How to Dance the Slow Foxtrot Feather Step

ballroom footwork partnership slow foxtrot technique

The short answer: the Feather Step, as I teach it in the video, is four steps for the man: right foot forward, left foot forward with the left side leading, right foot forward outside partner in CBMP, then left foot forward. The lady dances the same pattern backwards. It works when you set up CBM on step one, so you can step outside partner comfortably on step three, and then let the sway happen as a result: step, swing, sway.

Why is Slow Foxtrot so hard to dance?

Because the movement never stops. From the beginning of a figure to the end you're like a car shifting gears on a highway, slowing down behind traffic and speeding back up, accelerating and decelerating without ever stopping. I think of Slow Foxtrot as the Rumba of Ballroom dancing: get its essential elements right and you improve the fundamentals of all your other dances. My first Foxtrot lesson was on the Feather, and so was my last lesson as a competitive dancer. As I like to say, if you can measure it, you can master it.

What is the difference between CBM and CBMP?

CBM, contra body movement, is a body action that starts a turn. As the man steps forward on his right foot, or the lady steps back on her left, the left side of the body turns towards that foot. CBMP, contra body movement position, is a foot position. A couple dances on four tracks, two each, and in CBMP two tracks become one, as on step three of the Feather. CBM doesn't carry through every step. It sets up the turn at the start, and it's a sliding scale: how much you use depends on the figure.

What is step, swing, sway in Slow Foxtrot?

It's the principle my coach, Penny, learned from Alex Moore, and a beautiful way to think about good Foxtrot movement. You step, the body swings, and the sway happens as a result. Sway is an inclination of the body. In Slow Foxtrot it's linear, because you're stepping on the line of the supporting foot rather than closing your feet, and that's what creates the shape of the Feather. Never force it. If you try to make the sway, you distort your body.

How do you dance the Slow Foxtrot Feather Step?

Preparation: a small preparation step, or wind up, makes the CBM stronger going into step one.
Step one: the man steps right foot forward with CBM, his left side turning towards the right foot. The lady steps left foot back and her body turns, so her hips let him come outside her.
Step two: the man steps left foot forward with the left side leading, preparing to step outside partner, and the sway starts. The lady steps right foot back with her right side leading.
Step three: the man steps right foot forward outside partner in CBMP. The lady steps left foot back in CBMP, her feet in one track.
Step four: the man steps left foot forward and the lady steps right foot back, and the body straightens up.
Footwork: the man dances heel toe, toe, toe heel, heel. The lady dances toe heel on every step, rising through her legs and body, not her feet.

Common mistakes

Skipping the CBM on step one, then snaking the hips to get outside partner on step three. It's awkward and uncomfortable.
Forcing the sway instead of letting it come from good foot positions and body action.
Ladies initiating CBM or rise instead of following the man's lead.
Ladies stepping out of the one track on step three, which pulls both partners off balance.
Ladies rising through the feet with the man's footwork instead of through the legs and body.

Try this in your next practice

Go back to your feet positions first. Walk the Feather slowly, as man or lady, checking three things: CBM on step one, the side lead on step two and one track on step three. Then dance it saying "step, swing, sway" and let the sway happen rather than making it. Watch the lesson more than once. Knowing what CBM and CBMP mean isn't the same as your body doing them automatically.

Frequently asked questions

How fast is Slow Foxtrot music?

WDSF competition rules set Slow Foxtrot at 28 to 30 bars a minute.

Ladies, should I start the turn in the Feather?

No. You don't initiate CBM, rise or anything else. You follow the direction of the man's body weight and the amount of turn he gives you. On step three, think of your hips opening like a door so he can pass you without a problem.

Why is the lady's footwork different from the man's?

Going forward, the man rises up through his toes, legs and body. Going back, the lady dances toe heel on every step and keeps her feet on the floor, pulling the heel. She uses floor pressure and rises through her legs and body in response to him.

How is sway in Slow Foxtrot different from Waltz?

In Waltz you sway towards the inside of a turn as your feet close. In Slow Foxtrot you don't close your feet, so the sway is linear: an inclination of the body while you step on the line of the supporting foot.

Why keep working on the Feather if I already know it?

Because what you learn when you begin is still what you dance at the professional level. You get greater control and more skills, but you're still aiming to master the same principles.

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Vaughan Liddicoat is a 4 time World Professional 10 Dance representative for Australia, an accredited coach and the founder of Ballroom Mastery. He has a passion for dance and wants to help you become the best dancer you can be and have an amazing time doing it.

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