Frame- everybody has an idea of what a dance frame is supposed to be. Good, bad, and ugly, dancing saturates our media.
Different dances need different frames, with slight variations, and different dancers have their own preferences.
So let’s talk through a good social dance frame- it’s a generic frame, covering all the important points of contact, while still staying platonic.
Gentleman offers his left hand to the lady in the classic style, bringing it to the left, and equidistant between the partners with a comfortable bend in the elbow and hand about lady’s eye level. The lady comes in to a distance that’s comfortable for her. Socially the lady decides how close she wants to be- guy’s, you can adjust her away for comfort, but not closer. As the lady comes into her position, she has her left arm stretched to the side, keeping her shoulder blade available via her underarm. The gentleman cups the lady’s left shoulder blade with his right hand, lifting his wrist until it is connected to her armpit: tricep. Then AND ONLY THEN does the lady bend her left elbow to place her hand on the gentleman’s shoulder, where his shoulder meets the bicep and tricep.
Things to avoid:
Guys- avoid placing your hand on her waist. You lose your most useful point of contact (your wrist) and sacrifice a solid connection point, her shoulder blade, for her softer, less solid waist.
Ladies- keep those fingers closed and off his shoulder.
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