: do a 2-step basic underarm turn to the right on the first basic, then come back around to face your partner and do a basic to your left.

Promenade basic:
Turn lady to promenade position on the 1 and take a step forward, then take another on the 2; turn lady back to normal position on the one and take right foot to the side on one and touch left toe on 2.

Hip wiggles (this is by no means a technical name, I just made it up for lack of a better term; its just basically a way of transferring your weight to do a dip):
Transfer your weight to the right on one, then back to the left on two, using a bit of the Latin hip technique (this doesn't have to be perfect, I just think it looks better), while bending your knees and sort of crouching down a little on each step so that you can lead...

...The dip:
Man leans forward a bit (knees still bent) and dips lady down on the 1 and across to the other side and back up on the 2, and this is usually followed by a basic to the right. Lady should support most of her weight with her own legs, but man should use hands for support.

Sorry, but this is about all I remember :oops: But it doesn't really matter, the Foxy is really fun and versatile and really nothing you do is wrong (unless you step on your partner's feet :lol: ) Care to add anything, Jen?

[DanceMentor]

I actually used to be friends with the guy who invented the Foxy. His name is Gary Stefans. Back during the disco era, Arthur Murray studios were looking for a dance to do to the slower songs. The result was the foxy. Gary went on to perform on the Merv Griffin show. He showed me his tape. Last I heard, he was teaching in Cincinnati at an Arthur Murrray.

[pygmalion]

LOL! Small world. He does some coaching, too. He's the coach that told me I do west coast swing like a white girl. :oops: :lol: He also choreographed a hot, hot samba routine for me. And he introduced me to proper footwork for smooth dances. He's a funny, nice guy. And great to dance with.

[DanceMentor]

Next time you see him, tell him David from Atlanta Dance World said hello and tell him about the Dance Forums.

[pygmalion]

I'll tell him you said hello. And the Dance Forums plug was a given. :lol:

[Sagitta]

Thanks BBG!! The moves that you describe are very similar to NC2S. For instance, a basic there is left toe touch, left foot side, right toe touch, right foot side, while for foxy is right foot side, left toe touch...So, I'm still trying to figure out the difference between NC2S and Foxy. In what way is foxy easier then NC2S, or is it?

[SDsalsaguy]

Toe touch Sagitta? Every version of NC2 that I've ever been taught or seen involves a full weight transfer/rock step, not a toe touch. That, as well as the even timing (Foxy = ssss) vs. the differentiated (NC2 = sqq/qqs, depending how you start it) set them rather far apart to my understanding.

[pygmalion]

Hmm. I would say foxy is the easier of the two because it dosn't have to move nearly as much. As BBG (Courtney, ballroomboilergirl ....etc. :wink: ) said, it has a relaxed, romantic hold. And it also has a lot of stop, hold and sway-type romantic poses. NC2S moves a lot more, and can be very difficult, depending on who's leading.

If I'm not mistaken, foxy was designed to be an anybody-can-do-it, easily accessible dance for the masses. And it really is. :)

[samba ajr]

I recently had the opportunity to dance foxy with my instructor at our Christmas party. (I had sort of learned the "basics" about 2 years ago, and haven't used it since.) We had a singer/pianist who didn't play all strict tempo ballroom--so we almost started with bolero, but switched to foxy. "Just like foxtrot" he said, but not really! I found I had to concentrate (or rather, not concentrate) on following him--lots of starts and stops as mentioned in another post. And you're being held a lot closer than you're used to dancing--it's really a dance for couples, particularly those getting married :wink: .

[ricodancer]

If there is really a dance called the Foxy, there must be a...Foxy Lady, danced to music by Jimi Hendrix? Or...a foxy loxy, danced at delicatessens only? Oh, it must be late, and me very tired to make such bad puns. :? :?

[NeoDevin]

As BBG (Courtney, ballroomboilergirl ....etc. :wink: )

So you start calling her BBG or Courtney to avoid having to type ballroomboilergirl every time, but each time you do it, you type out all three names... doesn't seem like you're saving yourself any typing there, now does it?

[d nice]

The Foxy sounds like a modified Slow Drag, about the oldest blues dsnce there is. I'll have to talk to some of the Aurthur Murray instructors I know so we can compare notes.

[pygmalion]

Yes, I think so, if I remember my slow drag correctly, d nice. (It's been a long time, and that was one of those "forbidden" dances LOL. Very strict parents.)

I learned foxy in a studio, so it was pretty sanitized. But, having talked to Gary about his background, I suspect he may have borrowed from some traditional blues dances. He did a fair bit of travel in the Mississippi delta and other areas, and studied with some Black dancers.

[Sagitta]

For the toe touch I was refering to when BBG said foot together toe touching step of the basic. I didn't mean to imply partial weight transfer :oops: The difference between the foxy and NC2S is clearer now. Thanks! :D

[Sagitta]

For the toe touch I was refering to when BBG said foot together toe touching other foot step of the basic. I didn't mean to imply partial weight transfer :oops: The difference between the foxy and NC2S is clearer now. Thanks! :D