The foxtrot dance was first developed in 1914 in the United States. Although the exact origin of the dance is unclear, it’s believed that the foxtrot first originated in Black American nightclubs before it was popularized by ballroom dancers Vernon and Irene Castle. However, entertainer and vaudeville actor Harry Fox is also credited with the dance's origin. In a 1914 musical at the New York Theatre, Fox caught the audience’s attention with his fast trotting steps across the dance floor. Ragtime music was playing in the background, and the dance became known as the “Fox’s trot.”

Source: MasterClass