In adopting the dancing posture, the man surrounds the woman with his right arm creating a space where she will dance. The points of contact are her forearm firmly set on his forearm, his lower arm in full contact with her body and his right arm and hand gently holding her back. To complete the frame, his left arm extends out in line with his left shoulder holding his right palm slightly upwards. Her right arm extends out and up and her hand rests palm down on his palm. He gently cups her hand by closing his fingers over her hand.
Shoulders lock so any motion of the upper bodies can directly be transferred to the arms.
The man's left arm should not be used as a pump to force her motion back and forth. If he pushes with his left arm, she will open up when stepping back with her right foot and her body will dance in a V-frame moving sideways while going back, instead of fully facing his upper body. Because her right foot will point at an angle while she steps back on a V-frame, her cross, left over right, will leave her body at an angle instead of being directly lined up in front of him. If the couple dances in a V-frame, their dancing possibilities are dramatically limited, as certain movements, such as walking on her left or turning to the left are difficult to execute without exerting a toll on the spinal cord of the lady. Her arm and hand rest on his shoulder.