<div dir="ltr">Someone in my community who teaches swings often likes to explain the sharing of weight as, "If my partner let me go, I would stumble a step or two, but not fall." Seems to be a good benchmark when used in conjunction with some of these other explanations. <div><br></div><div>One I've had in my head for a while now but not actually used is explaining it in terms of that amusement park ride where you're in a big, really fast-rotating cylinder and the floor drops out--you're held against the wall and it feels like your entire back is pushing against the wall. That's how sharing weight in a swing should feel--it's not a lean (which, as Jonathan aptly points out, to many people suggests a bend at the waist), it's a sort of pressing back with your entire torso against your partner's hand.</div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Jun 24, 2015 at 11:20 PM, Ron Blechner via Callers <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net" target="_blank">callers@lists.sharedweight.net</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><p dir="ltr">I do 2 hand turn first.</p><div><div>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Jun 24, 2015 4:22 PM, "Rich Sbardella via Callers" <<a href="mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net" target="_blank">callers@lists.sharedweight.net</a>> wrote:<br type="attribution"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr"><div>My main concern is how to acquire that tension/counterweight in a swing, if you do not lean back.</div><div>Rich</div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Jun 24, 2015 at 3:33 PM, Kalia Kliban via Callers <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net" target="_blank">callers@lists.sharedweight.net</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">On 6/24/2015 11:29 AM, Rich Sbardella via Callers wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;padding-left:1ex;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);border-left-width:1px;border-left-style:solid">
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How do you descibe giving weight, and how do you teach it for circles,<br>
allemandes, and, swings?<br>
Rich<br>
Stafford, CT<br>
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In my beginner sessions, I have them form a ring and then circle left and right a couple of times. Then I ask them to bend their elbows and feel "that springy tension between you and the dancers next to you. If you can keep that elasticity while you're connected to other dancers, then you're all supporting each other as you circle and turn, and it makes everything easier." And then we circle again, with the extra bit of sproing, and then do the same with allemandes. Just for fun, sometimes I'll have them go back to the floppy arms, just to feel the difference. I also let them know that with a little bit of tension in the connection, it's easier for the person they're dancing with to give them physical cues.<br>
<br>
And I know there's a better word than tension, and I'm pretty sure I've used it in the past, but right now I can't think of it.<br>
<br>
Kalia<br>
Sebastopol, CA<br>
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