As someone who danced a lot in the Boston area around the time that that picture was drawn I think that the forearm hold (I don't think it usually involved the elbow, mostly just the forearms, in spite of the drawing) was used to make the swing take up less space in very crowded halls. The main contact is still the arm around the back. Beth -----Original Message----- From: callers-bounces(a)sharedweight.net [mailto:callers-bounces@sharedweight.net] On Behalf Of John Sweeney Sent: Friday, February 17, 2012 9:29 AM To: callers(a)sharedweight.net Subject: Re: [Callers] Foreshortened Hold for a Swing Read said "Perhaps I'm not picturing this correctly, but anything that encourages dancers to give weight with the outstretched arm is something I would discourage. When I teach the swing, I go out of my way to teach that the outstretched hand is purely decorative, that you're not giving any weight there." Perhaps looking at the picture will help. You can find it at http://www.amazon.com/Zesty-Contras-Selection-Provocative-Explanatory/dp /images/B00072379M Click on the picture a couple of times and wait for it to load the higher resolution version and you can see it clearly. The arms that would normally be outstretched are NOT outstretched! No, you don't give weight there. You should keep your own balance in a swing. Centrifugal force is what generates pressure against the areas of connection - primarily the man's right hand on the lady's left shoulder-blade. Having the connection at each other's elbows provides another area where the centrifugal force can be resolved. It is very comfortable and very easy to swing faster in this hold. 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, Instructional DVDs and Interactive Maps http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)sharedweight.net http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers