In previous discussions of early foxtrot, I've examined individual step-sequences across multiple sources, if I have them -- many variations were unique to a single source. Taking a different approach, I'd also like to look at the published sets of step-sequences of some of the famous and accomplished dancers of the period and see what repertoire they recommended. I'll begin with the most notable (then and now) of these dancers: the powerhouse couple Vernon and Irene Castle.
In the December, 2014, issue of The Ladies' Home Journal, the Castles published an article illustrated with a series of photos, beginning with the pair at left, of a set of five step-sequences which they labeled The Castle Fox Trot. This article was the third in a series of dance descriptions which began with the Castle Polka (October) and continued with the Castle Gavotte (November).
Vernon Castle wrote in first person, addressing the presumably female readers of the magazine directly. His introduction to the foxtrot:
In presenting the last of our three modern dances I am obliged to revert to the very old and true saying that “There is no new thing under the sun.” However in the present dance you will find it a pleasant change, and as it is very like the one-step I think it should become popular. On and off for the last three months we have been introducing this dance at various parties, and it has always been received with a great deal of enthusiasm.
So far as the music for this dance is concerned, if you will play an ordinary “rag” half as fast as you would play it for the one-step you will have a pretty good idea of the music and tempo.
...the natural inclination is either to dance very fast steps double time to the music or very slow steps with it. The latter is what most people do, and what is more they seem to enjoy it. But it seems to me that, as to keep up the dance one way is too fast and the other is too slow, the only real solution is to combine the two. By doing this you not only make the dance comfortable, but you also make it possible to do a great variety of easy and amusing steps.
This mixture of slow and quick steps is what I consider the essence of the early foxtrot.
The Castles gave five step-sequences for the foxtrot, which I will describe here and in the following post. Only the fourth actually had a name, but as many of the moves are familiar from other sources or other dances, I've added descriptive titles for easier reference.
As is typical for the period, the dancers start in an ordinary closed ballroom hold. The gentleman moves forward starting on the left foot, the lady backward on the right. I will give abbreviated sequences using S for slow steps and Q for quick steps, as that is often easier to remember than counts.
1. The basic step sequence of the foxtrot: two slow steps and four quick steps. This is a classic walk-trot combination: SSQQQQ, the third on the list of common patterns given here. The Castles counted their foxtrot in 4/4 time, so this would occupy one bar of music, or two bars if danced to 2/4 music. Vernon's style advice:
This is very easy, and as it is the main step it should be done in between other more difficult steps. In this way it makes the changing from one step to another more simple. In taking the slow steps in this dance the stride should be as long as possible, as it adds a great deal of grace.
This two slow steps are illustrated in the photos at the top of the post (click to enlarge and pop out), which helpfully depict the length of stride the Castles had in mind.
The images below illustrate the second step-sequence.
2. A step out and pomander walk combination. This sequence continues the SSQQQQ rhythm, but during the slow steps the dancers move into Yale position, as shown in the left-hand photo above and illustrated here. The gentleman steps out diagonally to the right, so the dancers are roughly side by side. The process is more fully explained here. The four quick steps then take them around in a simple Pomander Walk (described and diagrammed here), moving around each other, right hip to right hip. There is no about-face at the end of it; instead, on the fourth step, the gentleman closes his right foot with weight while the lady continues with a fourth walking step, as illustrated in the right-hand photo above. This leaves the lady's right foot free and trailing behind, which sets her up to smoothly start walking backward again. As Vernon wrote:
By stopping suddenly like this you will find you unconsciously fall into half a “grapevine” step (see the fourth photograph) which gives the finish a very pretty effect.
I feel sure it is unnecessary for me to explain what a grapevine step is, as it is far too well known. In the beginning of the dance furore, when all the new step of the turkey trot first came out, the “grapevine” was the standby of all the beginners, and it was about as far as most of them got, for which they should now be thankful.
I discuss entering a grapevine from a Pomander Walk here, though it's more information than really needed in this case, since the dancers are resetting at the end rather than continuing the grapevine.
A very similar sequence using only slow steps was described in Edna Stuart Lee's Thirty Fox Trot Steps (New York, 1916), as I discussed here.
3. A hop-kick sequence. I love hops in the foxtrot, and have written about them in the past (notably, here and here). This one is actually not quite as appealing to me personally, since the kick, as shown in the photo at left, is separate from the hop. The sequence given is two walking steps (SS) followed by hop-kick-step-step (QQQQ).
Vernon called this "a very pretty little back kick". Unfortunately, while a hop is more-or-less leadable (the lady will feel the hop when the gentleman does it and should at least sort of bounce in place), kicks are not. If the lady does not know what's happening, she won't kick, and to her, it will end up feeling like a mere pause in the dance. That's not the end of the world, but the gentleman really has to be careful to keep their weight on the correct foot (his right, her left). I would suggest practicing a sequence of walk, walk, pause-pause-step-step (SSQQQQ), with the a bit of lean on the paused beats. Once this is mastered, replacing them with a hop and kick should be easy. I also recommend leading this sequence at least twice in succession. The lady probably won't quite get it the first time, so it's nice to offer her another chance.
I'll continue with the last two sequences in my next post.
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