Foxtrot

Category: International Standard (Slow Foxtrot)
Also known as: Slow foxtrot, Slowfox
DWTS performances in dataset: 342
Average total score: 24.91
First appearance: Season 1, Week 5 — John & Charlotte (Let There Be Love)
Lift rule on DWTS: Not allowed (core ballroom/Latin style on DWTS).

Origins and history

The foxtrot is an American ragtime-era dance, commonly linked to vaudevillian Harry Fox around 1914 and popularized by Vernon and Irene Castle. English teachers later distilled a competition Slow Foxtrot with continuous swing. A faster social version helped seed the Quickstep.

Sources

• OUPblog: The origins of dance styles — American ragtime origin; Harry Fox
• World Dance Foundation: History of ballroom dance — Castles; English Style standardization
• WDSF: WDSF Competition Rules — Slow Foxtrot 28–30 bars/min

How it is danced

Aspect	Detail
Time signature	4/4
Tempo (MPM)	28–30 (WDSF)
Tempo (BPM, approx.)	112–120
Character	Smooth, gliding, “walking on air”; long lines and continuous swing across the floor.
Hold / frame	Closed Standard hold; body flight and sway are essential.
Basic steps & figures	Feather step, three step, natural turn, reverse turn, weave, change of direction. Heel–toe continuity; controlled rise.
What judges look for	Body flight, soft knees, unbroken swing, elegant lines and musical phrasing; no lifts.

Competition tempi cite WDSF Competition Rules E.3.2 and related DanceSport charts where applicable; theatrical styles are song-driven.

History on Dancing with the Stars

Statistics below are computed from the Data with the Stars SQLite performance and score tables (not invented).

• Times danced: 342
• Score range: 11.0 – 50.0 (total judges’ score as stored)
• Perfect nights (every judging mark = 10): 18

Average score by era

Era	Performances	Average total
S1-10	83	22.31
S11-20	96	25.7
S21-30	111	25.19
S31+	52	27.0

Best scores

• 50.0 — S31 W6: Charli & Mark — ?
• 43.0 — S31 W6: Jordin & Brandon — ?
• 43.0 — S31 W6: Daniel & Britt — ?
• 42.0 — S31 W6: Trevor & Emma — ?
• 40.0 — S18 W9: Charlie & Sharna — New York, New York (Frank Sinatra)

Lowest scores

• 11.0 — S28 W1: Lamar & Peta — Feeling Good
• 12.0 — S10 W2: Buzz & Ashly — Fly Me to the Moon
• 13.0 — S12 W1: Mike & Lacey — Cooler Than Me
• 14.0 — S7 W1: Rocco & Karina — Stray Cat Strut
• 15.0 — S3 W1: Sara & Tony — Mandy

First perfect nights (all marks 10)

• S4 W9: Joey & Kym — My Guy (total 30.0, 3 judges)
• S5 W9: Hélio & Julianne — Ain't That a Kick in the Head? (total 30.0, 3 judges)
• S7 W7: Brooke & Derek — Lullaby of Birdland (total 30.0, 3 judges)
• S14 W8: William & Cheryl — Stray Cat Strut (total 30.0, 3 judges)
• S18 W9: Charlie & Sharna — New York, New York (total 40.0, 4 judges)

Most-used songs

• Fly Me to the Moon — Frank Sinatra (5×)
• Fever — Peggy Lee (3×)
• It Had to Be You — Harry Connick Jr. (3×)
• Ain't That a Kick in the Head? — Dean Martin (3×)
• Pride and Joy — Marvin Gaye (3×)
• New York, New York — Frank Sinatra (3×)
• This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) — Natalie Cole (3×)
• The Way You Look Tonight — Frank Sinatra (3×)

Charts

• Data CSV: data/foxtrot-by-season.csv
• SVG: charts/foxtrot-frequency.svg, charts/foxtrot-score-trend.svg

Watch top performances

• Robert Irwin’s 20th Birthday Party Foxtrot | Dancing with the Stars — S34 W9, score 40.0, Footprints in the Sand
• Alix Earle’s 20th Birthday Party Foxtrot | Dancing with the Stars — S34 W9, score 40.0, Singin' in the Rain
• Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson’s Dedication Night Foxtrot | Dancing with the Stars — S35 W6, score 36.0, Stop This Train
• Sid Owen & Ola Jordan Tango to 'Here I Go Again' - Strictly Come Dancing 2012 - Week 3 - BBC — S33 W3, score 32.0, Here I Go Again
• Dancing With the Stars Season 33: Jenn Tran Dedicates Performance to Taylor Swift! — S33 W4, score 32.0, The Archer

---

Educational fan reference. Dance histories paraphrased from cited sources; DWTS stats from project data. Not affiliated with BBC Studios or Disney.