Where it comes from
The quickstep was born in the 1920s, when jazz bands played foxtrots faster than the foxtrot could bear. Dancers folded the Charleston's hops and kicks into the faster music, and by the end of the decade the result — brighter, lighter on its feet — was standardized as a dance in its own right.
It kept the foxtrot's elegance and added the champagne: runs, skips, and airborne moments that make it the Standard section's traditional finale and, often, its crowd favorite.
How it moves
Quickstep moves like light on water. Beneath the speed, its basic figures are close cousins of the foxtrot's — but at 50–52 bars a minute they become runs, chassés, hops, and skips that sweep around the floor. The trick is looking effortless: the knees and ankles absorb the bounce so the couple appears to skim.
- Quarter turns & progressive chassé — the syllabus core
- Runs, hops, and skips at full speed
- Born from foxtrot + Charleston in the 1920s
- Traditionally the closing dance of the Standard five
What to listen for
Bright, fast 4/4 — runs, hops and skips with a champagne fizz.
Test yourself — the Quickstep rhythm challenge →What judges look for
Judges look for lightness at speed — clean footwork through the runs, flight without wildness, and a couple that finishes the floor's brightest dance still composed.
Competition tempos are the widely used ranges and vary slightly by federation. New to scoring? Read how ballroom dance judging works.
Songs you can dance the Quickstep to
Classics and pop staples with the Quickstep's tempo and feel. Social DJs often run them a touch faster or slower than strict competition tempo — that's normal.
- Sing, Sing, Sing — Benny Goodman
- In the Mood — Glenn Miller
- Puttin' On the Ritz — Irving Berlin
- Candyman — Christina Aguilera
- Mr. Pinstripe Suit — Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
- Hey Pachuco! — Royal Crown Revue
- 42nd Street — from 42nd Street
Common questions
- How fast is the quickstep?
- About 50–52 bars per minute in 4/4 — among the fastest dances on the floor, danced with runs, hops, and skips.
- Where does the quickstep come from?
- 1920s England: jazz bands played foxtrots ever faster, dancers folded in the Charleston's hops and kicks, and the “quick foxtrot” became its own standardized dance.
Dance it
Learn the Quickstep near you
1,280 studios across 69 countries teach the world's dances — or watch the Quickstep competed at a sanctioned event.
The other nine
Which dance are you? Take the quiz · the art of ballroom dance · the history · the glossary