The Whitley Fox Trot is a fox trot sequence dance composed by Charles J. Daniels in 1921.
It was "dedicated to the opening of the New Empress Ballroom in Whitley Bay, England" and was a Prize Dance of the National Association of Teachers of Dancing.
It is very similar to Daniels' Palatine Fox-Trot composed the prior year.
Closed position, Lead facing LOD.
Part I - Zig Zag (4 bars): Chassé diagonally forward left (1-and-2), right (3-and-4), left (5-and-6), and right (7-and-8), turning 1/4 to the right at the end to end with Lead facing the outside wall.
Part II - Four Slide (4 bars): Chassé three times along LOD (1-and, 2-and, 3-and), then turn halfway to the left on the fourth side step (4), backing the Follow across LOD to the inside lane. Repeat on the other foot (5-and, 6-and, 7-and, 8), turning 1/4 to the right on the fourth side step to regain original orientation.
Part III - Back the Follow (4 bars): Back the Follow SSQQS on first foot (1, 2, 3-and-4), then SSQQS on second foot (5, 6, 7-and-8), turning 1/4 to the right on the last step.
Part IV - Zig Zag, Pivot (2 bars): Chassé diagonally forward left (1-and-2), then right (3-and-4). Then back the Follow two steps (5, 6), turning 1/4 to the right on the second step, and pivot two steps, Lead backing (7), then Follow backing (8).
Repeat from the beginning.
"Whitley Fox Trot" by W. K. Moore is the specified tune, played at 32 bars per minute, but it doesn't appear to have been recorded, so any square, early 20th century fox trot will do.
© 2019 Nick Enge
For more dance descriptions, see our three books on dancing:
The Book of Mixers: 100 Easy-Teach Dances for Getting Acquainted (2022) by Richard Powers and Nick & Melissa Enge,
Cross-Step Waltz: A Dancer's Guide (2019) by Richard Powers and Nick & Melissa Enge, and
Waltzing: A Manual for Dancing and Living (2013) by Richard Powers and Nick Enge.
For full-length teaching videos, visit: University of Dance.
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