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How to Tell the Foxtrot From the Waltz

Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Related Tags: foxtrot | waltz | Dance Crazy | music | dances
 

Instructions

  • Step 1:
    Listen to the beat of the music in each style. The foxtrot is patterned with 4 beats per measure of music while the waltz beat is 3 beats per measure.
  • Step 2:
    Watch videos of the 2 dances. This can be one of the best ways to tell the difference between the foxtrot and the waltz. You can visit the Dance Crazy website for video clips on the 2 styles (see Resources below).
  • Step 3:
    Notice the level of elegance exhibited in each dance. The waltz is known to be more graceful than the foxtrot. If you take a look at the steps performed by waltz dancers, their movements are smoother and more fluid than those in the foxtrot.
  • Step 4:
    Notice the footwork in both dances as you try to tell which one is which. You can tell a waltz by the open turns the partners make, as opposed to the closing of the feet during each turn in the foxtrot.
  • Step 5:
    Pay attention to how long it takes to do a turn in each style. Whereas the waltz takes 2 bars of music to do a 3/4 turn, dancers require more than 2 bars or measures of music to accomplish this turn in the foxtrot.
  • Step 6:
    Listen for syncopation or the unaccented notes that fall outside of the downbeats of each measure. If you hear a little bit of syncopation, the music is probably meant for the foxtrot, not the waltz.

Tips & Warnings

  • While the foxtrot and waltz incorporate different steps, they both belong to the same system called swing dancing. Swing dancing is different from other systems, such as Latin dancing that includes the cha cha, salsa or merengue dances.
  • Do not let the tempo or speed of the music be the sole factor when differentiating between the waltz and the foxtrot. Although a waltz can be slower than the foxtrot, some waltzes take a faster pace.

Resources


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