hi there dheun, i teach my couples this...the man's left arm is vertical, his hand is in line with his nose, his right hand is on the lady's back, just below her shoulder blade, fingertips touching her spine (fingers closed) the lady's right hand follows the shortest possible route to his left hand and her left hand rests lightly on his right arm(her hand at is shoulder). as far as posture goes... in ballroom, i suggest for beginners to keep their head,butt, and heels in one line. Both should pull up from the waist standing erect, the lady being slightly to the gent's right.

I doubt that there can be an exact rule regarding where the arms should be. Each of us are not built exactly the same. Add that to your partner whose length of her arms are different to the person next door. Then we come together. It will take a experience ballroom coach to make the adjustments.I will add this. One of the best dancers ever was longer from the elbow to the hand than the average. This allowed his partner much more room on her left side. I saw a low from the ground up shot of this couple. It was possible to get a clear view through the arms on the mans right side and see daylight . If i were to try this as a man, my right shoulder would be so far forward it would be out of line with the other.

I was taught to set my elbows to suit my own height and adjust for the lady with the forearm angle. Whatever posture you adopt, hold your frame and ask the lady to move out, your frame should look comfortable and natural (Of course you should ony do this during practice with a partner you know well).This applies througout all moves of the dance, remove the partner and your posture should be comfortable and natural.

I am glad I asked the original question, because this has been great feedback. So, I figured I would ask another question I have wondered about. I usually teach the man to put his right hand, with fingers together, on the inside point of the woman's shoulder blade -- using this as a trigger or signal point. Others have taught to keep the hand firm on the middle or upper middle of the woman's back, saying to do it on the shoulder blade only eliminates the need to use the whole arm in leading. I know you don't want to rely on the hands only in leading, but do others have a preference on where the man's right hand should be properly set? The shoulder blade seems to be an easy thing for beginners to understand and notice a difference.

Hi dheun, you're absolutely right, that position is most comfortable and effective, the gent will lead most properly like that, as will the lady follow most properly, taking the hand to the mid section wont give them such great results.

I favour the shoulder blade (but further round for Tango). Len Goodman tells a beginner's class that if the man cups the lady's shoulder blade in his hand and can feel the ladies bra strap under the tip of his middle finger, then his hand is in the right place.

I borrowed the idea, and usually get a good laugh by asking the men NOT to test the theory if they have only just met their partner, and if I'm too late, not to give the game away if their partners are found to be without!

Telemark.There is a lot more than that involved in finding the right posture between the man and the lady. The man makes the frame and the lady fits into that frame. It is not the other way around. If the lady is not in the correct position then by the man feeling for the ladies bra strap will mean he has broken his frame to accommodate the partner. As I said it is the other way around. This one is a definite trap for the inexperienced. It should be the very first thing we ever learn. I wonder if Terence remembers George Sturmie's classes of a Sunday morning at the Hammersmith Palais. George every week without fail had each pair stand in the Ballroom hold whilst he inspected every couple. Most times with a hugh class which they always were, it took several minutes to look at each couple. This he did without fail regardless of how long it took. And thats how it should be.

I didn't say there wasn't. The question was about the placement of the man's right hand, and only one answer will satisfy an examiner. The only possible exception would be if there was an extreme difference in height between the couple, or some other physical impairment that would make normal hold impractical.

Telemark.Now you are coming into the real world. If you were to place your right hand below the ladies shoulder blade regardless of the difference in height. In some instances the lady would be lifted off her feet. In others your right elbow would be out of line. With the ladies armpit on the mans wrist that will determine where the hand should be The hand can be pointing down a little or not at all.

I'm firmly in it, I assure you, and teach couples of all shapes and sizes week in and week out.

You are missing a rather obvious point, that if the lady is not well matched to the man for height, the man places his RH where the lady's shoulder blade happens to be. It generally is to be found on her upper torso, well above the legs. I've yet to see a man trying to lift a lady off the floor for the sake of the ideal downward slope of his arm line. Perhaps in your "real world"?

As far as possible, the man's right arm will move, up or down (to find the shoulder blade), with an unbroken line from his shoulder to his wrist (ie the line is not broken by the elbow). The slope of the arm from shoulder to elbow of the left hand should match that of the right (ie the arms go up or down together), With the elbows at the same height, the LH to lady's RH handclasp will always work OK, whatever the height difference between the couple, and only if the difference is extreme, is any adjustment required.

There are all sorts of other issues regarding balance and poise and relative positioning, but the hold is usually quite simple to get right.