gigiboke1. Right side to right side is a lot different to right hip to right hip.
For the International Style of Ballroom Dancing one of the five contact points. Quote. 5th contact point .The right side of the chest of each partner touches that of the other.
If this were the Waltz. Lets be perfectly blunt. I have heard it said. Right nipple to right nipple. At the hip level you could swing a brick through without touching the bodies. Have Fun.

"Quote. 5th contact point .The right side of the chest of each partner touches that of the other."

Quoting who or what?

It's a common saying, but it's not an _official requirement_.

I have the very same problem. Except that my wife and my major dance partner, (my 17 year old daughter), plus both our instructors are all asking for me to do the closed position. (Touching at the hip) However here is the deal. At regular dance social functions I always do open position. At DanceSport functions I am moving toward dancing in closed position. Closed works way better if the lead knows what he is doing. Open is very social and polite. Bottom line: its difficult to talk to your neighbor's wife about cutting the grass when your closer to her than her husbond was the night before. Right?? ha ha