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Now
it is time to complete your dance frame with connection point
4. Ladies, it is up to you to have correct placement with this
final connection point. If you and your partner released from
the previous three connection points, assemble your dance frame
through connection point 3 at this time. Don’t forget your
soft knees and good posture.
Now
that you are once again in connection points 1, 2, and 3, you’re
ready for the fourth. Ladies, place your left hand along your
leader’s right clavicle (collarbone). This should align
the outside edge of your left hand, along the pinky, with the
top edge of the leader’s shoulder. The follower’s
wrist should fall somewhere in the area in front of the leader’s
right deltoid. Ladies have the option here to leave the entire
hand in the front or, at a minimum, just the thumb; the reasoning
will follow shortly.
This
connection point serves several purposes, including acting as
a sensor for when the leader moves forward or back, and it allows
the follower to maintain her personal dance space. First, having
the hand or thumb in the front allows the follower to feel and
react to either forward or backward motion. This is critical in
leading and following because it allows for body positioning to
help guide the partners, and is lost if the follower’s hand
is completely behind the shoulder blade. Second, if a leader is
getting fresh or suffers from halitosis (bad breath), followers
have the ability to hold the offending party at a more comfortable
distance. Making the connection between the follower’s left
hand and the leader’s right shoulder along the inside of
the leader’s body, rather than on top of or behind his shoulder,
also physically forces your body into correct posture if you are
applying the appropriate amount of tension to retain your dance
space. As you push against the leader, you should feel your own
shoulders being forced back and down, directly into the leader’s
hold at connection point 2.
Followers,
proper alignment in connection point 4 should open your sternum
toward the leader’s face, allowing you to look him in the
eye from a gentle side angle without dramatically tipping your
head back or down, depending on your relative heights. This is
advantageous in situations when you might be photographed or you
might have an audience. Having the neck bent far forward or backward
breaks the visual line from the tip of the toe to the top of the
head and is much less visually appealing than when you are properly
aligned.
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