It is one of the five ballroom dance styles currently competed internationally by professional dancers, along with Tango, Viennese Waltz, Waltz, and Quickstep.
The dance was premiered in 1914, quickly catching the eye of the husband and wife duo Vernon and Irene Castle, who lent the dance its signature grace and style. The exact origin of the name of the dance is unclear, although one theory is that it took its name from its popularizer, the vaudeville actor Harry Fox. Two sources credit African-American dancers as the source of the Foxtrot: Vernon Castle himself, and dance teacher Betty Lee. Castle saw the dance, which "had been danced by negroes, to his personal knowledge, for fifteen years, [at] a certain exclusive colored club."
W. C. Handy ("Father of the Blues") notes in his autobiography that his "The Memphis Blues" was the inspiration for the Foxtrot. During breaks from the fast paced Castle Walk and One-step, Vernon and Irene Castle's music director, James Reese Europe, would slowly play the Memphis Blues. The Castles were intrigued by the rhythm and Jim asked why they didn't create a slow dance to go with it. The Castles introduced what they then called the "Bunny Hug" in a magazine article. Shortly after, they went abroad and, in mid-ocean, sent a wireless to the magazine to change the name of the dance from "Bunny Hug" to the "Foxtrot." It was subsequently standardized by Arthur Murray, in whose version it began to imitate the positions of Tango.
At its inception, the foxtrot was originally danced to ragtime. From the late teens through the 1940s, the Foxtrot was certainly the most popular fast dance and the vast majority of records issued during these years were foxtrots. The Waltz and Tango, while popular, never overtook the foxtrot. Even the popularity of the Lindy Hop in the 1940s did not affect the foxtrot's popularity, since it could be danced to the same records used to accompany the Lindy Hop.
When rock and roll first emerged in the early 1950s, record companies were uncertain as to what style of dance would be most applicable to the music. Notably, Decca Records initially labeled its rock and roll releases as "foxtrots", most notably "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley and His Comets. Since that recording, by some estimates, went on to sell more than twenty-five million copies, "Rock Around the Clock" could be considered the biggest-selling "foxtrot" of all time. Today, the dance is customarily accompanied by the same big band music to which swing is also danced.
Over time, the foxtrot split into slow and quick versions, referred to as "foxtrot" and "quickstep" respectively. In the slow category, further distinctions exist between the International or English style of the foxtrot and the continuity American style, both built around a slow-quick-quick rhythm at the slowest tempo, and the social American style using a slow-slow-quick-quick rhythm at a somewhat faster pace. In the context of International Standard category of ballroom dances, for some time the foxtrot was called "Slow Foxtrot", or "Slowfox". These names are still in use, to distinguish from other types of foxtrots.
Sean Lowe & Peta Murgatroyd - Foxtrot - Week-1
Sharna Burgess & Andy Dick ~ Foxtrot ~ DWTS ~ Season 16
Kellie Pickler and Derek Hough - Foxtrot - Week 5
Aly Raisman and Mark - Foxtrot -Week-6-DWTS'16
Zendaya Coleman & Val Foxtrot - DWTS 16-Week 8
Leah Remini and Tony Dovolani - Foxtrot - Week 1
Jack Osbourne and Cheryl Burke - Foxtrot - Week 1
Bill Engvall and Emma Slater - Foxtrot - Week 1
Valerie Harper and Tristan MacManus - Foxtrot - Week 1
Elizabeth Berkley & Val Chmerkovskiy - Foxtrot
Christina Milian & Mark- Foxtrot- DWTS 17- Week 4
Amber Riley & Derek Foxtrot - Week 5
Nicole Snooki Polizzi & Sasha - Foxtrot - Week 6
Brant Daugherty & Peta Foxtrot DWTS 17 Week 8
James Maslow & Peta's "Foxtrot" DWTS Season 18 (Week 1) Premiere
Danica McKellar & Val Chmerkovskiy - Foxtrot
Drew Carey & Cheryl- Money That's All I Want- DWTS 18
DWTS'18 Diana Nyad & Henry Byalikov Foxtrot
Maksim Chmerkovskiy & Meryl Davis dancing Foxtrot on DWTS 3 31 14
Sharna Burgess and Cody Simpson Foxtrot
DWTS 18 WEEK 5 Disney Night - Nene Leakes & Tony - Foxtrot - Week 5 Episode 5 (April 14th)
DWTS 18 WEEK 8 - Candace Cameron Bure & Mark - Foxtrot (May 5th) -- Dancing With The Stars 2014
Sharna Burgess and Charlie White dancing Foxtrot on DWTS 5 12 14
Dancing with the Stars 19 - Lea Thompson & Artem - LIVE 9-15-14
Sharna Burgess & Tavis Smiley dancing Foxtrot on DWTS 9 15 14
Dancing with the Stars 19 - Randy Couture & Karina - LIVE 9-15-14
Janel Parrish & Val Chmerkovskiy - Foxtrot
Erika & Gleb's Foxtrot- Dancing With the Stars (Week 2)
Nick Viall & Peta’s "Foxtrot" DWTS Season 24 Week 2@
Mr. T & Kym's Foxtrot - Dancing With the Stars (Vegas Night)-2
Charo & Keo's Foxtrot - Dancing With the Stars (Vegas Night)
Normani and Val Chmerkovskiy Foxtrot (Week 3) - Dancing With The Stars
Nancy Kerrigan and Artem Chigvintsev- DWTS Foxtrot
Bonner & Sharna’s "Foxtrot" DWTS Season 24 Week 4 (Most Memorable Year)@
Rashad Jennings and Emma Slater Foxtrot (Week 5) - Dancing With The Stars
Lindsey and Mark’s - Foxtrot - Dancing with the Stars
Jordan and Lindsay’s - Foxtrot - Dancing with the Stars
HD Tonya and Sasha Dancing With The Stars - Week 1 - Foxtrot
