Newcomer Foxtrot & Tango

The Fox Trot is undoubtedly America’s best loved dance form. It is a smooth progressive dance characterized by continuous flowing movements. The original style was simple, unrefined and moderately fast. It is the first dance from to introduce the ‘Slow’ count. A basic understanding of the Fox Trot’s rhythm makes it easier to pick up other dance steps.

The Argentine Tango is alleged to have been introduced by the gauchos or cowboys who came to town in search of female companionship. According to urban legend, weeks on horseback made their leather chaps stiff which forced them to walk with bent knees, giving rise to the male stance. The women on the other hand kept a distance to avoid the odor of a man. Whether this is true or not, there’s nothing that can take away the passion and sensuality of this dance form. Rather than the gauchos, it was Rudolph Valentino’s role in the 1926 movie, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, which had a powerful impact on male Tango stars that were quick to hop into gaucho garb.