Quickstep

Quickstep

A firm favourite with many of our dancers the quickstep is lively and expressive with dancers often travelling at speed around the floor. Nevertheless, the dance can also be enjoyed in a more sedate fashion by couples wishing to experience, vibrant music and rhythmic movement. Part of the general enjoyment of this dance is the feeling of association that the whole group of dancers has as they move anti-clockwise around the ballroom. Essentially this is a dance that at all levels has the feeling of the party and is considered by many to be the dance of choice for bright festive occasions.

The Modern Quickstep has evolved from a number of different dances; these include the Charleston , the Shimmy, The Black Bottom, Jitterbug, the One Step, the Peabody and the Jive. When danced in competition dancers are encouraged to show elements of these original dances as part of an overall routine.

The quickstep can be danced and enjoyed as a very simple series of quarter turns, these are easily learnt and enable dancers to quickly get on to the dance floor and gain confidence.

Because of the relatively simple quarter turn movement of the quickstep this is often the dance that aspiring suitors will often make their first contact with a future partner. Consequentially many dancers have met their lifetime companions through the medium of the quickstep.

The Quickstep was developed during WWI in suburban New York , and initially performed by Caribbean and African Dancers. The dance craze for the quickstep in the UK was started by the Paul Whiteman Band in 1923 when it was originally known as the Quick-Time Foxtrot.

The Quickstep of today has evolved greatly from its original roots, however it retains the brightness and speed of foot of its antecedents the dance is performed nowadays at a speed of 50 beats per minute and in 4/4 time. This dance is based on variations of rotary and straight movements with the majority of the dance performed moving across the floor with very little stationary (picture line) variation. Good poise posture and stamina are essential ingredients of this dance (as for all dances).