Quickstep Dance
Quickstep is an English ballroom partner dance developed in the 1920s from fast Foxtrot, Charleston, and other Jazz Age dances, performed to lively big-band music at approximately 192–208 BPM with a slow-quick-quick rhythm.
It is known for flowing travel, syncopated footwork, chassés, and buoyant movement.
Today, Quickstep is enjoyed in ballroom competitions, showcases, and social dancing worldwide.
Quickstep Quick Facts
-
Origin: England, influenced by American dances
-
Era: 1920s; standardized in 1927
-
Music: Big band, jazz, and swing; Count Basie, Duke Ellington
-
Tempo: Approximately 192–208 BPM
-
Timing: 4/4 time; slow-quick-quick
-
Style family: International Standard
-
Difficulty: Intermediate; beginner-friendly foundations
-
Best for: Energetic dancers who enjoy elegant, traveling movement
What Makes Quickstep Different
Quickstep combines the elegance of ballroom dancing with the joyful energy of swing. Partners maintain a structured closed frame while traveling rapidly around the floor through walks, runs, chassés, turns, and syncopated steps. From across the room, its most recognizable quality is the couple’s light, almost weightless movement as they glide and occasionally hop across the floor. Although Quickstep evolved from Foxtrot, it uses a faster tempo, more frequent foot closures, and livelier footwork than modern Foxtrot.
What You’ll Learn in a Quickstep Class
- Your first lesson: Learn the slow-quick-quick rhythm, foundational steps, ballroom frame, and partner connection needed to move through a simple sequence.
- Your first few months: Develop quarter turns, progressive chassés, forward locks, leading and following skills, and safe floorcraft.
- Going further: Refine musicality, rise and fall, rotation, syncopated patterns, running steps, styling, and competition-ready movement.
No partner is required, and we rotate partners during group dance classes.
Is Quickstep Right for You?
Quickstep may be a great fit if you are:
- A total beginner building ballroom fundamentals through Waltz.
- A wedding couple looking for an energetic routine through our wedding dance lessons.
- A social dancer ready to practice at social dance parties.
- A serious student seeking personalized private dance lessons.
Quickstep Classes Near You
Learn Quickstep with expert instructors through personalized private lessons, group classes, and guided practice at Dance With Me studios across the United States.
New York
New Jersey
Texas
Georgia
Nevada
Connecticut
Find a Dance With Me studio near you →
Learn More About Quickstep
- Explore different types of dances
- Discover Foxtrot dance lessons
- Learn Waltz dancing
- Explore Viennese Waltz
Quickstep FAQs
Do I need a partner to learn Quickstep?
No partner is required to learn Quickstep at Dance With Me. Your instructor can dance with you during private lessons, while partners are commonly rotated in group classes.
Is Quickstep good for beginners?
Quickstep fundamentals are accessible to beginners despite the dance’s fast appearance. Instructors begin with manageable steps, rhythm, frame, and balance before introducing faster combinations and syncopation.
How long does it take to learn Quickstep?
Most students can learn basic Quickstep timing and a short combination within a few lessons. Developing comfortable speed, smooth floor movement, and more advanced figures takes consistent practice.
Do you offer private Quickstep lessons?
Dance With Me offers private Quickstep lessons tailored to your experience, goals, and learning pace. Personalized instruction is especially helpful for improving technique, timing, floorcraft, or competition performance.
Ready to try Quickstep? Book your first lesson at a Dance With Me studio — no partner or experience required.
