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Step 1
Hold your body over your center of gravity from your head, through your arms and down to your toes, which also keeps the dance frame. Maintaining your own center of gravity helps you and your partner read each other's body language better and keeps you from intruding on your partner's dance space.
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Step 2
Maintain tension in your arms and hands, but without being stiff. This tension guides your partner around the floor if you're leading or lets you know how to turn if you're following. It also allows you to feel exactly what your partner's doing.
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Step 3
Hold hands correctly, which helps each partner determine where the other is going. Rest your thumbs lightly on the outside of your partner's hand. Maintain tension in your hand and fingers to help both of you keep your frames correctly.
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Step 4
Let your partner move, even though you're holding hands firmly and maintaining contact with one another. Your partner should always be able to move around the dance floor with you without being pulled by you. Loosen your grip if you're holding your partner so tightly that she can't move.
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Step 5
Maintain eye contact to anticipate upcoming maneuvers in this fast-paced dance. Look at the space on dance floor as well as each other so you can navigate, but make sure that you and your partner have frequent eye contact so that you're in communication with one another during the dance.
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Step 6
Smile and have fun with swing dancing. If you miss a step or fumble a turn, it's not the end of the world. Frowning or becoming discouraged can distract your partner and could throw both of you off balance. Keep smiling, make eye contact with your partner and keep dancing like nothing happened. If you look like you're having fun, no one will notice a small mistake.
