ROCKER FOXTROT

The Rocker Foxtrot starts at the midline at one end of the ice surface and makes three lobes toward the edge and two toward the midline along each side. Thus one circuit of the ice surface requires two sequences of the dance.

Steps 1 to 4 that are the same for both partners are skated in open hold and consist of a crossed behind chassé followed by a progressive. Step 5 for the lady is a four-beat LFO swing rocker skated while the man performs two outside edges. The swing rocker is executed with a swing of the free leg and is turned after the free leg has passed the skating foot and is extended forward. The turn should be executed on clean outside to outside edges on beat two of the step so that the lady’s sinking onto a softly bent knee afterward will coincide exactly with the man’s knee bend for his RFO edge on beat three. After the swing rocker, the lady’s free leg must be swung forward to match the man’s free leg. After the lady’s swing rocker, the pattern continues to approach the midline before curving away and care should be taken that both partners are on outside edges.

During the swing rocker, the couple changes to closed hold, which is maintained until Step 7b when the couple resumes open hold for the remainder of the dance. The man must skate an open stroke for Step 6 and should be in a position exactly opposite his partner at the beginning of the edge to execute his LFO3.

Step 8 is a cross roll. Steps 10 and 11 are strong outside edges. Steps 11 and 12 are outside closed mohawks for both partners. The free leg is first extended behind turned out and then is placed beside the heel of the skating foot, arriving exactly in time for the mohawk. The man must be careful not to curve his Step 11 too deeply since the lady must curve her edge at least as deeply in order to be in position beside him for the turn. To achieve the correct positions, the shoulders must be well checked entering the turn. The mohawk must be directed toward the side/long barrier to achieve a nicely rounded end pattern if the dance is to commence again at the midline. After the mohawk, the partners continue a slow clockwise rotation through Steps 12 and 13 so as to be traveling forward on Step 14 for the restart of the dance. Both partners commence Step 13 crossed in front approximately at the center line.

The Rocker Foxtrot should be skated with good knee action, change of lean and flow to enhance the character of a Foxtrot.

MUSIC RHYTHM: Foxtrot 4/4
TEMPO: 26 four-beat measures per minute; 104 beats per minute
ISU MUSIC INTRODUCTION: 32 beats, 18.5 seconds
PATTERN-TIMING: 1 = :16; 2 = :32; 3 = :48; 4 = 1:05
DURATION: Test 3 = :48 Solo after partnering 2 = :32 Competition 4 = 1:05 Adult Competition 3 = :48
SKATER’S CHOICE TIMING: See Skater’s Choice Pattern Dance Timing Chart on usfgureskating.org under the “Technical Info” link
PATTERN: Set
TEST: Silver

INVENTORS: Eric van der Weyden and Eva Keats
FIRST PERFORMED: Streatham Ice Rink, London, England, 1934

ROCKER FOXTROT — SET PATTERN DANCE