LEAD ATTRIBUTES

This page contains a table of more of the "ingredients" that make up a dance figure. It concentrates on the 4 main lead indicators that you men have at your disposal. How you hold your partners hand, what height you raise your arm to, whether or not you stay in the slot and if you turn sideways or back to her as you both pass. We don't want to get into arguments here, we are simply trying to give you a thought process that may help make your lead intentions clearer to your partner. In the final analysis all men develop their own style of leading, some good, some not so good.

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Coming to Grips with Leading

How many attributes have you men got in telling your partner: without the use of words, what you want her to do next. Note I said you partner; not both of you, because you have already decided what you want to do. When think about it, you have 4 major indicators to work with. Your HAND touch, your ARM position, your position relative to the SLOT, and your BODY position relative to your partner.

Your hand may cover or support her hand, your arms may be in a "Neutral" position resting on an imaginary fence post midway between you. You may raise your arm to an overhead position and move diagonally out of the slot toward her while turning sideways (or Cross slot = X slot) to the slot. These 4 actions are making a lead that you partner responds to. How she responds is partly a function of how she learned to dance, but mainly if your lead is positive she will follow it. We have made up a little table here to show the The major lead indicators that you have to work with.

Hand Arm Slot Body
Support hand Neutral IN Slot Mirror
Cover hand Shoulder IN & X Slot Passing
Push Away Overhead OUT of Slot Pass & Turn IN
Pull toward ... OUT & X Slot Mirror
Change Hands ... ... Pass & Reverse
Both Hands ... ... Pass to Closed
... ... ... Closed Position
... ... ... Side by Side
... ... ... Dance Position
... ... ... 2 Hand Flair

The table is not all inclusive , but it does cover major lead elements. Mathematically there are 720 different lead combination that are possible. More than enough for the average shag dancer! So how does it work. Look at the female underarm turn. The hand is under the partner, the arm goes up overhead, you step out and cross slot and then you pass and reverse out. We do not want you to get mechanistic about leading, the whole point of this page is to help you think about the lead indicators you have at your disposal, that will make shag dancing more pleasant and enjoyable for you partner.