[Callers] Foreshortened Hold for a Swing

When I learnt contra dancing (after 30 years of dancing other forms of traditional dancing) I was shown the swing hold from "Zesty Contras" - depicted on the cover and described on page 15 as "a modified ballroom position with the man's left hand near the woman's right elbow as shown in the "Zesty Contras" logo". I would describe it more as the man's left hand cupping the lady's right elbow, with the lady's arm lying on the man's arm, and her hand curving round his upper arm just above the elbow. I find it an excellent way to swing because: - it brings you closer together - it reduces the angle between your bodies and makes it easier to look at each other - it provides more support for the lady by holding her elbow - it takes up less room on a crowded dance-floor I just spent a weekend in America dancing with 350 people. I use this hold all the time in a standard swing, but when I initiated this hold most of the ladies didn't seem to know where to put their arm and hand. When I watched other dancers I didn't see anyone else doing it. Can anyone tell me why this wonderful hold, which appears to have been the standard 30 years ago, has virtually disappeared? Thanks, Happy dancing, John John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802 940 574 http://www.contrafusion.co.uk <http://www.contrafusion.co.uk/> for Dancing in Kent