Several of my friends are keen to learn a dance called Society Foxrot, or One-Step Foxtrot. I've never heard of it, and have been unable to find any information about it. From the description given to me, it sounds like a glorified country one-step or a Foxtrot with the timing changed. Has anyone any information about this dance, or can you point me in the right direction ? I'm interested in obtaining either a written guide (if such a thing exists), or a DVD which would be even better. Thanks for your help !

A real challenge to find anything on the "Society Foxtrot". Several web sites describe this dance as a foxtrot danced on each beat. In other words, instead of S-Q-Q timing, it's Q-Q-Q-Q. Apparently, this dance style was very popular in the 20's to 40's.

I did find one web site with a video of this type of foxtrot: http://prezi.com/frrune0db5z2/copy-of-1980s-dance/ This site is very difficult to navigate, but if you can find the "Foxtrot" branch as one of the branches in the diagram, and click on it to enlarge it. There is an old video of a foxtrot danced in this Q-Q-Q-Q format somewhere in the 20's.

On edit... I wonder if someone is re-introducing the Peabody and calling it "Society Foxtrot", but dancing it to the normal Foxtrot beat. In the 20's and 30's, the Peabody was danced to EXTREMELY FAST music, 228 beats per minute. This is faster than Quick Step which is around 194 to 208 beats per minute. The Peabody was danced S-S-S-S -- otherwise, who could dance it at full speed of the music. Anyway, here is a YouTube video of the Peabody: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUywTzfIY1Q

Not be confused.. Soc. F/T and peabodya re 2 different dances. The speed of P/Body is, or may be, around 50/60 bars a minute.

Soc. F/trot could be described as " brisk ". Its origins may be linked to a style know as " slicker " done primarily in Calif .And it is all based upon using the same beat thruout the dance. Most of this is reminiscient of the 20s style of dance .

P/Body was a NYC invention, as the story goes, named after an obese Cop. who could not get in "closed " position, so the dance was constructed with space between partners. It was on the A/Murray Gold.

step list until the late 60s ( I taught a few hrs of this ) It had locksteps in the basics..

Heres the the list..

Basic PB turn
Fwdlock and turn
Back lock
L Box turn
Pony in a circle
Swivel run
Six count turn
Spot grapevine
Grapevine
Underarm turn.

Gold Bar......

Fwd lock with hop ( ths was intoduced into QS many yrs ago )
L Spot turn
Back spiral
Pony with U/arm turn
Fallaway grapevine
P/Body pivots
Terrace step
Shuttle step
Pivot armlock



And yes, the locks are the same as those in QS, and the G/vine, same as the one used in Amer style smooth .


Theres a vid on the net somewhere of a good showcase P / Body .

Hi Terence, you are correct about the Peabody and it being part of AMI Gold and Gold Bar...though I appear to have a different version of the syllabi than you do. Mine have a somewhat different step list. I would be very interested in getting a copy of yours. I have a very large collection of both vintage and modern material I would be willing to trade for this. please don't hesitate to call/text 727-320-4001 or email me Forrest@DanceHistorian.com

I now live in the UK.. mail me at salsahoy2000@yahoo.com and leave me your home address.... Will mail you a copy..

Forgot to add. I also have dance step lists( AM ) in B. S. and Gold/bar ,from the 50/60s ( the time period in which I worked for AM and much later coached, in some studios )

There was an English Old Time dance called Society Foxtrot that was apparently danced in 1945, see this article.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/10/a4191310.shtml

Many of the dances mentioned are still danced today and the steps have been published in various books. So far I have not found one which lists Society Foxtrot, but there is a CD by Harry Davidson which includes the music originally used for the dance.
http://www.maestrorecords.com/music-cds/sequence-amp-old-time/sequence/savoy/harry-davidson-his-orchestra-those-were-the-days-5

Of course this may have no relation to the dance your friends are thinking of.

I danced to his Orchestra. several times in that period, but I don't re-call the 1 step being danced. He was noted for old time as it was then called . Lotsa sequence dances .

Thanks for the info, everyone. I'll follow up your suggestions. MM