I'm with John Sweeney. I love to swing in more-or-less the position that is depicted
on the Zesty Contras cover. I'd encourage the women not to rest their hand where
it's shown in that illustration, though; a better place in most situations is
somewhere in the vicinity of my right shoulder blade, so that the woman's left
hand and arm are supporting herself as much as my outstretched right ones. I keep
my left thumb closer to my other fingers, too, to avoid a death grip squeezing
on my partner's right arm.
I love this swing for many reasons. With our joined arms, we can make a small
circle and I like the rounded feeling. Also, as Larry Jennings pointed out, such
a swing is much better for crowded halls; your outstretched arms won't smash into
someone else (or be smashed into), you're taking up less space, and that circle
of arms and bodies that you make is sort of a protected zone that you and your
partner inhabit.
David Millstone
Lebanon, NH
