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Solo Training5 minutes
How to Practise Slow Foxtrot on Your Own: 4 Solo Exercises
By Bernhard De LucaUpdated
- First practise familiar feather steps and triple steps individually, then as a short sequence without a demonstration.
- Dance each exercise in both roles, with the appropriate starting foot and movement path for each.
- Gradually increase the challenge, from a called-out foot change to recalling the steps independently from a new starting position.
- After each sequence, check your standing foot and alignment before starting again.
In class, your feet often struggle to keep up with the demonstration. As soon as you start on your own, you can see which movements you can really do from memory and where your body is still waiting for the next cue.
How the tasks are selected
Familiar Figures as a Prerequisite
All four exercises use spring steps and triple steps you have already learned, with no new figures.
Less help, more guidance
The progression takes you from a popular solo step to a sequence you start on your own in a different spot.
Both roles are practiced physically
Each exercise involves physically practicing both the forward-moving and backward-moving roles, not just comparing them mentally.
No Paid Placements
Nobody paid to have these exercises included or to determine their order.
As of November 3, 2026
The selection describes practice exercises that are independent of time and contains no event dates or effectiveness statistics.
Four solo exercises, from an easy start to free recall
- 01
Feather Step with a Called Foot Change
3 steps per role, forward R-L-R, backward L-R-L
- Starting foot
- leg passing
- solo figure
Start in your familiar starting position, that is, right, left, right for the forward Feather Step, or left, right, left backward, and use the foot technique you have learned: on the usual first forward step, the heel touches down first, while moving backward, the ball of the foot touches the floor first. Let your free leg pass close to your supporting leg without adding an extra weighted foot closure, and consciously finish the sequence on the designated supporting foot after the third step.
- 02
Three-step without looking at your feet
3 steps per role, forward L-R-L, backward R-L-R
- Gaze direction
- balance
- three-step
First dance the familiar three-step while saying the foot names aloud, then without calling them out, keeping your gaze along the open path; the role dancing forward starts with the left foot, the role dancing backward with the right. Take small, natural steps using the rolling motion you have learned, and keep your arms relaxed so you can stand still after the last step without taking a balancing step: an extra hop or shifting to the side to catch your balance shows that this round was not yet secure.
- 03
Recall the familiar combination from a standstill
6 steps for each role, spring step plus triple step
- Figure recall
- connection
- role change
Dance the combination you have already learned, combining the spring step and triple step without calling out the steps in between, that is, forward R-L-R and L-R-L, or backward L-R-L and R-L-R, in the familiar Slow-Quick-Quick rhythm. Before you start, name only the role and the first foot, then physically perform all six steps and check your supporting foot only at the end. If you can only make the connection after an extra foot change, go back to the individual figure in question.
- 04
The Same Sequence from a New Starting Spot
6 steps per round, 2 separate roles
- Spatial orientation
- restarting
- independence
After completing a sequence successfully, move to another open starting spot, reorient yourself there, and dance the same familiar connection again, without adding a turning figure along the way or switching your feet as if in a mirror image. Switch roles for the next round and start backward only in an open space: the extra challenge is to keep left and right relative to your body, even though the window, door, or mirror is now on a different side.
- 05
Final check instead of a fifth exercise
After each task: supporting foot and final alignment
- Self-check
- point of error
- repetition
This final entry is not an additional solo exercise, but a review of the four tasks: at the end, name the weight-bearing foot, show your final alignment, and remember where you needed a cue or had to look down. Then repeat exactly the task where you needed that help, instead of dancing the entire sequence faster. This turns an uncertain run-through into a specific movement you can practice again.
Ballroom classes for your Slow Foxtrot practice
In ballroom class, you can practice with a partner the sequences you prepared on your own.
BallroomMeissen · Germany
Fortgeschrittenen-Kurs | ADVANCEDTuesday · 18:30 · Nov 10, 2026 - Jan 19, 2027
“Ein Haus für Vieles” - Saal Tanzkurse
BallroomMeissen · Germany
Tanzkreis | PROFESSIONALThursday · 19:20 · Jan 7 - Mar 25, 2027
"Atelier Federleicht" - Saal Tanzkurse
BallroomMeissen · Germany
Einsteiger-Kurs | BASICTuesday · 18:30 · Jan 12 - Apr 6, 2027
“Ein Haus für Vieles” - Saal Tanzkurse
A recall mistake doesn't call for a new figure
The sequence mainly increases the demand on your recall: spoken foot names help at first, and later you have only your own preparation to rely on. More difficulty here means neither bigger steps nor faster tempo. Stick to the footwork you learned for the two figures. New turns would make it harder to tell whether you have really mastered the familiar sequence.
When repeating the sequence, distinguish between two situations. If you don't know which foot comes next, bring back the spoken cue for one run-through. If you know which foot to use but need an extra step to catch yourself, shorten the distance and calmly repeat that particular figure on its own. Using momentum to get through the uncertain spot makes the mistake harder to spot.
Left and right belong to your body, not to the wall. If you keep mixing them up, the exercises for telling right from left while dancing can help. If you also practice Foxtrot, keep its sequence separate. The solo exercises for Foxtrot work on different foot sequences.
Practicing solo lets you observe your movement path and your recall. You can't judge on your own whether that path works with a partner. So even a confident run-through is no substitute for coordinating together.
The scope of your solo tasks
- Solo exercises with increasing difficulty
- 4
- Roles per task
- 2
- Steps in the familiar connection
- 6
Frequently Asked Questions
These exercises assume that you have already learned the feather step and the three step. The foot sequences provided are for reference, not complete instructions for the figures. In particular, you cannot work out the ending position of the feather step or the specific foot technique from right and left alone.
No, you don't need a mirror for these exercises. It can even tempt you to read every step visually instead of recalling it yourself. Focus your gaze on a point at eye level and keep your path clear, especially when dancing the sequences backwards.
No, you can practise the first recall without music, using your familiar Slow-Quick-Quick rhythm. Add music once you can place your feet without pausing to search for the steps. Then start deliberately on the right musical beat, rather than speeding up to catch up with the recording when the sequence falters.
Practise the individual figures on a short, clear stretch, then start again. You need enough space in the direction of movement to practise the full sequence. Don't squeeze the six steps between pieces of furniture or improvise a turn at the end of the stretch. Finding another clear practice space is the better solution.
