What's a Cool, Easy Dance?

What’s an easy dance to learn at the last minute?

All dances consist of four basic, easy-to-learn movements: the walking steps; the side-togethers or chassés (stepping out with one foot and then bringing the other to meet it); the triple steps (a swaying motion in threes, used in the swing and cha-cha); and the rock steps (a back—and-forth movement). But Carrie Babcock, an instructor at The Fred Astaire Dance Studio, in London, believes that the fox-trot is probably the fastest to learn because it only uses two of the steps—the walking and side-togethers—both of which we naturally do every day.

Most people who have never had lessons know how to do what I call the clutch—and-sway—where you hug each other and rock back and forth. You can easily add the box step: It can be done to 80 percent of the music out there, and it’s simple to both lead and follow. Once you’ve combined the two steps, says Babcock, then you know the fox-trot.

It goes like this: Start with your feet together (these directions are for the woman—the man begins with his left, so just reverse it):

1. Step out to the side with your right foot.
2. Close your left foot to your right.
3. Step backward with your right foot.
4. Step to the side with your left.
5. Close your right to your left.
6. Step forward with your left.
7. Repeat 1, and so on.