Slow (International) Foxtrot - Love it or Hate it.
- Thread starter ShyDancer
- Start date
Chris Stratton
New Member
msc said:
I'm from the relatively flat-footed school of VW, so I find it fairly easy to ride the brakes there when necessary, though I admit that someone doing a lot of sway or rise and fall can be un-nerving.
I don't have sufficient foot strength to hold back an international/continuity foxtrot partner who can't control her foot action to stay on balance and time.
Oh - a general comment: since the leader tends to have more control over the direction and rate of travel when going backwards, I do mostly back changes in VW - if short of space or falling apart you can sort of absorb your partner and then redirect both bodies in a new direction.
For me, the issue is more the tempo of the music. The Int'l VW is so quick, it's hard for many just to move their feet and turn that fast. Of course, if you keep the body moving continuously, then it's not quite as fast, but if you tend to stop a little bit every now and then, which many do, then it becomes very fast.
Foxtrot, on the other hand, since it's so slow and easy, there's generally no worries about keeping up with the timing of the music, and it's perfectly acceptable just to travel around the floor using gentle, slow turns. Intermittent hitching is OK, since there's so much time between steps.
Foxtrot, on the other hand, since it's so slow and easy, there's generally no worries about keeping up with the timing of the music, and it's perfectly acceptable just to travel around the floor using gentle, slow turns. Intermittent hitching is OK, since there's so much time between steps.
msc said:
Exactly! Foxtrot is not an easy dance to do well. Dancing socially, without the pressure of "having" to dance it perfectly is much more exciting than doing it in competitions or exams.
Im glad to see that there are others who love Foxtrot, I very rarely get to dance it socially as if it ever gets played people leave the floor!
I'm pretty neutral to American foxtrot actually. Yes, it's easy to dance the simple slow basics as lead-follow goes, but I find myself swinging to foxtrot music in my head rather than doing foxtrot rhythm a lot of times. I am striving for more "continuity" foxtrot if possible. But as it stands... I guess it's a question of what I can get away with outside the SSQQ/SQQS basics.
Foxtrot is easily my favorite dance. Especially to Frank Sinatra or something.
I seem to have more freedom to do things, or the ideas are easier. I can match the dance to the music easier. Cha-cha is a fast up and coming favorite though but there I'm just doing learned steps and doing cuban motion. I have to admit though when I do the foxtrot as we are studying in class I don't enjoy it as much. Brushing, diagonal wall with the line of dance, diagonal center with the line of dance. I suppose it's more techniquely correct but <yawn>.
I seem to have more freedom to do things, or the ideas are easier. I can match the dance to the music easier. Cha-cha is a fast up and coming favorite though but there I'm just doing learned steps and doing cuban motion. I have to admit though when I do the foxtrot as we are studying in class I don't enjoy it as much. Brushing, diagonal wall with the line of dance, diagonal center with the line of dance. I suppose it's more techniquely correct but <yawn>.
bjp22tango
Active Member
I'm another in the "Love" category. It really is so versatile it makes dancing with and to the music so much more fun.
I tend to get to dance American Smooth more often, but a good International Foxtrot is not to be missed.
I tend to get to dance American Smooth more often, but a good International Foxtrot is not to be missed.
I'm not in either catagory, yet. 
My current background is with the American Smooth Bronze Level, with limited experience with the first few patterns taught in Silver.
However, I am now beginning to learn International Standard with my new partner. I have found it interesting to see that the instructor is starting us out with Waltz and Tango, and is encouraging us to use Quickstep as our third style, then V. Waltz, and THEN the International Foxtrot. Perhaps this says something about it's difficulty?
My current background is with the American Smooth Bronze Level, with limited experience with the first few patterns taught in Silver.
However, I am now beginning to learn International Standard with my new partner. I have found it interesting to see that the instructor is starting us out with Waltz and Tango, and is encouraging us to use Quickstep as our third style, then V. Waltz, and THEN the International Foxtrot. Perhaps this says something about it's difficulty?
DancePoet said:
Ive heard many people say that Int. Foxtrot is the most difficult dance to do well....its not hard to learn (as in patterns, timing) but to dance it with proper swing and flow is a very hard thing to master.
My main problem is not being able to really extend the step to a full slow count..I usually finish the step before the full count (2 beats) which means I stop very briefly before the next count which takes away that flow of a proper foxtrot. And thats annoying..I understand the theory its just making the body cooperate!
sanityhaven
New Member
DancePoet said:
My instructer mentioned something about int. fox being difficult to do right; though I have yet to learn it myself...
I was going to post this seperately, but I seemed to recall a thread on Slow Foxtrot ... ok ... here is the post that got me wondering ...
Kitty wrote over on the "Social Ballroom Dancing" thread:
" ... the first person who taught me something useful about int. foxtrot told me: "the trick of foxtrot is that the girl doesn't do anything".
Kitty, what did your instructor mean by this?
I've just started learning Int'l Foxtrot. It already seems like fun.
Anyone else have any interesting tips for newcomers to this style?
Kitty wrote over on the "Social Ballroom Dancing" thread:
" ... the first person who taught me something useful about int. foxtrot told me: "the trick of foxtrot is that the girl doesn't do anything".
Kitty, what did your instructor mean by this?
I've just started learning Int'l Foxtrot. It already seems like fun.
Anyone else have any interesting tips for newcomers to this style?
dancin_feet
New Member
I love foxtrot. Though I'm only at Bronze level at the moment which from what you guys are saying is different to Int Foxtrot. I will be moving into silver after my exam in April, so we'll see what happens then. I do love to watch the pros at a comp though.