The joined hands should be raised to the eye level of the shorter partner. These free hands should not be used to push and pull. Leading is done primarily through the man s right hand on the woman s back. Resistance is essential for a good dance team. If the body is limp, it won t be able to sense which direction it should move in and the response time will be delayed.
Resistance is achieved by keeping the shoulder, wrist and elbow firm.
When dancing, resistance should be maintained for forward, backward and sideward motion. The exceptions are to upward and downward motion. Here, resistance should not be used in order to allow for smooth turns. You can keep a conversation going while at the same time keeping your eye out for potential collisions. This very important principle is called Aim.