On 4/10/2013 7:25 AM, John Sweeney wrote:
When I do I often find that other men appear to be
uncomfortable with a
close-hold swing. I normally now go for a Galway Swing when I meet
another man for a swing: Start with an Allemande Right hold, hook your
left fingers around the other man's right elbow and buzz-step - makes
for a great symmetrical swing.
One thing that contributes to confusion in a same-gender-role swing is
that the standard swing isn't symmetrical, so there's that moment of
negotiation as both parties try to figure out who takes which position
in the swing. That can be either a fun interaction or, as others have
pointed out, a moment of stress. Using a symmetrical swing like this
one is a great way to ease that moment of indecision. John, do you ever
take left hands directly underneath the right-allemande grip instead of
cupping elbows? Both grips seem strong and stable, and I don't know
whether one works better in the context of the dance.
And I'm coming late to this discussion and just getting caught up, so I
apologize if somebody else has already made this same point.
Kalia