Notes

1. Follower's right in Lead's left, clockwise turn

Demonstration

• The phrase “relative to the partnership” is important. In a later tutorial, this element will be combined with a circular partnership rotation, resulting in a hand-hold that moves in an arc relative to the room, but remains still relative to the partnership.
• The "little hooks" should be gently (not tightly) curved.
• The tips or pads of the “gun” fingers form the contact point.
   

Description

(1) Lead: this contact point should be maintained over the course of turn.

(1,2,3) Follower: there should be no net movement of the handhold, and therefore no lead force in any direction. Interpreted correctly, this would result in you pedalling on the spot.
 

5, 6 & 7. All double-handed holds

Description

(1) Lead: both right and left hands should be kept closely associated with each other.
 

Learning Tips

Lead: it's necessary to develop a sensitivity to contact pressure through the fingertips. If your hold is comfortably positioned for your partner, the pressure will be light. But if your partner is placed under strain, usually by being made to over-reach, the contact pressure is significantly heavier. This is most likely to happen at the point when you have your back to your partner.

Follower: disengage from the hold if you are put under strain: it provides immediate feedback to the lead that the hold is incorrect; it also ensures that your safety is maintained (see Common Faults below).

Common Faults
The dreaded elbow
View the clips:

merengue_neutral_turn_error_dangerouselbow_linr_clockwise.avi (4.7 Mb)

merengue_neutral_turn_error_dangerouselbow_linr_anticlockwise.avi (5.8 Mb)

This fault can appear when partner distance decreases during the turn, for example:

1. if the lead steps toward his/her partner; or
2. if the hand-hold is too high causing the smaller follower to be pulled forward.

The anti-clockwise turn is potentially more hazardous because the follower is unsighted from the lead as the elbow begins to move across the follower's face.

To avoid this fault, both partners should try to maintain constant partnership distance during the turn, and allow the hold to be released if they experience excessive contact pressure.

Overstretching your partner
View the clip:

merengue_neutral_turn_error_noheightcompensation.avi (4.7 Mb)

Notice that Nathan has grown somewhat, and has changed his name to Karthik. (Actually, he's taking time out from behind the camera to demonstrate this error)

Here is a fine example of a lead being so involved with the mechanics of the turn, that he/she forgets there's a follower at the end of the hand-hold. The contact point is extremely high and moves away from Shirin when the Karthik's back is turned to her. For these reasons, we must emphasise that the contact point be kept low and still.