History
The Foxtrot is a ballroom dance whose name is thought to come from its inventor, vaudeville actor Harry Fox. It was premiered in 1914 and quickly caught the eye of the talented couple, Vernon and Irene Castle, who lent the dance its signature grace and style. The Foxtrot was later standardized by Arthur Murray, in whose version it began to imitate the positions of Tango. Today, the dance is customarily accompanied by the same big band music to which swing is also danced. There are different versions of Foxtrot that exist, but we will focus on the American style.
Songs You May Recognize
There are a large variety of songs that are foxtrots and many that you will recognize. Some popular songs are listed below. At practices and dances we use a mixture of traditional music as well as modern music.
- Ain’t That a Kick in the Head? – Dean Martin
- Fly Me to the Moon – Frank Sinatra
- The More I See You – Michael Bublé