Foxtrot

There is a version that the dance was invented by Harry Fox to perform on the 1913 New York show. However, its origin and etymology of the name are not fully understood. The most likely version, the foxtrot is named after the mating dance of the foxes, which they perform for several minutes on their hind legs. Became popular in Europe after the First World War.

All foxtrot movements are quite similar to a waltz, however they are performed to completely different music. Thus, the overall style of dance is changing.

During the threefold step backward, the actions of the partner and the partner are identical. A step back begins with the heel of the right foot along the line of the dance. Then a backward movement is made from the heel with the left foot along the line of the dance. After that, there is a step back from the heel with the right foot also along the line of dance.

A classic foxtrot is characterized by a 4/4 tempo with 4 beats in each measure. The first and third shares are the main focus. The tempo of the music must necessarily correspond to 30 measures or, in other words, 120 beats in one minute. The execution of all figures is possible in different versions, both in slow and in fast rhythm. The slowest part is executed in 2 accounts, and the fastest - in one account of music.

Under the influence of jazz rhythms in the 20s, dance orchestras gradually accelerate the dance from 32 to 50 beats per minute. As a result of this, quickstep appeared ( English quickstep - “quick step”), a quick foxtrot, which was considered as its German variety.

In Great Britain in 1927, a quick variety of Quickstart “Quicktime Foxtrot and Charleston” appeared, synthesizing a foxtrot with “flat steps” of Charleston .

In the early 1930s, a slow-motion version of foxtrot - “sleepy” slowfox ( English slowfox ) became fashionable in the USA.

In 1936, the dance began to go out of fashion, giving way to the jitterbag , which began the musical era of swing .

Famous dancers of those times made a great contribution to the development of foxtrot. Thanks to the American Morgan, an “open spin-turn” appeared, Anderson and Josephine Bradley came up with a “change of direction” and a “feather step”, and Frank Ford - a “heel turn”.

Foxtrot and other dances gained extraordinary popularity in the early USSR : they were not only danced in cafes and home salons, but also included in their performances Vsevolod Meyerhold and Nikolai Foregger. With the decline of the “cafeteria culture”, the foxtrot was accused of sexuality and philistinism and fell under the ban ^[1] .

Slow foxtrot , as well as its quick quickstep option, are included in the European program of competitions in sports ballroom dancing .

In the process of developing foxtrot, various versions of it appeared. The slow foxtrot was called slowfox, the fast one was quickstep. Separately, they distinguish the "folk" variety of foxtrot - "social". At the championships in sports ballroom dancing, quickstep and slowfox are performed to standardized tempo music

Quickstep (fast foxtrot)

Translated from English literally means “quick step”. The development of quickstep was influenced by jazz rhythms and a Charleston-style dance. It was from him that the chain of moves was borrowed, which alternated with jumping on the spot.

The rhythm of modern quickstep is 50 - 52 beats per minute or 200–208 beats per minute, characteristic movements: progressive steps and turns, chassis and other movements typical of foxtrot.

Slowfox (slow foxtrot)

Slowfox - slow foxtrot is called the king of the European program and dance classics. It is based on smooth, smooth sliding movements. The pair has a bright severity of the stretching of the sides with the body tilted, which is possible in the conditions of coherence and grace of the dancers. The unique smoothness, long lines, weightlessness of the steps, giving the impression of soaring above the parquet - all this is characteristic of slow foxtrot. To achieve this effect, dancers need constant control of movements, coordination and good balance (balance). Slowfox standard rhythm 28 - 30 metronome beats per minute

Social (“People's” Foxtrot)

Foxtrot developed primarily as a professional dance, and it was rather difficult for simple dance lovers to master it. Moreover, dance halls for mass dances were not suitable for its performance (the foxtrot required a lot of space). In this regard, a variant of foxtrot appeared - social, for the performance of which neither special skills nor a large space was required, since it was performed on the spot.

In the USSR, popular foxtrots were written by A. V. Varlamov , V. Ya. Kruchinin, A. Ya. Lepin, A. M. Polonsky (“Blooming May”, 1948; one of the most famous Soviet foxtrot ^[2] ), A. N Tsfasman .

Academic composers of the 20th century called their instrumental compositions (or parts of major works) Foxtrot, among which were J. K. Adams (“Chairmans' Dances” for orchestra), A. Casella (No. 5 from “Five Pieces for String Quartet”; Foxtrot for piano four hands), B. Martin (No. 8 from “Eight Preludes for Piano”), D. D. Shostakovich (No. 3 from the 1st “Jazz Suite”; ballet “The Golden Age”), G.V. Sviridov (No. 4 from the orchestral suite “Time, Go!”).