Annie. Stay on the supporting leg longer. You will hear this over and over again. You are more likely to get in front of the music than behind. Think about this. On a Heel Turn Foxtrot
Reverse Turn. R.F Back, allow two beats before moving your left foot. You would be suprised how many ladies move the L.F. almost as soon as the R.F.is placed. Men the same but on an Impetus Turn. Once this is realised do it all the time. Stay on the supporting leg longer.

I agree that the man should be in control of the timing for the couple, but the lady still has to be aware of her timing. My partner and I are about the same weight and height,she is a strong dancer and has longer legs, I feel that the lady most of the time should be a fraction later than the man so that she does not take over the lead and is better able to follow the man. Even at a higher leval of dancing(pro) the lady gets very annoyed if the man dances somthing they have not practiced or is not part of their routine. Top couples practice ways of getting out of trapped positions or how to extend their dancing on the spot, so the lady is prepared and not suprized.

I agree with Dave on this. THe man MUST be in control of the timing. He may deliberately adjust the timing is subtle ways. It's not easy for the lady to follow this, but that's part of the skill of dancing and what makes it such an enjoyable experience - the musical interpretation. Jazz musicians do it all the time. If there is good contact, the lady should get enough signals to be able to follow the man. The problem with the lady leading is that it can conflict with the man's lead, and that's a serious problem. The man has to lead because the hold and set-up is designed for it. If the man is seriously off time, the lady, sadly, just has to grin and bear it and maybe find a new partner!! (also not easy)

I'm not sure how one can interpret the music if dancing totally off time. I think there's a level at which everyone should be dancing on time, and after successfully trained, men and women have the opportunity to interpret the music.

I disagrre that the man MUST always dance the timing. There are times when we dance better when I let my wife keep the timing,this is very relaxing. There are certain foxtrots that she loves to dance to and then I let her keep time . It's a question of using both of our talents to the fullest,it is team work. The best dancers concentrate on helping their partner to dance as smoothly and easerly as possable,this meens thinking more about what your partner is trying to acheive than about your self. We spend most of our time correcting our own faults and not dancing as a couple.

This is a reply to DAve. I agree that there are some times in certain figures when the man lets the lady take over the timing for a while. My point really is that if the man is expecting to have control of the timing (which is mostly the case) it can cause problems if the lady tries to control it at the same time.

The question was. Is the lady responsable for her own timing not who is in control of the timing. The couple would be in big trouble if the lady did not know she was about to dance a syncopation. What about when she has to dance four steps to the mans three,is he going to dance it for her? The answer is yes she is resposable for her own timing but still has to follow the man. Dave

"The couple would be in big trouble if the lady did not know she was about to dance a syncopation. What about when she has to dance four steps to the mans three,is he going to dance it for her?"

A lot of the time, she will not consciously know she is about to do one of these things until she is already well into the process of doing it - unless you are doing a fixed routine, actual following is about responding at a sub-cognitive level. By the time she actually consciously knows what he is doing, it is far too late to respond. So the man isn't going to dance for her, but he has to do the things that lead her to do these timings, without her needing to know that they are about to happen.

Good answer. Dave

Dave. If the man dances out of time then he should spend a few hours going up and down the floor. All heel leads and in time, all slows. That goes for the lady also. After that try a Feather Step Three. Feather Step Three Step straight down the floor and around the around the hall, with parner. At first in an extended hold. Backwards also. Then in ballroom hold. If you can't do that then you cannot dance the Foxtrot.
Latin also. Rumba Walks straight line all the way around and around the ballroom. Then try Cha Walks and Locks. and Samba. Anybody who knows anything about Latin will tell you to do this all the time, there is no other way.