Dance Positions

Lindy Hop dancers are in motion all the time, moving around the dance floor to the rhythm of the music. Despite this constant motion, there are some specific places—relative to each other—that the dancers return to time and time again.

These common dance positions form part of the punctuation of the dance (along with the rhythm structure). Particularly for beginner and intermediate dancers, returning to a familiar dance position at the end of a particular rhythm pattern gives the dancers time and space to think before forging on into the rest of the dance. These dance positions are also a useful shorthand for describing moves compactly, because they come up time and time again.

Conversion between closed and side positions
Conversion between closed and side positions

The positions described below are listed with the most common positions given first. The open and closed positions are the most important and are similar to many other partner dances. The side position (sometimes known as a promenade position) is normally reached by opening up a gap between dancers who are in a closed position; this involves the leader swinging his right arm around to the right, as if the leader's right hand side and the follower's left hand side were joined by a hinge.

The wrap and sweetheart positions are variations of the side position, with the dancers hands interlinked in more complicated ways. These positions are often reached with a transition from the open position, with the leader pulling the follower into his right hand side, turning her 180° anticlockwise as she does so. For the wrap position, this is achieved with a double hand grip (left-to-right and right-to-left); for the sweetheart position, this is achieved by starting from a right-to-right hand hold.

The dance position with one partner standing directly behind the other is common in Lindy Hop because of the frequency of Charleston-derived moves in Lindy Hop; this position is much less common in other dances.


front view reverse view detail
Open. The leader stands facing the follower a short distance apart. Both dancers have their knees slightly bent and their weight forwards on the balls of their feet. The leader holds the follower's hand with their arms slightly away from their bodies, but with the arms still slightly bent at the elbow. (image: side view with elbows bent)
Closed. The leader stands face to face with the follower. The leader's right arm holds the follower around her back, with his right hand on her left shoulder blade. His left hand holds the follower's right hand at shoulder height, slightly out to his left hand side. The follower's left hand is on the leader's right shoulder. (image: side view)
Side. The follower stands on the leader's right hand side, both facing in the same direction. The leader's right hand is around the follower's back, and the follower's left hand rests on the leader's right shoulder. (image: side view)
Behind. The leader stands directly behind the follower, both facing in the same direction, with a slight gap between them. The leader's left hand holds the follower's left hand near her left hip, and the leader's right hand holds her right hand at her right hip. (image: hand position closeup)
Wrap. The follower stands on the leader's right hand side, both facing in the same direction. The leader's right arm goes around the follower's back to hold her left hand at her right hip; the leader's left hand holds the follower's right hand in front of them. The follower's left arm is wrapped across her front, underneath her right arm. (image: side view)
Sweetheart. The follower stands on the leader's right hand side, both facing in the same direction. The leader's right arm goes across the top of the follower's back to hold her right hand at her right shoulder; the leader's left hand holds the follower's left hand at waist height in front of him. The follower's right arm is bent at the elbow so her right hand is just above her right shoulder. (image: side view)
 
 

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