In the slow foxtrot beginers think of the slow as moving the body slowly and the quicks as moving quickly, many instructers say the body slows down when lowering and compresing, but Hilton doing a demo at a world competition " dancing the basic figures" moves his body and swings his legs at one Timeless speed rather like a car set in cruise control, his steps are of different size the longest step I assume being the slow, it's only when he gets into syncopations and advance material that his body moves at different speeds. What say's All

"but Hilton doing a demo at a world competition " dancing the basic figures" moves his body and swings his legs at one Timeless speed rather like a car set in cruise control"

Actually no - the body is moving faster when it is in a lowered progressive action, and slowest when it's in a risen position. In characterostoc foxtrot it's a moderate slowing and moderate rise; in waltz the rise is higher and the slowing might go nearly to a momentary stop, allowing the feet to close rather than pass.

That slowing in the risen portion is also part of why the final "quick" tends to actually have a longer time duration that the "slow" - the body is up and moving slowly at the start of that quick, and it takes time for it to descend and accelarate. The "slow" then starts with a body that's cruising right along, after that accelerating descent on the quick.

Anymouse. Yes I agree with what you say but the time between the steps although not the same size appear to be the same.1,1,1,

Thinking about the way that I dance slow foxtrot (on a good day), just as a keen social dancer, and without any training in the world of competitive dancesport, I dance most slows and quicks almost the same. I'm not dancing exactly on the beat at all, but I never lose touch with it either. I'm dancing through each phrase, internalising the changes of pace, but actually delivering almost even steps. I think that this is the essential feel of the dance, and what makes it the most subtle and rewarding of all ballroom dance rhythms.

Or perhaps I'm kidding myself, and onlookers would say I danced out of time: but any sudden doubling, or halving of the pace, would seem quite alien to the dance's character.

To be in time you must be on the beat. If you have access to the much spoken about Blackpool Tapes. If you count or listen and watch Crossley as he does his Feather Step into Fallaway and the exit. See how he is on the beat and hitting those Crotchets right on the black dot.
As long as you are not getting in front of the beat its not too bad. No good in a competition though. Timing has everything to do with, first can you count the beats you are dancing too. Do you have the correct foot pressure. Does your knees bend an straighten where they should. Does your supporting heel leave the floor at the correct time. The finest practise you can have, and lets not forget Professionals do this regularly. Is a Feather and Three step stright down the LOD and keep repeating. This at first should be done on your own to music. The couple I go to do this as a pair with their arms by their sides. There are many training excercises like this for the Waltz and Foxtrot. And this is done by some of the best. Especially if for some reason they have had a lay off from their dancing.If the no hands is too much try the normal left hand hold. This finds out if you are moving the position your arm and pushing on that side which puts the lady out of shape. Happy dancing

"To be in time you must be on the beat."

Mabye in the body, but certainly not in the feet! see:

https://www.ballroomdancers.com/Message_Board/view_messages.asp?MsgID=23818&PageNum=1

Doug and Clive are obviously on the right track. To a first order approximation, the time of the SQQ steps is indeed very close to three equal parts as they have observed. Later on, with more control, the step associated with the last quick will end up being drawn out to take the longest amount of time (and the first quick's step will be shortest, only about a beat long). But for starters, aiming to divide the time evenly, 1.3 beats each, isn't too bad.

At the very least, it accomplishes the first lesson of foxtrot timing: the steps are planted to support a well timed body movement, not to tap out a rhythm. Footwork only becomes rhythmical in certain syncopations, never in basic SQQ actions.

Anymouse, That is my observasion and the way I like to dance the "drift'' but does that not mean with the body anyway you are dancing not SQQ,but QQS?

"Anymouse, That is my observasion and the way I like to dance the "drift'' but does that not mean with the body anyway you are dancing not SQQ,but QQS?"

Maybe it would be better to think about the slows and quicks the way we think about letters in a language such as English.

What sound does a "C" make? Well, it depends on the context. How long is a "quick" well, likewise it depends on the context. There's no single answer, it depends on what the combination of symbols is spelling.

So for example,

center, canter, attach - same "c" different roles.

SQQ, QQQQ, SQ&Q - same "Q", different jobs - even differet jobs for the various "Q"'s in each "word"

Beginning readers "sound out" each letter individual. Those fluent in a language let entire word roll off their tongue, with each letter acting as a part of the whole rather than an isolated challenge to enunciation that disrupts the flow. But of course they can only do that after lots of practice to build reliable skills for the details. So it is with speaking, and so it is with dancing.