[Callers] Re Allemande Hold (was Analysis of Stars)

Hi Jeff, Yes, I hate it when people stick their fingers up straight as well, or twist their wrists over so mine is bent backwards, or try to arm wrestle while dancing. For me a good Allemande hold is as shown in your photo reference, but with the thumbs unlocked so that they are lying beside the fingers. Yes, people always used to interlock their thumbs - that is how I was first taught it many, many years ago. But the dancing has changed. What has happened is that people now like to spin out of Allemandes; and Rory O'Mores are more prevalent, where you spin out of an Allemande-type hold. If someone has locked my thumb I can't spin! You say that it is easy to disengage when the thumbs are interlocked. That is not my experience. I really, really hate it when people hold on to me so that I can't enjoy the dancing. It is definitely easier to disengage if the thumbs aren't interlocked. Dance styles evolve, and this is an example of a good change as far as I am concerned. Let's all work on getting rid of thumbs from dancing! :-) Happy dancing, John John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802 940 574 http://www.modernjive.com for Modern Jive Events & DVDs http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent From: Jeff Kaufman &lt;jeff(a)alum.swarthmore.edu&gt; People disagree on this: The thumbless allemande is one of my pet peeves, particularly that rigid palm-only grip with the fingers flexed back and pointing straight up. And the first time a dancer tried that hideous wrist-to-wrist thing on me, I was so suprised I, rather undiplomatically, laughed and blurted "What the hell was that?" Bless his heart, he never tried it again. I heard Lisa Greenleaf do a nice description of a good grip in her Safe Contras workshop at NEFFA a few years ago. She put the emphasis on hooking together the meaty parts at base of the thumbs so that you're making the connection with nice strong muscle instead of vulnerable fingers. The fingers can then curl gently around your partner's hand without squeezing. What you get is a firm grip that can take all the weight of an allemande, but can be easily disengaged so that you take all of your digits with you into the next move. -- Sarah Gowan https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=388018017325 <https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=388018017325&id=34955 7932325> &id=349557932325 What I think of as a good aleman grip: http://i.imgur.com/9ZZr0.jpg Jeff