Tea-Time Foxtrot

A smooth, travelling slow foxtrot with unbroken holds, toe-pick hops, inside Ina Bauers, twizzles, a bracket and a closing run of walk-around threes.

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The dance

Foxtrot in 4/4, 108 beats a minute. The hold is foxtrot and Kilian for most of the dance, with open holds from step 5, reverse Kilian on step 44 and closed from step 52. The partners skate different steps. 60 steps and 104 beats to one pattern.

The steps are in the rulebook's own notation: foot, direction and edge, with Pr for a progressive, Ch for a chassé, SwR for a swing roll, XB and XF for a cross step behind or in front, 3 for a three turn, CSt and SSt for C and S steps, Op for open and Cl for closed. From the step chart in US Figure Skating's 2026-27 rulebook.

The Tea-Time Foxtrot is a smooth, travelling slow foxtrot, and US Figure Skating’s picture of it is a full cup of tea balanced on the follow partner’s head with not a drop spilled. It asks for an upright frame with no leaning, light contact in closed hold, slow-quick-quick timing and no break of hold, even through the twizzles.

Most of it is skated in foxtrot hold or a blend of foxtrot and Kilian. The rulebook singles out the toe-pick hops, two inside Ina Bauers (the second turning with a rocker-like motion), a crossed slide into a skidded three-turn, the lead partner’s half-rotation jump, a five-beat outside bracket in reverse Kilian, and a closing set of walk-around threes in waltz hold.

Tea-Time Foxtrot is not on the British Ice Skating pattern dance lists. US Figure Skating tests it at International level.

Appears in