Mirai Nagasu and Alan Bersten Foxtrot (Week 2) - Dancing With The Stars
HD Josh and Sharna Dancing With The Stars - FINALE - Foxtrot
HD Evanna and Keo Dancing With The Stars Premiere - Week 1 - Foxtrot
HD Danelle and Artem Dancing With The Stars Premiere - Week 1 - Foxtrot
HD John and Emma Dancing With The Stars Premiere - Week 1 - Foxtrot
HD Danelle and Artem Dancing With The Stars Premiere Night 2 - Week 1 - Foxtrot
HD DeMarcus Ware and Lindsay “Foxtrot” - DWTS Week 2 Night 1 - Season 27
HD Joe Amabile and Jenna “Foxtrot” - DWTS Week 2 Night 1 - Season 27
HD Bobby Bones and Sharna “Foxtrot” - DWTS Week 2 Night 1 - Season 27
HD Juan Pablo Di Pace and Cheryl “Foxtrot” - DWTS Week 2 Night 2 - Season 27
Alexis & Alan’s Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Milo Manheim and Witney Carson Dancing With The Stars Week 7- Country Night-Foxtrot
Evanna Lynch and Keo Motsepe Redemption Foxtrot (Week 8) - Dancing With The Stars
Tripp Palin & Hailey Bills - DWTS Juniors Week 1 Foxtrot
Mackenzie Ziegler & Sage Rosen - DWTS Juniors Week 1 Foxtrot
Akash Vukoti & Kamri Peterson - DWTS Juniors Week 1 Foxtrot
Sophia Pippen & Jake Monreal - Dancing With The Stars Juniors (DWTS Juniors) Episode 2
Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson & Tristan Ianiero - Dancing With The Stars Juniors Episode 3
Jason Maybaum & Elliana Walmsley - Dancing With The Stars Juniors (DWTS Juniors) Episode 3
Mandla Morris & Brightyn Brems - DWTS Juniors Episode 6 (Dancing with the Stars Juniors)
Sailor Brinkley-Cook’s Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Mary Wilson's Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Lamar Odom's Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Ray Lewis' Foxtrot - Dancing with the Stars
Kate Flannery's Foxtrot - Dancing with the Stars
Lauren Alaina’s Foxtrot - Dancing with the Stars 28
Hannah Brown’s Foxtrot - Dancing with the Stars
Sean Spicer’s Foxtrot - Dancing with the Stars
James Van Der Beek’s Foxtrot - Dancing with the Stars
Lauren Alaina’s Foxtrot - Dancing with the Stars
Vernon Davis’s Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Nev Schulman’s Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Monica Aldama’s Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Justina Machado’s Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
AJ McLean’s Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Anne Heche’s Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Jesse Metcalfe’s Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Kaitlyn Bristowe’s Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Nelly’s Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Chrishell Stause’s Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Skai Jackson’s Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Johnny Weir’s Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Kenya Moore’s Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Brian Austin Green’s Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Amanda Kloots’s Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Melanie C’s Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Suni Lee’s Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Iman Shumpert’s Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Olivia Jade’s Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Jimmie Allen’s Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
JoJo Siwa’s Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
The Miz’s Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Cody Rigsby’s Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Melora Hardin’s Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Dance Relay- Foxtrot - Dancing with the Stars
Dance-Off- Foxtrot - Dancing with the Stars
Suni Lee’s Redemption Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Barry Williams’ Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Mauricio Umansky’s Motown Night Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Alyson Hannigan’s Motown Night Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Tyson Beckford’s Motown Night Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Charity Lawson’s Motown Night Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Harry Jowsey’s Motown Night Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Xochitl Gomez’s Motown Night Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Jason Mraz’s Disney100 Night Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Ariana Madix’s Semi-Finals Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Tori Spelling’s Premiere Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Phaedra Parks’s Oscars Night Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Dwight Howard’s Oscars Night Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Ilona Maher’s Soul Train Night Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Eric Roberts’s Soul Train Night Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Danny Amendola’s Soul Train Night Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Reginald VelJohnson’s Soul Train Night Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Stephen Nedoroscik’s Hair Metal Night Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars
Jenn Tran’s Dedication Night Foxtrot – Dancing with the Stars