Thinking about the follower's left arm, I prefer it being up over my R shoulder. This allows me to involve my R arm more in the dance. (I prefer apilado). I've noticed that lot's of women normally put their L arm around the leaders upper R arm and reach down toward his kidney area. For me, this feels like my R arm is bound to my side, out of play.
I'm wondering if there is some advantage for followers to dance this way. Perhaps it works better for a V embrace.
Comments?
For me it depends on his physique, technique, and style of dance.
When possible, I drape my arm over his right shoulder and put the hand somewhere on the other shoulder or just below it. But this only really works for me if he wants to dance in a very consistent close embrace, so I can keep the connection directly from my torso - in which case I don't really need that arm for the following, I can just dedicate it to a nice embrace.
It is physically harder for me to achieve this if the man is narrow-shouldered or very slightly built or very tall, but easier if he is wearing a suit jacket with shoulder pads. If I am tense or injured in the left shoulder then I won't be able to do it. Sometimes it is just uncomfortable to have the elbow so high, or the arm does not feel secure.
If he is dancing more of a fluid style then I will put my arm loosely around his upper arm and the hand wherever it is comfortable, moving it as necessary. I'm going to need to alter the embrace significantly during the dance, as opposed to just renewing it where it is, and I find it easier to do that from a position where my hand is getting some of the information. The obvious place to put it in this situation is at the same height as I am connecting in front of him, so my elbow has to go wherever that puts it.
I cannot make a v-embrace work with my left hand high up, I find that I have to point it well downwards or I get a weak connection, but I don't know if that's just me as I don't dance that style very often.
The hand at shoulder level also will not work for me if the man caves his chest or leans over at all, or is at all unstable, or lets his right shoulder lift, or twists or pulls away from me unexpectedly, because I'll keep losing the connection and end up flapping around like washing on a line. Then I'll want to put my hand at the height of my own chest, and the elbow will follow.
My guess is that most women first try whatever works most often for them and then change it with a new partner only if it does not seem to work. You have to dance with someone for a while before you notice and can use any possibilities that don't exist with other people.
