[Organizers] Tips for a swing workshop

[John Sweeney]

The Lady/Raven/Right-hand person (“follow” is a completely wrong term in contra - let me know if you want my essay on that! :-) ) should support ALL of their own weight.

 

I do NOT want to share your weight!

 

Each person should be perfectly balanced.  The thing you share is your reaction to centrifugal force - you counterbalance each other by a good connection so that you don’t fly apart.

 

I’m not convinced that putting a hand on my back is going to prevent clamping.  Far better to teach both parties not to clamp, hang, grip, pull, squeeze or anything else that could hurt the other person.  I always start every swing workshop by saying that the best thing most people can do to improve their swing is to relax.  Then I ask them to take a ballroom hold and let their partner know if they are feeling any unwarranted pressure anywhere.

 

The man PLACES his hand on the lady’s shoulder blade and you are connected.  The only thing anyone should use any muscles for after that is to counteract centrifugal force.

 

I fully agree about shoulder problems.  I have had two shoulder operations so far…  :-(

 

            Happy dancing,                          

                   John                                   

                                    

John Sweeney, Dancer, England   john at modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802 940 574                          

http://contrafusion.co.uk/KentCeilidhs.html for Live Music Ceilidhs                        

http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent                                          

http://www.modernjive.com for Modern Jive DVDs

 

 

From: bobfab at aol.com <bobfab at aol.com> 
Sent: 19 June 2019 11:59
To: john at modernjive.com; organizers at lists.sharedweight.net
Subject: Re: [Organizers] Tips for a swing workshop

 

Hand on back of shoulder prevents the dreaded elbow clamp,
And reinforces that the follow needs to support SOME of their own weight. 
Both of those issues have caused me shoulder problems. 

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