The foxtrot is a smooth progressive dance characterized by long, continuous flowing movements across the dance floor. It is danced to big band (usually vocal) music, and the feeling is one of elegance and sophistication. The dance is similar in its look to waltz, although the rhythm is 4/4 instead of ¾ time. Developed in the 1920's, the foxtrot reached its height of popularity in the 1930's, and remains practiced today.

The exact origin of the name of the dance is unclear, although one theory is that took its name from its popularizer, the vaudeville actor Harry Fox.

Two sources credit African American dancers as the source of the Fox Trot: Vernon Castle himself, and then dance teacher Betty Lee. Castle saw the dance, which "had been danced by negroes, to his personal knowledge, for fifteen years," at "a certain exclusive colored club".

The dance was premiered in 1914, quickly catching the eye of the husband and wife duo Vernon and Irene Castle, who lent the dance its signature grace and style.

Nicole Prescovia Elikolani Valiente Scherzinger (born June 29, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer, model and actress. Scherzinger is well known as the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls. Previously, Scherzinger was a backing vocalist for the late-1990s rock group Days of the New and was a part of reality TV girl group Eden's Crush. After the disbandment of the group, she joined the Pussycat Dolls and became the group's lead vocalist during their transition into a career in music.

The Pussycat Dolls rose to prominence when they enlisted Scherzinger as their lead front woman of the group. When Scherzinger joined the now multi-platinum group, they became a worldwide phenomenon, releasing two albums, PCD (2008) and Doll Domination (2008) and embarked on several concert tours. With her strong vocal range, Scherzinger scored the group a string of massive hit singles, including the number ones "Don’t Cha" (2005) and "Buttons" (2006), "Stickwitu" (2005), "I Hate This Part" (2008), and "When I Grow Up" (2008), which hit the Top 10 in 16 countries. In 2009, Scherzinger wrote and recorded an adaptation of A.R. Rahman’s "Jai Ho" (from the film "Slumdog Millionaire") which went to number one in 17 countries. Their debut album, PCD, has sold nine million copies worldwide, and their sophomore album, Doll Domination, has sold 5 million copies worldwide to date. The group won three Billboard Music Awards, two MTV Video Music Awards, and toured with Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and The Black Eyed Peas. The Dolls have sold 15 million albums, and 37 million singles worldwide, making them one of the best selling girl groups of all time.

Derek Hough ( /ˈhʌf/; born May 17, 1985) is an American dancer, choreographer, musician and actor. A world champion in Latin American Dance, Hough has appeared since September 2007 (Seasons 5 - 11 and Season 13) on the hit U.S. television series Dancing with the Stars, where he is currently a three-time champion (with Brooke Burke, Nicole Scherzinger, and Jennifer Grey), one-time finalist (with Ricki Lake), three-time semi-finalist (with Jennie Garth, Joanna Krupa, and Maria Menounos), and a quarter-finalist (with Lil' Kim). Hough has earned three Creative Arts Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Choreography (2009 and 2010 ) for his work on the show.

Prior to joining Dancing with the Stars, Hough starred as Ren in the 2006 original cast production of Footloose: The Musical at the Novelo Theatre in London's West End, as well as on the 2006 U.K. national tour. Hough's West End performance earned him a nomination as The Stuart Phillips London Newcomer of the Year in the Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice Awards. Hough made his Broadway debut on January 8, 2010, starring with Kym Johnson and Mary Murphy in Burn the Floor for the final four performances of the show's Broadway run. A founding member of the Ballas Hough Band (formerly Almost Amy), Hough shares lead vocals, plays guitar and has several songwriting credits on the band's self-titled debut CD, released by Hollywood Records in March 2009.

Jonathan Wilkins is an English ballroom dancer and dance teacher, born in London. He holds many titles in Professional Ballroom Dancing including being 10 times Professional Ballroom Champion, 1997 - 2007 ( in a partnership with Katusha Demidova which lasted eleven years, and brought considerable success). In 2004 they won the World Classic Showdance Championship, which is one of the subsidiary World Dance Council Dance Sport events. Their final result was to win the WDC Open Professional Ballroom title at the USA Open in Orlando, Florida 2007.

From November 2007, Wilkins danced with Hazel Newberry. Together they became European Profession Ballroom Champions (2009) and British Professional Ballroom Champions (2009). Their best results were first in the WDC Professional Ballroom, Moscow 2009 and second in the Professional World Ballroom Dance Championship in Tokyo 2009. After this championship the two partners retired from competitive dancing. Both currently making a brilliant Adjudicator careers judging World's most prestigious Ballroom Dance Championships. In 2010 Jonathan got married to Anastasia Kazmina, Canadian Professional Ballroom vice-Champion and currently teaching students in the US and England.

Katusha Demidova is a Russian professional ballroom dancer and instructor, now residing in the USA. She is the 2009, 2010 and 2011 Professional World Ballroom Dance Champion, and also the International Professional, and British Open, Ballroom Champion. Her partner in these events was Arunas Bizokas. She is the sister of Anna Demidova who is also a dancer.

Demidova previously danced with Jonathan Wilkins, who came second in the 2009 World event with Hazel Newberry. The Wilkins–Demidova partnership lasted from 1996 to 2007, culminating in a first place finish in the USA Open Professional Standard. Demidova has with partners Wilkins and Bizokas held the U.S. National Professional Standard Championship title continuously since 1996.