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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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