Among the moves described by Vernon and Irene Castle in their Victor Records for Dancing mini-manual (1914) are a trio of moves that are essentially box steps or fragments thereof: a so-called cortez (a.k.a. sentado or syncopated step), a double cortez, and a left-turning waltz. The rhythm is specified as QQS: three steps and hold. These make a nice set of variations to throw into basic walking-trotting sequences and two-step sequences when dancing a 1910s-style foxtrot.
The basic cortez is done with the gentleman facing forward along the line of dance and the lady backing. He steps forward left (quick), slides his right foot straight out to the side (quick), and closes the left foot to it with weight, holding the pose briefly (slow). The lady dances opposite with a back-side-close. The sequence given by the Castles has four of these in a row, changing lead foot each time, for a rather peculiar, boxy progress around the room. My preference would be to soften the angles slightly and do the sideways slide and close at a more diagonal angle along the line of dance.
The double cortez is a true box step: his sequence is forward-side-close, back-side close; hers is back-side-close, forward-side-close. The rhythm is QQS-QQS. The Castles' sequence has this initiating on the gentleman's right foot after doing the cortez described above with a left foot lead, but there is no particular reason it can't be led on the usual foot and done on its own.
Most interesting is the Castle's reverse waltz turn. The basic form is that of the "new" waltz of the late nineteenth century or the modern "box step" waltz, rather than the turning two-step given in other 1910s foxtrot sources (as discussed here). The rhythm, however, is the same QQS-QQS as in the two-step. A full turn is done in two measures. The gentleman initiates the turn by stepping forward left along the line of dance (quick), sliding his right foot sideways along the line of dance as he turns (quick), and closing the left foot with weight to it (slow), ending the first half-turn with his back to the line of dance. He then steps back right along the line of dance (quick), slides his left foot sideways along line of dance (quick), and closes his right foot to it with weight (slow), completing the full turn to once again face along line of dance. The lady dances opposite, beginning her turn with a step back right along line of dance.
Two tips for dancing this reverse turn: (1) It will be easier if the steps forward and back along line of dance are angled slightly towards the center of the room rather than being dead straight along the line of dance. (2) Avoid doing it in corners, when one will have to overturn to take the corner.
The Castles give no hint of a natural turn using this step pattern. While I don't think a natural (right) turn using this box step is entirely ahistorical -- it certainly occurs in the waltz -- my preference for a 1910s foxtrot would be to use the two-step for natural turns and this box step for reverse turns.
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