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| I don't think there is a difference to disagree over, really: perhaps it is one of terminology. Allow me to refer you back to an earlier post, where I make the connection with the frame and the Man's LH very clear: There is no inconsistency between the man's LH to lady's RH hold forming part of the dance frame, and the hand-clasp NOT being used in guiding or leading.
The joined hands move, as the couple move, but the relative position of the hands (and therefore the frame) remain static, and do not alter from moment to moment.
The fact that the muscles of the dancers' bodies are braced at all times means that they will feel the rotation of one another's bodies, but the hand-clasp is the least appropriate point of physical contact from which to 'communicate' the intention to rotate. Men do not 'steer' their partners around the floor using the extended arm as though a tiller on a boat, but rather, the couple move together, the lead having been already felt elsewhere.
The fact that in rotation, the movement is most apparent at the extremity of the frame (the point farthest from the centre of rotation) emphatically does NOT mean that it originated there. |
| The protuding " thumbs " has been adopted by many of the world class Profs ( the theory is.. it stables the hand position.. ).Many of them now teach this ( J. Wilkins for one )
Personally, I am not convinced, and think it is more of an abstraction... |
| You should not be squeezing your partner's hand but you do need to maintain a little pressure-we are not talking broken bones here!
Do bear in mind though that in ballroom dance the lead does not come through your hands or legs. It is through your body movement. I teach this as moving through the diaphragm i.e. the girl can feel the guy rise or move to one side ready to begin.
To help you at the moment you can try dancing without the left hand. Just place the right on the girls left shoulder blade and dance. If you are a good leader this will be easy! |
| We're going in circles, now, for I posted this a month ago: One of my favourite ballroom class exercises for lead & follow, is for the man to release hold with his LH completely (ie no contact at all), in order to demonstrate that the hand takes NO part in leading, and that everything else carries on just the same. I think that the best leading comes from the upper body movement & rotation, and is felt through the body connection, occasionally with very gentle pressure with the RH on the lady's back, particularly with movements into promenade position. |
| You can dance without the left hand, great.
Now can you dance with only the left hand, bodies not touching?
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| Yes...amazing when you realize that if you make a fist and meet your partners fist'at the knuckles it can give you all the information you need to follow. Maybe not ideal, but it does work! |
| Now can you dance with only the left hand, bodies not touching? As a substitute for ballroom hold, no, but in Latin in open position, well we do THAT all the time. Actually we can lead quite successfully with no contact at all. We do THAT in Latin all the time, as well. |
| Actually, one can ( kinda ).
Peggy Spencer played a " game " at her studio one practice nite( way way back when ) where you were not allowed to have either hand in contact.
The " exercise" was to dance dance a feather, rev, feather finish, 3 step and natural.. repeat.. |
| Doing that would REALLY make you think about maintaining body contact, and being aware of your partner's movement, but I would claim that we should dance with that awareness all the time.
Argentine Tango dancers can teach us a lot about lead and follow. If the follower is concentrating on (and not necessarily in actual contact with) the leader's chest, then fantastically small movements can lead perfectly effectively. Look at the way a leader will lead a follower from the cross into, say a forward ocho, without ever moving a foot, and with barely any visible rotation.
Many dancers have a huge amount to learn about the partnership required for effective lead & follow. |
| If you cannot dance with only the left hand for connection, then you and your partner have not yet learned to perceive and match each other's movement, and instead are relying on collision of your bodies to keep you coordinated.
With some this is so difficult as to seem pointlessly impossible. With others it is simple enough to scarcely merit comment - individual dancers degree of perception varies so much. |
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