---
title: 1 Close Embrace for Slow Drag
description: 
published: true
date: 2026-04-28T08:02:00.567Z
tags: Blues
editor: markdown
dateCreated: 2026-04-28T08:02:00.567Z
---

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## 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.
