Connection in Outside Partner Left

[caw]

Is there supposed to be any connection in outside partner to the left, like in the wing or the hover cross? I feel like there should be, but I have no idea how we can connect at any place other than the middle of our left thighs. If that's the case, how are we supposed to come back together gently? I've always had the problem where if I lose contact position, we start bouncing and can't get back together without stopping.

 

[fascination]

I have never struggled with this...I wonder if something is happening in your dance position?are you the man?...could the lady be opening her right side too much?

 

[vit]

Wing actually isn't that easy to lead. First (supposing you are a man) make sure you don't lead the lady too far to the left. Normaly you will allow her to slip a bit to the left, but not nearly as much as is may look like to you when watching someone else dancing it. At the end of the wing she has to move back (into step with PO), so her poise is well back at that moment and her feet are further around you than her body, so it's possible to maintain the contact. Also, make sure you rotate your upper body to the left and not arms in relation to the body (trying to 'lead her around'), as you have to chek her movement. However, if you try it slowly, it feels quite different because lady has no momentum that should be used during the figure

Hover cross is (was) much easier for me - it's just a very short check step OP and then you start moving to the left (in its basic form, because there are several variations), your poise is well to the left becasue you have to stop her movement by counterbalancing with your body. Again, if you try it slowly, it's not the same

 

[caw]

Thanks Vit - I will try to apply what you've said at my next practice. Another quick question about the same thing: When I lead the lady into promenade position, my understanding is that I roll her along my side so she's more offset, or behind me, depending on how you look at it. When I lead these moves, will there be a similar roll to the other direction, or will our bodies slide as they pass each other?

 

[vit]

If you lead a wing from promenade position, she will have to close to you during the wing, so she will 'roll' her body against yours in opposite direction than when opening to PP + both of you are turning the body to the left because she is taking the steps around you. In addition to this, she will also slip towards your left side during the wing, so you end in left side to left side body connection (hard to describe this accurately because there are several things happening at the same time and also, I don't dance much ballroom recently, so maybe someone can give better description). You have to control this and maintain the frame, so she doesn't go too far to the left. You can also use some shaping of your body to the right (although the figure is defined without sway), not just to make a bigger shape, but it will help you to maintain the contact with the partner over the left side and counterbalance her movement (just make sure you are doing that by extending the left side and not by just collapsing to the right)

During the first step of the following figure (outside partner), it may happen that you lose a contact with a partner for a moment, there is actually nothing very wrong with it (it happens even in some videos were this figure is shown), but take care to maintain the strong left side, don't collapse your body when you make this step, and return to normal right to right side connection after the step

 

[caw]

Thanks for the detailed description - this will hopefully make things a lot easier.