1 Close Embrace for Slow Drag

COURSE: slow-drag-with-damon-kelsey

FOCUS: This lesson focuses on the importance of close embrace in slow drag, a dance where partners maintain body-to-body connection throughout, emphasizing a relaxed and intimate hold.

TIP & TRICKS:

• Leaders should rest their right arm lightly along the follower's side, connecting between wrist and inner elbow without pressing on the spine.
• Followers should drape their left arm along the leader's back line, keeping frame muscles engaged and shoulders in position.
• Maintain a relaxed and light embrace, avoiding any tight holding or trapping of the partner's body.
• Adjust arm placement based on height differences, with options ranging from the back to the arm.

REMEMBER:

• Close embrace is essential for slow drag, as it defines the dance and allows for spinal articulation, which is key in blues aesthetics.
• The dance originated as a radical statement of bodily autonomy for Black people, with all Black American dances starting in close embrace.
• While occasional breaks from close embrace are possible for musical interpretation, they should not be the default or regular occurrence.
• This dance influences most blues dances, making close embrace a foundational element in the genre.