Hi all,
The Swing Workshop videos are all available at
http://contrafusion.co.uk/SwingWorkshop.html - 20 variations! Plus lots of
hints and tips on good technique, and how to signal or initiate a certain type
of Swing. At the bottom of that page you will find links to more articles
about Swings.
I would never recommend that the person who’s arm is on top
(Raven/Lady) tries to reach the shoulder blade. The lower arm can easily reach
the shoulder blade, the upper arm can’t. It is just basic physics. Lots more
on that subject at http://contrafusion.co.uk/LadysLeftHand.html
If both people relax and the left-hand person connects with their
hand on the right-hand person’s shoulder blade then that is enough connection
for a good Swing. I always emphasise that you PLACE your hand on the shoulder
blade, you don’t put pressure on it, or pull it towards you. Centrifugal force
will do that anyway if you build up enough speed.
The failure to relax and putting pressure on any other part of
your partner (hang, squeeze, clamp, grip) are what cause most problems. I
start every Swing Workshop for experienced dancers with asking them to relax
and then telling their partner about anything that is causing pressure or
discomfort. Many experienced dancers need this!
I hope some of that helps.
Please could someone post a picture or video of the modified
ballroom hold that is being discussed? Or send it to me and I will add it to
my Web site with a link so that people can see it.
Thanks.
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England j...@modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802 940
574
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
From: Becky Liddle via Contra Callers <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net>
Sent: 13 March 2024 14:17
To: contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net
Subject: [Callers] Modified ballroom swing position: seeking more conversation
and info
In the discussion about some men being uncomfortable doing ballroom dance hold
swing with other men, the modified ballroom hold (hand above elbow of partner
instead of on robin’s shoulder) was mentioned.
In this discussion, much has been said about men who don’t want to do ballroom
hold with other men, but what nobody has mentioned yet is the scads of women
(both straight and queer) who have long been uncomfortable dancing ballroom
swing with men (or often just with particular men). I am intrigued by this
modified ballroom swing idea because it might solve many problems at once.
I have two simultaneous (and conflicting) emotional responses to men
uncomfortable swinging with other men:
The ungenerous one is: "As a lesbian I had to get over my discomfort swinging
with you in order to participate in the joy of contra. If I can do it, you can
do it." But more importantly (and more generously): We’d like everyone to be as
comfortable at contra dances as is reasonably feasible. To that end, I am very
interested in this idea of the modified ballroom hold. It might solve MANY
different problems. Here are a few that come to mind:
1. The enforced intimacy problem: this is not just a problem with straight men
being uncomfortable swinging with other men. There is a lot of forced intimacy
in the ballroom hold. Maybe that intimacy is not the best thing to force on
anyone?. Modified ballroom swing would help with the problem of not wanting
enforced closeness/intimacy with others for all kinds of reasons: keeping
distance from the lecherous dancer who uses the ballroom hold as an excuse for
unwanted intimacy; but also simply to provide a bit of space for folks who
simply aren’t comfortable being that close to ANYBODY. I recently struck up a
conversation with a new dancer who was leaving early (because we need to know
why we’re losing potential dancers) and she said “It just feels too intimate.”
She didn’t say too intimate swinging with men or with women. Just “too
intimate” and I got the definite feeling that it was the enforced close hold
(with everyone) that was difficult for her. I wonder if we would have lost her
if we used the modified ballroom swing (hand above elbow instead of on
shoulder).
2. There are other difficulties with the ballroom hold: sometimes there is
simply not enough room: short arms or large girth can make it difficult to
reach the back of the shoulder of the other partner at times, and this leaves
the Lark in the uncomfortable/dangerous position of “where do I put my hand
now?” While trying to avoid the “accidental side boob graze” issue.
3. Speaking of which, is nobody else out there having trouble with this “side
boob graze” problem with the ballroom hold? I’m a lesbian who dances the Lark
role because of knee and hip issues. At least once/evening when moving into or
out of the ballroom hold I accidentally graze the side of my partner’s breast.
If I were straight I wouldn’t worry about it. But as a lesbian my mind always
leaps to “what if she thinks I did that on purpose?” Do straight men not also
have this problem?? Why is nobody talking about this?? If the robin is
female-presenting, the back of the robin’s shoulder is dangerously close to the
side of her breast. Which means (a) it’s easy for a sleaze to cop a feel and
pass it off as an accident, and (b) it’s easy for a lesbian or straight man to
truly accidentally graze and then worry that they’ll be perceived as a sleaze.
The elbow hold would solve both of these problems.
4. The robin clamping down their arm problem: Larks, have you ever danced with
a robin who clamps down their arm on your wrist during the swing? Again, elbow
hold would solve this.
5. The problem of robins dancing backwards when swinging: I have never danced
the modified ballroom hold, but I’d like to know from folks who do: does it
solve the problem of many robins feeling like they need to dance backwards when
swinging? On the occasions when I do dance robin (usually because I’m pairing
with a newbie who is dancing lark) I often find myself skittering backwards in
the swing, instead of both of us walking/dancing forward. I’m not experienced
enough as a robin to fully understand this phenomenon, but I think it has to do
with the closeness and rigidity of some Larks’ hold in the ballroom swing.
Question for folks who have used the elbow hold: does this hold solve this
problem and allow the robin to dance forward instead of backward in the swing?
I am particularly interested in this issue because I am about to move from
Toronto (where the ballroom hold is firmly established) to an island off the
coast of Vancouver (Bowen Island) where, if I want to continue to dance, I will
have to start my own contra dance. This conversation has made me wonder whether
I should start that group with the modified ballroom hold to solve many of
these problems. I’d love to hear from others who have used this swing about the
pros and cons (if any) and any other advice you’d have for someone starting a
dance using this swing hold.
Thanks!!
Becky Liddle
(Note: my email is changing from beckylid...@bell.net
<mailto:beckylid...@bell.net> to becky.lid...@icloud.com
<mailto:becky.lid...@icloud.com> )
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