Quickstep

[QPO]

I think that once you find the essence of each dance, you appreciate it for its own uniqueness. Even though certain elements cross all styles...

[SwingWaltz]

ditto - though I have heard that the former is derived originally from the latter....
(I'm very cautious about these stories now having been corrected several times !)

Well they do have the same count. 

[elisedance]

as in 4/4?  Well so do rumba, paso doble and tango (and the minuet etc...).... so I don't think thats much of a link...

[SwingWaltz]

More like the S S Q Q and the rise and fall associated with those.
I don't think Tango has the rise and fall as foxtrot and quickstep do.

[elisedance]

ah. 
Isn't foxtrot Q,Q,S? 

[SwingWaltz]

Hmmm....yea good point.
I only counted the preparation and feather step. 

Ok...let me think again....

So in a bar of music with 4 beats, they both have a S and two Qs.
And we all count 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 repeat etc etc I do!

[QPO]

I thought foxtrot was slow quick quick...someone said once to the count of  banana peach peach (S,QQ) quickstep has it the other way Q,Q S emphasis on a different spot? or have I got that wrong?

[SwingWaltz]

I count my foxtrot as Slow & Quick Quick ie feather
My quickstep is something like Slowwww Qrk Qrk ie running finishes

[elisedance]

Here's a nice compromise:
"Although the fundamental timing of Fox Trot could be thought of as SQQ, it is actually more intriguing to consider it as QQS starting on the 2nd beat of the measure!" http://www.eijkhout.net/rad/dance_specific/foxtrot4.html

[QPO]

thanks for the link I will read it...

[QPO]

From steps you hate. I mentioned that I have not done pendulums....I have not done that step yet, we just are doing the scatter chasses and working out to keep them small and it helps immensely now to maintain upper body control for shaping so we don't close into the circle.

[elisedance]

we are working on them too - I've done them with pro but now learning again with DP (or should I say really learning ).  the scatters are small but the hops are large. 

[TangoDancer]

  QS is NOT just fast foxtrot its quite different...

Quite! IMHO, the most prevalent difference, as well as key ingredient to daning a great QS, is that it is danced sideways. FT is danced fwd/bwd along the LOD. Also, b/c of this, and some of the movements, the dance positon is a wee wider than other slow dances, yes?

[TangoDancer]

Isn't foxtrot Q,Q,S? 

[/quote]

I thought foxtrot was slow quick quick... or have I got that wrong?

[/quote]

I count my foxtrot as Slow & Quick Quick ie feather
My quickstep is something like Slowwww Qrk Qrk ie running finishes

More like the S S Q Q and the rise and fall associated with those.

And, this is why I detest teaching in slow/quicks. These are not timings, they are rhythms. Rhythms are arbitrary; we make them up as we go along, and may change them as we desire. All of you wrong, and all of you are correct given an individual pov at a selected point in time.

FTR, the count and timing of QS and FT are the same. Tempi differs greatly, however, as was also posted, QS is quick not fast.

[elisedance]

Now I think you learn to dance it first and then figure out the quicks and slows after

I may have quoted this before but its from Bill Davies in a lecture many years ago when asked what the timing was in foxtrot (which he was superb at) he said:  'Well there are four beats and three steps - you figure it out..."  and thats all the clues he gave