Foxtrot
Harry Fox, ballerino di vaudeville e comico, ha prestato il suo nome al Foxtrot. Si credeva che Fox fosse il primo a usare il “passo lento”, da qui … la nascita del Foxtrot. Questo primo uso freestyle dello “slow step” entrò in voga intorno al 1912, durante il periodo della musica ragtime. Questo ha segnato una fase completamente nuova del ballo da sala in cui i partner hanno ballato molto più vicini sulla nuova ed esilarante musica. Prima di questo periodo, la Polka, il Valzer e il One-Step erano popolari. In questi balli i partner sono stati tenuti a debita distanza ed è stato osservato uno schema prestabilito.
By 1915, another change took place — new and melodic “pop” songs were being written; tunes like, “Oh, You Beautiful Doll” and “Ida” were the smash hits of the day. The public was quick to appreciate the change to a smoother, more rhythmic style of music, and their dancing began to absorb the better attributes of the older dances. From 1917 up to the present time, the accent has been placed on smoother dancing and individualized expression. By 1960, the International style of dancing was making its way into the U.S. ballrooms and many of the techniques were implemented into the American style Foxtrot. As of this writing, the main difference between the two styles is that the International style Foxtrot is danced entirely in contact maintaining the normal dance hold, while the American style allows for complete freedom of expression utilizing various dance holds and positions. With its smooth and sophisticated feeling, most figures are designed for the larger ballroom floor. However, these same figures are also suited to the average dance floor when danced more compactly.
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