This is a nifty little move from the short Bassett/Elliott film, "The Much Talked About 'Fox Trot' " (dated 1916) and is unlike anything else I've ever seen in a 1910s foxtrot: it actually has a hop. A hop in the foxtrot! That should startle anyone watching you. The sequence isn't terribly difficult and should be accessible once a dancer is past the complete-novice stage.
The overall rhythm is SS QQQQ QQS QQQQ, starting gentleman's left foot/lady's right and stepped as follows:
SS QQQQ
Normal walk/trot sequence, backing the lady.
QQ
Step out into "Yale" position, right hip to right hip, starting to move into a clockwise turn.
S
Hop! This is on the gentleman's right foot, lady's left and moves slightly forward with the turning momentum of the dancers.
QQQQ
Complete the clockwise turn, straightening out to return to backing the lady along the line of dance in normal ballroom hold.
Verbal mnemonic:
Walk, walk, trot-trot, trot-trot, step-out, HOP, turn-turn, turn-turn.
The move doesn't have a name as far as I know. I call it the Bassett/Elliott turn or simply the hop-turn. Give it a try!
Where did you find this? I cannot find the video anywhere!
Posted by: Marie | December 22, 2014 at 07:53 PM
It's on a compilation video at the New York Public Library. They have refused repeatedly to copy it for me, so I think you'll have to go there to watch it.
There's more about hopping turns in early foxtrot here.
Posted by: Susan de Guardiola | December 29, 2014 at 08:46 AM