Quickstep

Past and Present

The tradition of Quickstep and Foxtrot is based on old Onestep and Rag. Onestep, imported from North America to Europe in 1910, with its simplified one-step-move at constant rhythm, has been a march or walk without chassee. It was danced in a quick 2/4-time forwards, backwards or sideways without turns on balls.

When about 1912 Ragtime, the first modern form of dance music, gained ground in Great Britain, Onestep evolved into Rag. This dance had a special Rag-nuance with knee bent steps at a synchopated rhythm (accentuation at time 2 and 4). Because of different music speeds, Foxtrot spread up into Slowfox, as the slower played variant, and into the fast Quickstep from 1924.

Both variants were included into the world dancing competition program. From 1930 influences of swing music made Quickstep rhythmically free and easy to dance. Quickstep is the most thrilling standard dance: quick in its progressive movements, vivid in its bouncing steps, so that it is nowadays the most favourite ballroom dance. In contrast to Slow Waltz, with its lateral movements, Quickstep is danced in lines and circles.

The nature of Quickstep are very fast composed movements controlled by vitality, by a change between quick and slow steps and by a swift speed of 50 beats per minute. Quickstep is cheerful, sportive and tricky. Obvious are the fast leg motions, intended to affect an easy playing impression.