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.