Quickstep

Category: International Standard
Also known as: Quick step
DWTS performances in dataset: 283
Average total score: 25.68
First appearance: Season 1, Week 2 — Joey & Ashly (You're The One That I Want)
Lift rule on DWTS: Not allowed (core ballroom/Latin style on DWTS).

Origins and history

Quickstep developed in the 1920s from the faster foxtrot and Charleston influences in English ballrooms. Once tempos split, Slow Foxtrot stayed smooth and Quickstep kept the skippy, syncopated character. It joined the International Standard five.

Sources

• Wikipedia: Quickstep — 1920s English development from foxtrot/Charleston
• World Dance Foundation: History of ballroom dance — English Style “Standard Four,” later five
• WDSF: WDSF Competition Rules — 50–52 bars/min

How it is danced

Aspect	Detail
Time signature	4/4
Tempo (MPM)	50–52 (WDSF)
Tempo (BPM, approx.)	200–208
Character	Bright, bouncy, skipping; hops, locks and runs; the “happy” Standard dance.
Hold / frame	Closed Standard hold; must stay light despite speed.
Basic steps & figures	Quarter turns, progressive chasse, lock steps, natural spin turn, running finish, tipsy, hop. Syncopated chassés and skips.
What judges look for	Lightness, clean syncopation, travel and joy without rushing the music; 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: 283
• Score range: 14.0 – 44.0 (total judges’ score as stored)
• Perfect nights (every judging mark = 10): 15

Average score by era

Era	Performances	Average total
S1-10	85	23.58
S11-20	83	25.93
S21-30	75	26.77
S31+	40	27.5

Best scores

• 44.0 — S31 W6: Wayne & Witney — ?
• 40.0 — S18 W8: Charlie & Sharna — My Heart Goes Boom (Miss Li)
• 40.0 — S20 W9: Nastia & Sasha — Feelin' Good (Christina Grimmie)
• 40.0 — S25 W10: Lindsey & Mark — Barflies at the Beach (Royal Crown Revue)
• 40.0 — S35 W8: Jenna & Val — _ Be Our Guest _

Lowest scores

• 14.0 — S1 W2: Evander & Edyta — It Don't Mean a Thing
• 14.0 — S27 W1: Joe & Jenna — Fish Out of Water
• 15.0 — S5 W2: Wayne & Cheryl — Viva Las Vegas
• 15.0 — S21 W1: Paula & Louis — Hey, Good Lookin'
• 15.0 — S29 W3: Anne & Keo — Zero to Hero

First perfect nights (all marks 10)

• S4 W9: Apolo & Julianne — Mr. Pinstripe Suit (total 30.0, 3 judges)
• S4 W9: Laila & Maks — Walk Like an Egyptian (total 30.0, 3 judges)
• S5 W8: Hélio & Julianne — Hey Pachuco (total 30.0, 3 judges)
• S5 W10: Hélio & Julianne — Hey Pachuco (total 30.0, 3 judges)
• S6 W10: Jason & Edyta — The Dirty Boogie (total 30.0, 3 judges)

Most-used songs

• 9 to 5 — Dolly Parton (5×)
• Hey Pachuco — Royal Crown Revue (5×)
• Part-Time Lover — Stevie Wonder (4×)
• Take On Me — A-ha (4×)
• Viva Las Vegas — Elvis Presley (4×)
• You Can't Hurry Love — The Supremes (4×)
• Do Your Thing — Basement Jaxx (3×)
• Suddenly I See — KT Tunstall (3×)

Charts

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

Watch top performances

• Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy’s Disney Night Quickstep | Dancing with the Stars — S35 W8, score 40.0, _ Be Our Guest _
• Whitney Leavitt’s Wicked Night Quickstep | Dancing with the Stars — S34 W6, score 39.0, Popular
• Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov’s Disney Night Quickstep | Dancing with the Stars — S35 W8, score 34.0, _ A Star is Born _
• Jackson Olson and Emma Slater’s Dedication Night Quickstep | Dancing with the Stars — S35 W6, score 32.0, L-O-V-E
• Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert's Emmy Winning Paso Doble | Dancing With The Stars — S33 W3, score 30.0, Think

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