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Foxtrot Dance History
The Foxtrot originated in the summer of 1914 by Vaudeville actor Harry Fox. Born
Arthur Carringford in Pomona, California, in 1882, he adopted the stage name of
"Fox" after his grandfather.
Harry was thrown on his own resources at the age of fifteen. He joined a circus
for a brief tour and he also played professional baseball for a short while. A
music publisher liked his voice and hired him to sing songs from the boxes of
vaudeville theaters in San Francisco. In 1904 he appeared in a Belvedere Theatre
in a comedy entitled "Mr. Frisky of Frisco." After the San Francisco earthquake
and the fire of 1906, Harry Fox migrated East and finally stopped in New York.
In early 1914, Fox was appearing in various vaudeville shows in the New York
area. In April he teamed up with Yansci Dolly of the famous Dolly Sisters in an
act of Hammerstein's. At the same time, the New York Theatre, one of the largest
in the World, was being converted into a movie house. As an extra attraction,
the theater's management decided to try vaudeville acts between the shows. They
selected Harry Fox and his company of "American Beauties" to put on a dancing
act. An article in Variety Magazine stated "Harry Fox will appear for a month or
longer at a large salary with billing that will occupy the front of the theatre
in electrics".
At the same time, the roof of the theatre was converted to a Jardin de Danse,
and the Dolly sisters were featured in a nightly revue.
The May 29, 1914 issue of Variety Magazine reported "The debut of Harry Fox as a
lone star and act amidst the films of the daily change at the New York Theatre
started off with every mark of success. The Dolly Sisters are dancing nightly on
the New York Roof. Gold cups will be given away next week to the winners of
dance contests on the New York Roof."
The Fox-trot originated in the Jardin de Danse on the roof of the New York
Theatre. As part of his act downstairs, Harry Fox was doing trotting steps to
ragtime music, and people referred to his dance as "Fox's Trot."
In the rise to fame of the Vernon Castles, exhibition dancers of outstanding
talent and charm, there was no doubt that the fox-trot was the most original and
exciting of their various dances.
The elite of the dancing world were soon trying to capture the unusual style of
movement and when a very talented American, G.K. Anderson came over to London,
and with Josephine Bradley won many competitions, he set the seal - so to speak
- on the style of the foxtrot.
As a result of the great popularity which ballroom dancing was enjoying, it was
necessary to evolve a form of dance that could express the slow syncopated 4/4
rhythm and yet could remain "on the spot." This did not mean that the
"traveling" fox-trot was dropped, but the "on the spot" dance did provide a
means of enjoying the music in a background which large numbers of people could
afford and enjoy, and where various bands were all producing excellent and
individual musicians and experimenting with and perfect all of the new sounds
and beats from America. The "on the spot" dancing was known appropriately as
crush, then rhythm dancing. It is now called "social" dancing and possibly this
conveys its purpose and limitations. It would be anti-social to attempt to
stride around a ballroom crowded with dancers, to dance with only one partner
when out with a party, or to be so engrossed with the performance of figures
that any conversation is taboo. It can also create a very good base - should it
be desired - for the foxtrot.
The Foxtrot was the most significant development in all of ballroom dancing. The
combination of quick and slow steps permits more flexibility and gives much
greater dancing pleasure than the one-step and two-step which it has replaced.
There is more variety in the fox-trot than in any other dance, and in some ways
it is the hardest dance to learn!
Variations of the foxtrot include the Peabody, the Quickstep and Roseland
foxtrot. Even dances such as the lindy and the hustle are derived to some extent
from the foxtrot.
PeabodyFoxtrot Dance History
The Peabody resembles a fast Foxtrot. Legend has it that the Peabody was created
by a portly police or fire chief - Captain Peabody - who was so overweight that
he had to dance to the side of his partner, creating the style which is so
characteristic of the Peabody. It's primarily a dance with long, gliding steps.
Dancers use many intricate quick steps set against a figure called the "open
box". It is popular in the larger ballrooms where dance space is not a serious
problem.
Foxtrot
Fast Facts:
During the summer of 1914, actor Harry Fox was appearing in shows in New York
with Yansci Dolly, in an act of Hammerstein's. Soon people at the Jardin de
Danse on the roof of the New York Theater began copying the act that Harry was
putting on downstairs, leading them to refer to the dance as "Fox's Trot."
The foxtrot is a very smooth dance and there should be no jerkiness. It is a
dance with many continuously forward or backward moving patterns which are
straight and well aligned on the competition floor. It is called the Rolls Royce
of the standard dancing styles because the smoothness that is required. ***
The timing is very important. It should be: slow, quick, quick, slow. The
dancers should drive off on the slow and let the quicks take care of themselves.
This makes it a very difficult dance.
Distinctive moves:
The Weave - the weave is six quick steps in a row, all taken on the toes. Quick
steps are generally taken on the toe, slow steps on the heels.
The Feather Step - when the man steps outside the girl.
Look out for the zig zag patterns that the dancers create on the floor.
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