Demonstration
View the clip:

Taking hold - merengue_closed_hold.avi (6.1 Mb)

For the sake of clarity, Shirin and Nathan are turning as they assume close hold. Also note that they are using a typical Latin American variation, establishing contact from the abdomen through to the knees. In other parts of the world, it may not be acceptable to have this level of contact with strangers, so the partnership distance would be a greater.

Preparation
You should begin by standing opposite and facing your partner. Having someone to practice with at the beginning is very helpful, because you can interpret and discuss both roles simultaneously. But all is not lost if you have to call on an imaginary friend because it helps you develop a second person perspective.

Description
The process is described alternating roughly between lead and follow. Read through it completely to get an overview of both roles before concentrating on individual ones.

1. Lead: standing with your feet slightly apart, extend your left arm, palm facing your partner, fingers about parallel to the floor, thumb extended upward - so that your fingers, thumb and forearm form a 'y'-shape.
    
2. Follower: extend your right arm making palm-to-palm contact with the lead's left. The part of the lead's palm formed by the fleshy base of the thumb should be located in the centre of your palm. Your fingers can now curl over the top of the lead's hand at the juncture between thumb and fingers.
    
3. Lead: you can now curl your fingers around the little-finger edge of the follower's right hand to secure it.
    
4. Follower: step up to your partner to a distance you're comfortable with. Offset the centreline of your body half a hip-width to the left of the lead's. Now raise your left elbow a little from your side.
    
5. Lead: you will find that your left forearm inclines to the vertical as your partner walks in. Make sure that your hand stays on the halfway plane or on your side of the partnership. Adjust the height of the arms so that there is no tension in the shoulder of the smallest partner.
    
6. Lead: curl your right arm around your partner while keeping your shoulders in their natural standing position and your elbow pointing outward. Place your palm on your partner's back.
    
7. Follower: place your left hand on the lead's right shoulder, the point of your thumb should find itself in the little indentation formed by the shoulder muscle and collarbone. This helps keep your hand in place during dancing.
    
8. Lead: turn the centreline of your body very slightly towards your partner.

Great! Now you're both ready to Merengue. Play the video again and in pause mode, move the slider to watch each phase in action.

Principles
The hold is an enclosure in which timing and directional information is given and received in safety. The arms, torso, and in some variations, the abdomen and upper legs form the frame through which lead forces are transmitted. These forces are generated primarily by the major muscle groups of the body, and controlled / directed by the smaller muscle groups.

But the hold is more than just a mechanical device. It is a result of the social contract tacitly implied in dance; where the follower entrusts her/his safety and relinquishes command of general choreography to the lead, while still retaining the right to interpret lead information. A person assumes the lead role and offers another person the choice of adopting the follower's role (stage 1). If accepted (stage 2), the follower determines the social distance of the partnership (stage 4). The lead has a final opportunity to negotiate the partner position (stage 6), which the follower can confirm or not (stage 7). With experienced dancers, confirmation is not usually necessary.

Goals
Your aim is to understand the dimensions of your own frame well enough to give your close hold adaptability and stability: so that you can cope with partners of a variety of stature, and without needing constant readjustment during the course of a dance.