Is that not what the man is ding when he forceses his partner to ddance only his timing. I was taught by my old coach '5 time Austrailian champion" that the person moving back makes a space for the other to dance into,when the lady dances a feather or three step she is in control of the timing,the man can only move as fast or as slow as she moves, he only initiates or suggest the timing on the first step. When the lady dances a heal turn she has to be in control if she is to stay oh her heal . The man can lead the lady into a contra check and help her with her timing by easing{not pulling) her out of it ,but she has to dance it her self,timing the sqeezing of the ankle and knee with the music. In the reverse turn the man dancing back has to wait for the lady to pass befor going into the feather finish,the speed at whitch he turns his body may indecate how quickly she should pass ,but she is in the driver seat and will dance the timing. It's obviose that both have to make miner adjustments in the timing as they dance through a routine and that it can't be left to one person.

The man needs to be in control of the timing, because unlike the lady he knows what figure is coming next, and so should be setting up the relation of the movement to the music so that it will align at the future points he wishes to highlight. If the lady does the timing she can only time the present figure - a very novice way of dancing.

I asked my instructor about this because I have danced with some gentlemen who are clearly off the beat. I was told to pretend there is no music playing and simply follow - as that is supposed to be my job....
so that's what I've been doing. That can be hard though!!!!

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